Visiting Petra was one of the two reasons I had Jordan on my “must visit” list and I was looking forward to today.  We arrived the previous evening in time to check in and have dinner, enabling an early start for our visit to Petra.  Our plan was to hike in via a little used back route rather than go in the main gate used by traders, merchants, and now tourists for the past two thousand years.   Consequently we drove 20 minutes back south to the site of “little Petra” which had served as a caravan stop for traders on the way to Petra.  Because of the physically restricted access to Petra itself, the narrow gorge made famous by the movie “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade”, caravans stopped in little Petra to transfer merchandise to donkeys and other transport that could make the last leg through the restricted passage.  Most, apparently, did not know the back ways into the city, which avoided the well guarded front entrance, and it was one of those back routes we were going to pursue for our approach to the city.

Starting out at little Petra we headed east with our native guide. Not far from little Petra we passed by some neolithic ruins, a further testament to the longevity of human habitation in this part of the world.  The hike paralleled the hidden canyon contained the city, skirting around several ridges as we climbed, usually on embedded, fairly well-defined steps that reminded me of the Inca Trail in Peru. There were few others on the trail and with the temperate weather and an informative guide, the three hour walk went by quickly.  The ever present Bedouin tents, along with small goat herds, dotted the landscape as we proceeded to what is called “the monastery” an edifice located on the rim of the canyon wall above the city.  Along the way I noticed furrows in the ground with small green sprigs of an unknown plant emerging from the rocky soil.  Our guide, Mohammed, informed me that this was barley that the Bedouins planted for the goats.  The crop is not tended but left to itself and as it grows (or not) the goats are rotated through the area.  That answered one of my questions about how people survive in such a rocky and barren landscape!

The steps leading from the monastery down to the canyon floor and the main city of Petra. Nearly 900 of them!

The monastery dates back to the first century BC and was originally a Nabatean monument before being taken over in Roman times as a place where hermits and religious people meditate (hence the name).  Just prior to reaching the monastery we passed the ruins of a Crusader castle, perched on the edge of the canyon to observe the surrounding area.  The monastery provided a hint of what we were going to see in the main city of Petra.  Carved out of the rock face were ornate columns and decorations and inside was a shallow recess with a niche in the back wall that likely once held a statue.  Enterprising vendors established a cafe opposite the beautiful carving so after a three hour hike we decided to take a break,  sit, and admire the area while getting something to drink.  All of the supplies for the cafe had to arrive on donkey via a nearly 900 step staircase that leads to the canyon floor.  That is the staircase we were going to descend to reach the main city.

While resting I took the opportunity to examine the map of Petra and was surprised at the extent of the city.  The facade of the treasury made famous by the Indiana Jones movie was only one small part of a much bigger site!  After our rest break we started down the steps– all 900 of them.  It took me about 45 minutes of constant descent to get to the bottom.  I had to stop briefly occasionally for the donkey traffic, some carrying supplies and some carrying people who did not want to tackle the arduous climb.  Because we hiked in the back way, we only had to descend– we would walk out the front entrance on the canyon floor– brilliant!  As I was walking down the uneven, never-ending steps I had no idea how far I had to go until I passed a boy who was counting as he ascended. I heard him say 44-45-46… and knew I had to be close to the end.  Nuwar met me at the bottom and pointed to the cafe where we were going to have lunch.  Our group had spread out so much during the climb down into the valley that it was a full fifteen minutes before everyone arrived.  We had a quick lunch then headed out to explore the city.

One of the few standing buildings not carved into rock walls. Sits right on the main city road.

Nuwar lead us up some paths to a hill that overlooked the main Cardo road that threaded through the city.  From our vantage point we could see several major city structures in the near vicinity and in the distance numerous tombs and caves carved into the rock walls along one side of the canyon.  The tombs and caves have been used for habitation for thousands of years and some still remain occupied by Bedouins despite the attempts to remove them.  The carving in the canyon walls were elaborate and it was amazing to see how well they survived the thousands of years of exposure to the weather.  But because Petra is located in a fully inclosed canyon, it has been remarkably well protected.  It is no surprise that it is a UNESCO world heritage site, having been named so in 1996, and still hosts numerous excavations.  The hill we were standing on is no doubt the future of another effort to uncover the yet to be discovered temples, buildings and stories that the city has yet to tell.

A large temple also on the main road near the back of the city.

Dotting the landscape and lining the main road were numerous souvenir stands run by the local people.  Even though we had to deal with the constant “come and look” cries from the venders, it did help me project what life might have been like along the undoubtedly busy main street.  As we walked through the narrowing canyon, from time to time it was possible to see steps carved into the rock heading up through narrow gorges, identifying routes inhabitants used in and out of the city.  Some of these paths led to religious and ceremonial sites perched around the edge of the canyon on the plateau above.  Additions to the city were made by the Romans, who occupied it centuries after the Nabatean civilization collapsed.   The Romans added to and improved the amphitheater, for example.

Part of one of the ornately carved walls behind me. Just a small part!

As we moved from the wide open spaces of the rear of the city forward towards the main entrance the walls of the canyon narrowed, anticipating the famous narrow gorge.  The walls on the left were sprinkled with caves used as dwellings while the rock on the right had been carved out for tombs.   A few hundred feet after passing the amphitheater the narrowing walls fell away to reveal a large rectangular plaza.  Looking to my right as I entered the plaza was the iconic treasury building recognizable to anyone anywhere.  The plaza was busy with tourists, but nowhere near as packed as Petra gets during the height of a pre-COVID tourist crowd.  It was not just tourists occupying the plaza– locals with camels, horses, donkeys, small chariots– all vied for attention trying to coax a visitor into a ride or photograph opportunity.  A few Jordanian militia kept a wary eye on all of the activity.

The treasury facade was as awe-inspiring as I imagined it and the amount of detail discernible in the carving was astounding.  It was hard to imagine that the giant edifice was two thousand years old!  Nuwar told us that there was actually a bit more artifacts and carving that went below the current grade for another dozen feet or so but the archeologists decided not to dig it all up. Sure enough, as I went closer to the façade, there was an area exposed below the current grade that showed the lower portion of the edifice that had been partially uncovered.  Unfortunately due to the tendency of humans to apply graffiti, no one was allowed to go inside so I just stood in front and gawked at it while Nuwar explained the history.

Needs no explanation!!!!

Turning 180 degrees and facing away from the rock face I spotted the opening to the narrow gorge that led to the front entrance,   That narrow gorge was one of the reasons that the Nabateans built their capital in this location.  The gorge, which was about 3/4 of a mile long, was easily defensible- and quite beautiful.  Still easily seen against both walls, as I walked through the gorge, were the aqueducts which brought fresh water into the city from the surrounding hills.  The engineering processes of the ancient world never ceases to amaze and impress me!  Once we emerged through the gorge we still had a just under a mile to walk to get to the main entrance.  Dotted along the way were other burial sites, habitats and monuments, also built right into the walls.  Petra had about 40,000 inhabitants at its peak so it is not surprising that it spread out as much as it did.  We spent just a day and a half here and I probably could have spent a whole additional day– there were lots of nooks and crannies that were left to explore.

Another example of intricate rock carving.

And this is why Petra was built where it was. Picture taken from above the city. Not even possible to imagine a city of 40000 located in this scene.

The opening of the gorge just opposite the treasury.