~Introduction~ Petra is the ruined capital city of the Nabataeans Arabs, it was built in the 3rd century BC by carving the city out of the cliffs and rocks. It is located some 262km or 160 miles south of Amman. A Victorian traveller Dean Burgon described Petra as ' a rose-red city half as old a time'. The most famous ruin is El Khazneh (Treasury), which was used as the entrance to the caverns of the Holy Grail in the film 'Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade'. El Khazneh is only one of a number a temple type structures in Petra alongside other smaller caves and holes that have been dug out of the rocks.
~Arriving in Petra~ I arrived from Eilat in Israel on a tour bus. The journey included a stop at the Israel/Jordan
border, and long drive across the desert to Petra. The whole trip around Petra was done in the course of one day with an early start and a late finish. The trip cost me $139 (£80) and included the entrance fee to Petra, which was 20JD (Jordanian Dinar) or £16 for a one-day pass, a visa into Jordan 10JD (£8) and an exit tax from Jordan 5JD (£4).
~The Site~ The site has a small building with some toilet facilities at the entrance. From here there is a 1.2km walk (¾ of a mile) down a narrow ravine called the Siq to the centre of the city. There is an option to travel the Siq in a horse and cart, so if you have trouble walking you can cover the distance with ease. I'm not sure of the cost for this as I think you have to haggle. As it was an early January day when I visited it was raining, but it was still warm enough for shorts and trainers. There was a small Bedouin cave to one side about halfway down and our guide took us inside for tea and a place to shelter from the rain.
After the rain had eased and the Bedouin tea had been drunk my group set off for the city again. The ravine on the way down became narrower and we were soon given a glimpse of El Khazneh. This view should really be experienced as no photograph or film can do it justice. The Siq is only wide enough to take a horse and cart, but as the sides of the ravine rise up so high, you only a small slit of light from the sky above. In front there are the first views of El Khazneh and as you walk forward it is hard not to feel in awe of the size and beauty of the structure. When you finally get to the end of the Siq the cliffs peel back, the sun shines down and the full glory of El Khazneh is revealed. It towers over everything and rises up the cliff in front of you seemingly touching the sky. The colour of the rock is one thing that really stands out, as it is an unusual red/pink rock with clearly visible layers. It is hard to tell whether man or nature has carved some of the marks in the rocks, but the columns rising from the floor of the valley to the top of the cliff and the roof are clearly man-made. The steps rising up from the floor to the entrance of the caverns behind and the columns really give a grandiose feel to the whole structure. In comparison the area carved out behind the entrance of El Khazneh is actually quite small and was apparently used as a burial chamber for the kings of the Nabataeans. Even after the initial impressions of awe are gone, the outside of El Khazneh is very impressive and it is clearly the main attraction at Petra.
From El Khazneh you can see further caves and holes clinging to the side of the cliffs, you are now in the heart of Petra. Our guide walked us down the valley and we looked at some of the various other structures and holes carved into the rocks. It is easy to see how people could live here, as there is such a variety of caves, dwellings and even a Roman amphitheatre carved into the rock. The rain that was an annoyance earlier now showed off the bright red/pink colour of the rocks, as the sun came out to highlight the colours. I had never seen and I doubt I ever will again a colour like it. Yet a closer look revealed other rocks with bright reds, yellows, blues and greens all in perfect layered symmetry. Indeed the rock in places almost resembled the patterns of a rainbow.
We walked around Petra for a long time and I was almost sorry to leave. I had spent over four hours walking around looking in holes, caves and at the intricately carved structures. I even managed to go back to the cliffs near El Khazneh and climb up the outside cliff to get a picture of the structure at a level of about 15m (50ft) above the valley floor. It was the best picture of the whole holiday and I left Petra on a real high feeling like I had been somewhere spectacular and I was one of the few to have seen such a marvellous sight.
~Conclusion~ Petra for me was a really outstanding place to see with my own eyes. The carved structures, caves and red/pink rock formations are something that I have never seen anywhere else. I think that Petra's a place that is a marvel to match the ancient Pyramids of the Pharaohs. It appears to be under rated compared to the larger pyramids, but in my view is a place that you should really see at least once.
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Advantages: Prime location, excellent access to sites, lovely roof terrace Disadvantages: bit expensive when you add the 26% tax onto everything, renovations, lack of secure parking
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