Petra, Jordan's crown jewel
Nope, I’ve never been there. Even though I’ve wanted to all my life, ever since I first saw a photo of the famous Treasury, carved from the rose-red sandstone Petra is famous for. In a National Geographic article, decades ago? Who wouldn’t be instantly enraptured, and dream of visiting such a magnificent ancient site? Being a rock lover only adds to the appeal.
So when my sister announced she was going to Petra this spring, my nerves began to sizzle with excitement. Six days in Jordan? What an amazing add-on to a tour of Egypt’s top wonders, including floating down the Nile, something else I’ve always yearned to do. Could I come along? Please, could I…? Turned out the trip was much too expensive, in US dollars, and she already had a traveling companion.
So having my beloved big sister visit Petra is as close as I’ll likely ever get, unless I win the lottery. I waited breathlessly as her flight date approached, and days went by, until finally, with time and Wi-Fi connection, she sent a brief report about hot temperatures and long hikes through slot canyons, plus a handful of pictures that were every bit as thrilling as I’d expected.
Petra truly is a jewel of antiquity, made possible by underground springs of fresh water, a precious, life-giving commodity that the nomadic Nabataeans, a tribe of brilliant Bedouins, eventually channeled into cisterns and reservoirs for their year-round use, allowing them to settle down. Though the area holds archeological remains of Neolithic villages, then Iron Age and Bronze Age ones, the community came into its own as a major hub of the Silk Road trading network well before “BCE” segued into “AD.” Textiles, spices and semi-precious stones from India were sold in the markets there, along with frankincense and myrrh from Arabia and Africa.
Wealth accrued from all the visiting caravans enabled local authorities to go on an extended building spree, creating great houses, public fountains and an amphitheater big enough to seat 4000 spectators as the Nabataean Empire evolved. Plus a temple to the goddess Isis, wife of Osiris, god of the afterlife, likely part of the reason Petra has a whole lot of tombs for rich people cut into the sandstone cliffs. The most famous, Al Kahzha, is thought by historians to date from the reign of King Aretas IV, 9 BC to 40 AD. It was nicknamed “the Treasury” by later nomads, from the legend that a treasure had been placed inside the urn carved atop the magnificent 15-meter-high façade.
The Romans took over in 106 AD, wouldn’t you know, and put their own stamp on the city’s culture and architecture—the first straight road!--as they enjoyed the economic advantages. Until a powerful earthquake shook Petra in 363 AD, destroying the hydraulic system and many buildings, after which it was largely abandoned, then forgotten by the outer world for centuries.
Tourists today have found it again, a vital source of income in Jordan’s stressed economy, so go there and spend money if you possibly can! One reason I’d love to visit is the red rock, a natural feature I happen to adore wherever I find it across our beautiful planet. Canyon de Chelly, Sedona and Oak Creek Canyon in Arizona; Arches National Park in Utah… Zion, which I’ve never been to and long to see! Uluru and Kata Tjuta (Ayer’s Rock and the Olgas) in the red center of Australia near Alice Springs, which I’d give my eye teeth to go back to.
My geologist grand-nephew tells me that iron oxide cementing sand grains together is what gives red sandstone its vibrant colour in desert conditions. I’m convinced it’s the iron in my blood leaping in response that leaves me hyper with excitement whenever I come across red cliffs, crags and rock cuts. What other reason could there be for melting into tears at the sight? In fact human eyes register the colour red in 2/100 of a second, sending signals to our central nervous system to activate hormones, so that explanation for such an emotional response may not be far off.
I phoned my sister as soon as she’d had a little time to recover from her trip, and asked how she liked Petra. She chattered on about sunset views, her helpful guide, and all the tombs, and finally mentioned walking through the Siq, the narrow, kilometer-long sandstone gorge entering Petra. Rounding the last canyon curve and having the Treasury revealed in all its glory “made me cry,” she admitted sheepishly.
I nodded to myself and smiled. Yep, I knew exactly how she felt.
Beautiful! As you know, I’m also a fan of red rocks!
It makes me want to go too. Maybe we can organize a red rock tour, Margaret!