Jordan is famous not only for the wonderful beaches of Aqaba and the healing mud of the Dead Sea. Petra is her main attraction, hundreds of thousands of tourists from all over the world come to see it. The architects who built this city, inexplicably hollowed out in the rocks of the cave, turning the dead stone into magnificent temples and tombs. But then there were no modern tools, and technology did not reach even half the modern level. Nevertheless, people, figuratively speaking, with their bare hands managed to create masterpieces that survived centuries.
Nabataeans - founders of a fairy-tale city among the rocks
According to legend, the Nabataeans are the descendants of Shem, the son of the world famous Noah. In the III century BC they formed the state of Nabatea. The most important for the economy of those times caravan routes passed through its lands. Therefore, the territory of the Nabatean kingdom was a tidbit for many neighboring states and was often attacked. But the Nabataeans not only managed to protect their land from invaders, but also subjugated part of Syria and remained independent during the time of the power of the Roman Empire. The Nabataeans had great hatred for the Jews and not only fought against them endlessly, but even ransomed the Jews from other captives in order to cruelly torture them and then kill them. In the territory of the majestic Nabatea, Jordan is now located. Petra is the former prosperous capital of an extinct ancient state. Now it is a unique museum created by nature and human genius.
The Lost City
The lost cities of science fiction novels are as if copied from Petra, who was hiding in the rocks of the city. Who knows, humanity would know anything about this place if, in 1812, an orientalist from Sweden Johann Burkhardt, traveling around the Middle East under the name Ibrahim ibn Abdallah, had not stumbled upon an unusually beautiful gorge, did not pass through it and did not open for mankind the ancient city of Petra. Jordan reverently protects its shrine, included in the list of wonders of the world. Petra - in Greek means "stone, stone." The city received such a name because at some point in its history it was connected with ancient Hellas. This is evidenced by the numerous elements in the architecture of buildings, colonnades and porticos, reminiscent of parts of ancient Greek temples, but with their own details not characteristic of Hellenes. Burkhardt himself was not looking for the lost city, but was planning to cross the Sahara to the sources of the Niger. This man died on the threshold of his 33rd birthday, becoming famous for centuries thanks to his unexpected find.
Geographical position
Hot dry climate, the only
Jordan River, a small section of the Gulf of Aqaba and the Dead Sea and 90% of the desert plains interspersed with lifeless cliffs. That is Jordan. Petra, the country's unique historical heritage and pride, cannot boast of flowering gardens. It strikes the imagination with the harsh beauty of the silent rocks, which direct their masses to the sky for tens of meters. The city is located at an altitude of 660 meters above the Arava Valley and communicates with the world through the narrow Sik Gorge. Arava is a desert plain where there is almost nothing alive. In the old days, travelers accompanying camel caravans crossed Arava, languishing from heat and waterlessness. As a life-giving mystical oasis, there was a magnificent Peter for them, where you could drink plenty of water and relax. Nabataeans for their capital chose one of the most impregnable places. You can get into the city only through a narrow canyon from the south or from the north. According to legend, it turned out that Moses hit the rocks with his staff. According to another legend, the Nabataeans did not let the Jews whom Moses led through the desert through their city.
Sik Gorge
Both the passage along Arava and the advance along the gorge are included in the program of the excursion tour called "Jordan, Petra, Attractions". For those who do not want to bother their feet, enterprising Arabs provide horses, camels, donkeys and even small carriages for rent. Entrance to the gorge is paid. If you don’t have time to examine everything in one day, you will have to pay again the next day. The price until recently was 20 dinars (approximately 20 euros). However, the money spent is worth that beauty that you will not see anywhere else in the world. The amazing begins with the first steps along the gorge. It is a narrow, winding canyon about one kilometer long. Why not even? The Arabs say because the
staff of Moses was crooked. The width of this natural masterpiece is not the same. In some places, the gorge is so narrow that the horse-drawn carriage barely passes, and in some it reaches a width of 3 meters. It is more interesting to walk along it, lagging behind the group and left alone with the rocks, these eternal guards of the lost city. Their sheer, and in some areas fancifully overhanging slopes rush up, almost closing over their heads. And only the blue strip of sky does not allow to break the connection with the real world. The color of the slopes varies with the time of day. He is especially beautiful at sunrise and sunset. But even in the afternoon, the multi-colored layers of sandstone that form these monoliths look wonderful.
Al Khazneh
At the exit from the gorge, a wonderful creation of human genius is revealed to the eyes. This is a mausoleum-temple cut down directly in the rocks. Petra in Jordan, especially this great building, is able to delight anyone. Its height is 39 meters and a width of 25. Externally, the facade resembles the
temples of ancient Greece. However, on the walls there are figures of Amazons, the heads of the Egyptian goddess Isis and the mythological Medusa. Also on the facade you can see figures of eagles, according to the beliefs of the Nabataeans, taking away the souls of the dead. That is, during the construction several architectural styles intertwined. El-Khazneh is crowned by an urn in which, according to legend, the treasures of the pharaohs were piled. That is why the name of the temple arose - "treasury of the pharaohs." Inside the temple there are three small rooms without any decoration. Only bare walls.
Tombs of Petra
Many researchers are inclined to believe that the pharaohs have nothing to do with Al Khazne, and the structure served as the tomb of the rulers of Petra. In front of the temple there is a small round groove with a groove in which, possibly, sacrifices were made. Blood flowed down the groove. But this detail does not confirm the theory of the tomb 100%. There is nothing inside Al Khazne that can shed light on what the structure served. The Nabataeans took this secret with them. From the great civilization we have left Mr. Petra. Jordan considers it his main pearl. Even dilapidated by time, the city is enormous. From Al Khazneh stretches a short Fasadov street leading to other monumental buildings. Some of them were also cut down in the rocks, others were built of hewn stone blocks. There are many tombs in the city, but they are all much smaller and more modest than the great Al Khazneh.
Water supply in the city
The entire Arabian Peninsula is considered an arid region. Jordan is the same. Petra is a city where only 150 mm of precipitation fell during the year, which is negligible for the lives of 40 thousand inhabitants. However, the Nabataeans built a network of canals and reservoirs in the city in which all the collected water was stored. In addition, the Nabatean irrigation system made it possible to collect water in the district of the city. Citizens always had plenty of water. There is an assumption that during rare but heavy showers streams more than a meter deep could rush along the Sik gorge. To prevent such an amount of water from flooding the city, the Nabataeans built something like a dam, diverting the water stream to the side and preventing water from rushing into the gorge.
Other sights of Petra
Not only the unique temple of Al-Khazneh is famous for Petra
(Jordan). Photos of its beautiful coast in the Gulf of Aqaba and the many surviving buildings of glorious Petra will forever retain the memory of visiting this great place on Earth. One of them is the Ad-Deir Monastery. It is located just above the main city buildings and is also carved into the rock. The facade of the monastery reminds with its view the facade of the temple of Al-Khazneh. In size, it is slightly larger and reaches a height of 45 meters with a 50-meter width. Many steps lead to it. Perhaps that is why it is not visited as often as Al Khazneh. In addition to the monastery, in the stone city, the Gravestone Palace, the Temple of
Winged Lions, a huge arena deserve attention. It was created in the likeness of the Greek theaters and served, according to historians, for religious and religious rites.
Jordan. Petra. Tours, hotels, souvenirs
Jordan is a great place for tourism. In many travel agencies you can order tours of various durations and directions. Those who choose to visit Petra can stay in the suburb of Wadi Musa, located one and a half kilometers from the stone city. There are no hotels in Petra itself. It is open to visitors only a few hours a day. In Wadi Musa there is plenty to choose from; hotels are available for every taste and budget. In addition, in the suburbs of tourists are waiting for numerous restaurants, shops, bars and even a night club. In addition to Wadi Musa, you can stay in the central city of
Jordan, Aqaba. To Petra from there about 3 hours drive.
Visiting this historic city, every tourist buys souvenirs for memory. Sell them here literally on every corner. Women's jewelry, ceramics, utensils of Arab masters and small bottles with colored sand are very popular.