Couldn’t they travel [study the history of past centuries and millennia, and then visit the preserved monuments, capitals of states and civilizations that once flourished and crushed any enemy], having at the same time understanding hearts and hearing ears?!
It is not people’s eyes that go blind, but their hearts that are in their chests [they do not heed the lessons of the past in the present, they do not try to understand them. Their whole life is a run from nowhere to nowhere along a narrow path of stereotypes and personal interpretations, subjective conclusions].*
Holy Koran 22:46
Impressed?
Then let's reveal our cards a little.
So, Petra (Arabic: البتراء) - ancient city, capital Edomites (Edom), later the capital of the Nabataean kingdom. Located on the territory of modern Jordan, at an altitude of more than 900 m above sea level and 660 m above the surrounding area, the Arava Valley, in the narrow Siq canyon.
Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan or Jordan - an Arab state in the Middle East. It borders with Syria in the north, Iraq in the northeast, with Saudi Arabia- in the east and south, with Israel and Palestine - in the west. Jordan shares with Israel and Palestine coastlines Dead Sea and Gulf of Aqaba with Israel, Saudi Arabia and Egypt.
About 90% of the kingdom's territory is occupied by deserts and semi-deserts.
Jordan's most famous landmark is , the city we are interested in Petra , located 262 kilometers south of Amman, and 133 kilometers north of Aqaba in the Wadi Musa valley.
The ancient city is the property of the Bedouins, who manufacture and sell souvenirs on the territory of the museum, and also offer rides on horses or camels. In place of the current one Petra was the first fortified settlement, called " Sela" — "stone, rock". Later this name was translated into Greek language — Petra ("stone").
Petra - the capital of the Nabatean kingdom and one of the most beautiful and well-preserved ancient cities. Petra is included in the list world heritage UNESCO and is one of the new wonders of the world. In ancient times, Petra was located on the trade route connecting the Middle East, Arabia and India.
Historians believe that the city was built by the Nabateans, Arab tribes of nomads who settled on these lands in the 3rd millennium BC. Appearance Petra owes much to Greco-Roman culture, which the Nabataeans adapted to their needs. Beginning with a few easily defended caves in the rocks, Petra gradually grew into an impregnable fortress city. The lands of the former Nabatean kingdom and Peter were completely forgotten in the West.
The first modern European to see and describe Petra was the Swiss traveler Johann Ludwig Burckhardt in 1812.
The very location of Petra is surprising, namely the mountains, which, depending on the time of day, change their color from dark red to pink and even orange.
Getting to the ancient city is not so easy; you will have to cover several kilometers on foot: first go down and then climb back through Siq gorge. From the east and west the cliffs drop steeply, forming natural walls up to 80 m in height.
Here is a description of this path, made in the 70s: “The path to the city lies through this passage. Its length is about 1.2 km, and its width is from 4 to 10 meters or more. The spectacle is truly unforgettable: reddish and brownish rocks up to 80 m high hang on both sides; A strip of sky is blue above, coarse gravel and sand rustle underfoot, and it smells of dampness and mold. The Romans failed to take Petra for several years; its inhabitants, blocking the only narrow passage leading to the fortified city, could hold back an entire army with small forces...
Walking down the aisle- both on the right and on the left above my head are these cut up, gnawed stones of red color. During the rainy season, this gorge turns into a rapid, turbulent stream. The road is decorated with the remains of an ancient pavement and rock bas-reliefs, and along the edges, like a railing, a water trench meanders, delivering water to Petra.
The beginning of the gorge through which you can get to Petra itself
Already approaching the exit from the gorge, we freeze in amazement: through the hole in the dark corridor, about fifty meters from its end, a pink building illuminated by the sun with columns and an elegant pediment is clearly visible. A few more minutes of patience and in front of us is one of the monumental tombs of Petra... What is most striking is that it is a solid stone mass without any additions.
It opens around the corner El Khazneh- a majestic building with a facade carved from a huge rock. It is one of the best preserved structures from the first century. The building is crowned with a huge stone urn, which supposedly contained gold and gems, - hence the name of the temple (translated from Arabic as “treasury”).
The interior of one of the “rooms” of El Khazneh.
Here you can clearly see that all this was carved out of a solid stone mass.
Once around the rock and the Al-Khazneh Palace, you will find yourself surrounded by hundreds of rock-cut buildings, temples, tombs, small and large residential buildings, tombs and festive halls, long staircases, arches and cobbled streets. A little lower, a huge Roman amphitheater carved from stone, which once accommodated more than 4 thousand spectators.
High in the mountains above the city there is a sacred place of worship of the gods, from where a stunning panorama of Petra opens up - an amphitheater, a Byzantine church and tombs of the kings, Roman colonnades, the mausoleum of Aaron, and the main temple of the Nabateans - Qazr al-Bint.
Here is a list of the most interesting of them: El-Khazneh ("Treasury", the tomb of one of the Nabataean kings), Ad-Deir ("Monastery"), Sakhrij ("Djinn's Blocks"), "Obelisk Tomb", "Facade Square", sacred mountain Jebel Al-Madbah ("Mountain of Sacrifice"), "Royal Tombs", Mugar An-Nasar ("Caves of the Christians"), Theatre, Byzantine church behind the ruins of the Nymphaeum, Al-Uzza Atargatis ("Temple of the Winged Lions"), Qasr Al- Bint (“Palace of the Pharaoh’s Daughter”, although the pharaohs, naturally, have nothing to do with this building), etc.
The city has two archaeological museums: the old (in Mount Jebel Al-Habis) and the new, with excellent collections, as well as many monuments identified with biblical chronicles - the Wadi Musa valley itself ("Valley of Moses"), Mount Jebel Harun (Mount of Aaron , where, according to legend, the high priest Aaron died), the source of Ain Musa (“The Source of Moses”), etc.
Petra was called a “nest of robbers”, “bloody stones”, “cursed place”, “city of evil spirits”, “ghost city”, “city of bloody altars”, “city of the dead”.
The territory of Petra occupies large area. From the center, where the ruins of numerous buildings are well preserved, no longer rock, but built traditional way, made of stone, it extends for several kilometers.
The main street, stretching from east to west through the entire city, was laid during Roman rule. A majestic colonnade stretches on both sides of it. The western end of the street abutted a large temple, and the eastern end ended with a three-span triumphal arch.
Ed-Deir is a monastery carved into the rock at the top of a cliff - a huge building about 50 m wide and more than 45 m high. Judging by the crosses carved on the walls, the temple served as a Christian church for some time.
Later, after researchers excavated the space under the monastery, they discovered the tomb of one of the Nabatean kings.
Here is a very educational video from the National Geographic Channel:
The remains of this cities of the dead"are an edification for us who live after them. In the SacredIn the Koran, the Almighty tells us in several verses about the destroyed peoples and villages:
How many settlements We destroyed along with their sinful, godless inhabitants: [old] houses collapsed and became empty, wells [water supply systems] became useless and fell into disrepair, and [solid] palaces built [using the latest science and technology] [ if they remained standing, they were empty and deserted].*
Holy Quran, 22:45
Each of the human communities has its own term [nothing lasts forever in this world, everything (people, peoples, cities, states, eras, civilizations) has an earthly beginning and end]. If it comes, then nothing can be changed (it is impossible to delay it or speed it up).*
Holy Quran, 7:34
Haven’t you seen what your Lord did to the ‘adites?! [With their tribe] Iram, who had [majestic] buildings supported by columns. There were no people like them [powerful and strong, smart] anywhere until that moment.
Holy Quran 89:6-8
Don’t they see [don’t know] how many civilizations were destroyed by Us earlier! Truly, they will not return to them [to the existing ones]!*
Holy Quran 36:31
In conclusion, I will quote the words of a Muslim scholar-sage who was asked:
“Why do we hear edifications and instructions, but cannot benefit from them, they are not reflected in our lives?
The sage replied: “For five reasons:
First: Allah has endowed you with many bounties, granted you countless blessings, but you have lost your sense of gratitude towards Him
Second: having committed a sin, you stopped feeling the fear of God’s wrath, you stopped asking for mercy with deeds and words
Third: You don't follow what you know.
Fourth: There are righteous, well-behaved people in your environment, but you don’t even think of emulating them.
And the last one“: you bury the dead, see off many of your loved ones and acquaintances to another world, but cannot learn an instructive lesson from this”
As-Samarkandi N. Tanbih al-gafilin.P.292
O Allah, fill our hearts with timidity before Your greatness and power. Awaken in us this feeling, which will manifest itself in our tears, which will be beaten into future life heavenly springs in the highest degrees of Firdavs! Amine.
Radia Zavdetovna,
Mahalla No. 1
*With comments by Sh. Alyautdinov
Materials used when writing this article:
Wikipedia
Sh. Alyautdinov “The Holy Quran. Meanings"
I. Alyautdinov “Know. Believe. Honor"
Ancient city of Petra- the capital of Idumea (Edom), later the capital of the Nabataean kingdom, perhaps the main attraction of Jordan.
Ancient city of Petra in Jordan
Petra is located at an elevation of about 900 meters above sea level and 660 meters above the Arava valley that surrounds the city. You can get into the valley through gorges located in the south and north, but in the east and west the rocks drop steeply and create impregnable walls up to 60 meters in height.
Today in Petra there are ancient temples, palaces, an ancient theater, tombs and other buildings carved in stone and preserved to varying degrees. These buildings were erected by different owners of the city and at different times, while the city passed from hand to hand from the Edomites to the Nabataeans, from the Romans to the Byzantines and, finally, to the Arabs. For some time, even the crusaders owned it. Therefore, next to the ancient theater there is a building erected by the Edomites or Nabataeans. A walk around Petra will take a lot of time; there are about 800 interesting objects here. At the same time, scientists believe that only 15% of the territory of Petra has been studied, and the rest is fraught with many secrets and mysteries.
History of Petra
Its history began more than 4000 years ago. In the 4th-3rd centuries BC, the route of the “road of incense” lay here, and therefore caravans temporarily lived in this place, waiting out bad weather and dust storms. Later, Nabataean Arab nomads settled here. They built their capital in the rocks. Then, when the state of Edom was formed, a village with the name Sela, which means stone, also appeared here. Later, the Greeks translated the “stone” into “Petra”, which gave the modern name to this city.
From the 1st century AD, the Nabataeans voluntarily joined the Roman Empire, which gave impetus to the development of the city and the development of the city. The earthquake of 363 severely damaged Petra and the inhabitants left this city, and the nomads again became its inhabitants. In the 12th century, Petra was ruled by the Crusaders.
The forgotten city of Petra was found in 1812 by the traveler Johann Ludwig Burckhardt, who learned from the Bedouins about the existence of the city. Later, accompanied by guides, he reached the ruins of Petra in Jordan.
Al Khazneh- the famous rock temple in Petra. Built in the 1st century AD, it is a building carved into the rock. The exact purpose of the temple in the rock is unknown; it is assumed that the tomb of one of the kings was located here.
Sights of Petra
The main objects and attractions of Petra include:
- Canyon Siq
- Ancient settlement of Al-Beidha
- Al-Khazneh Temple
- Petra Amphitheater
- Ed-Deir
- Temple of the Winged Lions
- Dushara Temple or Palace of the Pharaoh's Daughter
- Supreme Place of Sacrifice
- Byzantine church
- Architectural complex Djin Blocks
- Silk Tomb
- Palace Tomb
- Aneisho Tomb
- Corinthian tomb
And much more. This is far from full list attractions of Petra.
Movies that were filmed in Petra
Films such as:
- "Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger" (1977, directed by Sam Wanamaker),
- Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989, directed by Steven Spielberg)
- Mortal Kombat 2: Annihilation (1997, directed by John Leonetti)
- “Passion in the Desert” (1998, directed by Lavinia Currier),
- "Arabian Nights" (2000, directed by Steve Barron),
- Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009, directed by Michael Bay).
- “Living Life” (Brazil, 2009, director Jaime Montjardin).
Excursions to Petra
You can get to Petra either independently or with an organized excursion. You can get to Petra from the capital of Jordan, Amman, by bus. The closest way to Petra is from Aqaba in Jordan, Eilat in Israel or Taba in Egypt. It is worth remembering that Petra is one of the most expensive attractions in the world to visit. The cost of the excursion can reach $200-300.
Inside Petra you can travel, for an additional fee, by horse-drawn or camel-drawn cart.
Today I will tell you about the main attraction of Jordan - the ancient city of Petra. It is located in the territory of modern Jordan, at an altitude of more than 900 m above sea level and 660 m above the surrounding area, the Arava Valley, in the narrow Siq canyon. The passage to the valley is through gorges located in the north and south, while from the east and west the rocks drop vertically, forming natural walls up to 60 m in height. In 2007, Petra was chosen as one of the new Seven Wonders of the World.
Petra was located at the crossroads of two important trade routes: one connecting the Red Sea with Damascus, the other connecting the Persian Gulf with Gaza off the Mediterranean coast. Departing from Persian Gulf caravans loaded with precious spices had to bravely endure the harsh conditions of the Arabian desert for weeks until they reached the coolness of the narrow Siq canyon, leading to the long-awaited Petra. There travelers found food, shelter and cool, life-giving water.
For hundreds of years, trade brought great wealth to Petra. But when the Romans discovered sea routes to the East, the land trade in spices came to naught and Petra gradually became empty, lost in the sands. Many of Petra's structures were erected in different eras and under different owners of the city, including the Edomites (18-2 centuries BC), the Nabataeans (2nd century BC - 106 AD), the Romans (106-395 AD). AD), Byzantines and Arabs. In the 12th century AD e. it was owned by the crusaders.
The first of the modern Europeans to see and describe Petra was the Swiss Johann Ludwig Burckhardt, who was traveling incognito. Next to the ancient theater you can see a building from the Edomite or Nabataean era. Monuments built after the 6th century AD. e. practically not, because in that era the city had already lost its significance.
01. Now Petra is visited annually by about half a million tourists. Admission for a day is approximately 55 euros, for 60 euros you can buy a ticket for 2 days. View of the road to Petra. 
02. The gorge begins from here. There is a main road - flat, quite wide, almost all tourists get to Petra along it. But you can turn off and take the unimproved road. To do this, turn right at the post into the tunnel. Walking there is quite difficult, but you can feel like you are in the shoes of the Swiss traveler Johann Ludwig Burckhardt, who discovered Petra in 1812. 
03. a few more videos from above. 
04.
05. This is what the main road looks like. Before entering, they will actively push you to get a horse to get to the city, don’t agree, the road there is very easy. But you can return back by cart. This pleasure costs 20 euros, you cannot bargain, since the tariff is official. 
06.
07.
08.
09. Using terracotta pipes, the architects of Petra created complex system water supply and despite the arid climate, the city's residents never needed water. There were about 200 tanks throughout the city that collected and stored rainwater. In addition to connecting the reservoirs, terracotta pipes collected water from all sources within a radius of 25 kilometers. Annual rainfall in Petra is only about 15 centimeters. To conserve water, local residents carved canals and reservoirs directly into the rocks. 
10.
11. As tourists walk through the cool kilometer-long Siq canyon, around the bend they discover the Treasury - a majestic building with a facade carved from a huge rock. It is one of the best preserved structures from the first century. 
12. The building is crowned by a huge urn made of stone, in which gold and precious stones were supposedly kept - hence the name “Treasury”. The official name of this structure is El Khazneh. The architects planned the construction of this temple in the former river bed. For its construction, the river bed was changed, a grandiose project for that time. A tunnel was cut into the rock to divert the flow of water and a series of dams were built. 
13. According to the popular etymological version, the word “Treasury” subsequently came from the word “El-Khazneh”. In fact, there is no direct connection between these words. El-Khazneh literally means "storehouse" from khazan - to store, store. Russian word“treasury” goes back to the same Arabic word, but was directly borrowed in the 12th-14th centuries from the Polovtsian language. Famous cat. 
14. A few more photos of local cats, but I don’t like them so much))) 
15.
16.
17.
18. The canyon gradually expands, and tourists find themselves in a natural amphitheater, in the sandstone walls of which there are many caves. But the main thing that catches your eye is the crypts carved into the rocks. The colonnade and amphitheater testify to the presence of the Romans in the city in the first and second centuries. 
19.
20. The name itself is “Petra”, which means “rock”. And Petra, indeed, was a city of stone; there was no such thing in the Roman Empire. The Nabateans, who built the city, patiently carved houses, crypts and temples from stone blocks. Petra is nestled among red sandstones that lend themselves well to building, and by the first century AD a monumental city had grown up in the heart of the desert. 
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30. The final point of the route is the Ed-Deir monastery. To get to it you need to climb the mountain for quite a long time, but you can take a donkey for 5 euros and walk back down. 
31.
32.
33.
34.
35.
36.
38. Ed-Deir, a monastery carved into the rock at the top of a cliff - a huge building about 50 m wide and more than 45 m high. Judging by the crosses carved on the walls, the temple served as a Christian church for some time. 
39. Not far from the monastery there are observation platforms where you can admire the view of the valley. 
40.
41.
42. All the viewpoints have been taken over by Bedouins who will extort money from you. 
43.
45. Be prepared for a lot of small extortionists and souvenir sellers. There is not much to buy there; prices in Petra are approximately 2 times higher. 
46.
47.
48.
49. Some tourists try to save money and enter the mountain trails without a ticket. For them, guards were posted at the far approaches to check tickets and chase away violators. 
50.
51.
52.
53.
54. And this is what an alternative gorge looks like, along which you can get to Petra. It’s very beautiful, although the walk takes much longer, but it’s worth it.
55.
57.
58. The entrance to Petra is open from 6 am to 5 pm. Sometimes the city opens at night, you need to buy an additional ticket. The entire road to the Treasury is decorated with paper lanterns. 
60. A small performance takes place in the square near the Treasury itself. 
61.
62.
63.
64. View of Petra from the neighboring mountain. 
Jordan. Petra is the ancient capital of the Nabatean kingdom, carved right into the rocks more than 2 thousand years ago. Thanks to its rich history, bewitching, almost mystical beauty and excellent preservation of monuments at the end of the last century, it was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, and in 2007 it was elected one of the new Seven Wonders of the World.
Once prosperous and luxurious, after the conquest of the Middle East by Saladin in the 12th century, Petra was abandoned and its memory faded in the West. The dilapidated city remained a hidden gem until 1812, when Swiss explorer Bruckhardt ended up here. His stories inspired many other travelers, but serious excavations in Petra began only in 1929. Steven Spielberg played an important role in popularizing the city as an object of world tourism with his Indiana Jones and the Last crusade": the film showed Petra on wide screens in 1989.
How to get to Petra
Petra is a 3-hour drive from Amman if you take the modern Desert Highway, or 5 hours if you follow the picturesque Royal Road.
By bus
Jett operates daily flights from Amman to Petra from Abdali Bus Station. Departure is at 6:30, travel time is about 3.5 hours, ticket price is 18 JOD one way. The return bus from Petra leaves at 17:00. Prices on the page are as of November 2018.
If you are vacationing in one of Jordan's neighboring countries, you also have a chance to visit Petra. Numerous travel companies organize day trips from Eilat, Taba, Sharm el-Sheikh and other resorts on the Sinai Peninsula.
By minibus
A minibus ride from Wadi Rum will take about 1.5 hours and cost 8 JOD. The minibus usually leaves at 8:30, but the schedule may change at any time. Therefore, you need to make an agreement in advance: ask a hotel employee to contact the minibus driver and clarify the time and place of departure.
Minibus taxis from Amman depart from the Wihdat bus station. The journey takes about 3 hours, the ticket price is 5 JOD. In some cases, the driver may ask to pay separately for luggage.
By taxi
Taxi, although more expensive, is much more comfortable. A trip from Amman to Petra and back will cost approximately 75-85 JOD, including waiting for the driver. Travel from Aqaba - 55 JOD one way.
On the road from Petra to Aqaba, you can visit the Wadi Rum desert to enjoy unique landscapes that are not similar to anywhere else on the planet. And the village of Dana on the top of the mountain resembles a bird's nest.
You should always agree on the cost of the trip in advance; if you want, you can save a lot of money by haggling with the driver or finding travel companions and sharing all the costs with them.
Transport
The only transport allowed in Petra is horses, donkeys, camels and horse-drawn carts. The choice of means of transportation depends on what part of the route you are covering. From the entrance to the city, the Siq Gorge can be reached either on foot (in just 15 minutes) or by horse or light horse-drawn carriage. The cost of travel depends only on your bargaining ability. Local grooms often claim that the ride is free, but at the end of the journey you will most likely be in for an unpleasant surprise: you will have to pay the drivers a generous tip (up to 20 JOD per person). Don't believe promises and set the price clearly in advance.
Previously, horses were treated so poorly here that a veterinary hospital had to be opened not far from the entrance. Today, many animals still have wounds on their bodies, and horses harnessed to carts are forced to gallop even in unbearable heat. Therefore, caring tourists often prefer to spare the animals and cover the first part of the journey on foot.
Once at the Treasury, get ready for the decisive onslaught of numerous owners of camels and donkeys, vying with each other to offer their services to tourists. Feel free to bargain and never pay more than 10 JOD per trip. Optimal price- 3 JOD per person.
Sometimes mahouts reduce the price by almost half, simply by hearing at least a couple of phrases in Arabic.
Camels are perhaps the only animals in Petra that enjoy the respect of their owners, which means they are kept in relatively good condition. The reason for this is their high cost and obstinate nature. Camels are less docile than donkeys or horses, but riding them is one of the most memorable local attractions.
To travel along the mountain slopes, it is better to choose donkeys: they are the most convenient for getting to the High Place or the Ad-Dair Monastery. However, conservationists are unlikely to be satisfied with the trip: all the way, Bedouin teenagers drive the unfortunate animals with cruel blows with a long piece of electrical wire. If patience is running low, shout “Bass!” (“enough is enough”): the blows will most likely stop.
If you're in a good place physical fitness, walk to the monastery. After 15:00 the path leading up is almost completely hidden in the shadow, so the ascent at this time is as comfortable as possible.
Weather in Petra
Average monthly temperature, °C day and night
June
July
August
September
October
november
December
January
February
March
April
Petra Hotels
For maximum safety of the city, all tourist infrastructure has been moved to the neighboring town of Wadi Musa, which is located just a few minutes walk from Petra. There are many hotels in the city different levels, including 4-5 “stars”.
The cost of living in guest houses and small three-star hotels is from 15-20 JOD per night. Almost all rooms are equipped modern furniture and a private bathroom and free Wi-Fi.
It is best to go to Petra with an overnight stay: one day may not be enough to explore. Due to the constant influx of tourists, it is better to make hotel reservations in advance.
The most expensive hotel in the city is Movenpick Resort Petra, located just 50 m from the main entrance to Petra. It offers several on-site restaurants, a fitness center and a rooftop garden; room rates start from 100 JOD per night. Best view views of the mountains open from the windows of the family hotel Rocky Mountain (from 27 JOD per night).
What to bring
One of the most popular souvenirs is decorative bottles filled with colorful sand. You can find these at almost any resort. The difference between the local ones is that they are filled with natural (rather than artificially colored) colored sand, mined in the canyons of Petra. Inside, a camel is most often depicted against a desert background, but skilled artists can make any name out of grains of sand in just a couple of minutes. The cost of such souvenirs is 1-12 JOD depending on the size.
There are many jewelry merchants in Petra: they walk literally everywhere and offer all kinds of rings, bracelets and necklaces. A fair price for most jewelry is 1-5 JOD, even if the seller insists that it is made of sterling silver.
What to try
There are food vending machines and small shops throughout Petra where you can grab a quick snack and purchase hot or cold drinks. By the way, it is better to stock up on drink in advance: on hot summer days, a traveler may need up to 4 liters of water. The cost of a 1.5 liter bottle is 1-1.50 JOD.
There are few restaurants in Petra, mainly serving Oriental, Mediterranean and international cuisine. The average score in Petra Magic or Silk Road is 18-36 JOD. In the more modest Sun City with open terrace and hookahs are much cheaper: 4-18 JOD per person.
There are many more cafes and restaurants in the nearby village of Wadi Musa. Be sure to try the Arabic unleavened bread "khobz", bean paste "fuul" and the famous falafel - deep-fried bean balls.
For the most desperate gourmets - the Bedouin dish “mansaf”: lamb served whole (with the head) with a side dish of rice and nuts.
The best photos of Petra
Guides in Petra
Entertainment and attractions in Petra
Petra is not just a city, but a unique archaeological park with many attractions, so at the entrance you will have to buy a ticket for 55 JOD (for 1 day) or 60 JOD (for 2 days). An important nuance: tourists arriving in Jordan for just a day must pay almost double the entrance fee, 90 JOD. You can hire a guide at the Visitor Center (from 50 JOD); large hotels offer portable audio guide rentals for 10 JOD per day. If you wish, you can download it to your mobile phone, but to do this you will need to purchase a Jordanian SIM card.
The entrance ticket to Petra is 55 JOD.
The gateway to Petra is the winding Siq, a sandstone canyon about 2 km long. The picturesque road is decorated with fancy stone sculptures and carved rock bas-reliefs; on the sides you can see the remains of terracotta pipes that were used for water supply back in the days of the ancient Romans.
At the exit from the gorge, there is the majestic palace of El Khazneh (Treasury, or Treasury), 42 m high. It was carved out of a solid rock in the 1st century; on its top there is an urn, in which, according to legend, countless treasures were once kept. According to one version, they belonged to the Egyptian pharaoh, according to another - to robbers who attacked caravans. One way or another, bullet marks are still visible on the urn: many wanted to test the theory.
The next stop is the Square of Facades, where temples and tombs carved into the rocks are located one after another. At the end of the street there is a Roman amphitheater that seats about 7 thousand spectators. It was built by the Nabateans and later expanded by the Romans. Performances are still held here today, but, of course, much less frequently than in ancient times.
Just a few minutes' walk from the amphitheater (up the hill) are the Royal Tombs, which are impressive in size. For whom they were intended has not yet been clarified.
Another famous landmark of Petra is the Ad Deir Monastery, a Nabatean rock temple built in the 1st century AD. e. To see this monumental 45 m high building with your own eyes, you will have to climb more than 800 steps. The hike takes a little more than an hour, but you can also get there on a donkey (although it is not much faster and more convenient).
The Ad-Dair building can be seen in the blockbuster "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen."
In total, there are more than 800 historical sites in Petra. Among them are the High Place with altars for sacrifices, Mount Jebel Harun, the Palace of the Pharaoh's daughter and other majestic monuments of nature and architecture.
A special treat for tourists is visiting Petra at night. Tours run from 20:30 to 22:00 on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. At night, Petra appears to travelers in the light of hundreds of candles, to the accompaniment of traditional Bedouin music.
7 things to do in Petra
- Climb 800 steps to the Ad-Dair Temple.
- Count the bullet holes in the urn on top of the Al-Khazneh Palace. b
July
August
September
October
november
December
December and January are the coldest and rainiest months. This period is also characterized by a large temperature difference: very warm during the day, cold in the evening and at night. So, if you are planning a trip during this time, take warm clothes with you. And be sure to check the weather forecast: if showers are predicted, it is better to reschedule your trip, because there is so much rainfall here in winter that rescuers have to evacuate tourists due to floods.
It is best to go to Petra in the summer, but even in this case you need to take into account several important nuances. First, stock up on water ahead of time to avoid dehydration. Secondly, don’t forget a Panama hat, which will save you from heatstroke, and Vaseline ointment, which will help stop nosebleeds (this can be caused by the hot and dry air of the valley).
This post about the ancient city of Petra in Jordan is unusual because it will not have the traditional “view” of Petra as tourists usually see it. I will show you a behind-the-scenes view of this ancient city and tell you about all the different ways to visit it - in particular, how to get to Petra for free, entering, so to speak, from the back door. I will share my impressions of what we saw after going this way. Unfortunately, for some reason I didn’t take many photographs then, so most of the photographic material was taken by Pasha Vorobyov, for which I thank him very much.
By the way, we went to Petra after visiting Mount Nebo and visiting an ostrich farm. I wrote about this: read it if interested.
The ancient city of Petra in Jordan - what is it?
I think it’s worth talking very briefly about this attraction. Petra is a national treasure of the country, it is not for nothing that this ancient city is depicted on the stamps that are pasted at the border for visas.
In fact, Petra is an ancient city, surrounded on all sides by mountains, which can be reached through a two-kilometer narrow passage. This passage is called the sik. Many of the city's buildings are carved out of the rock, roughly speaking, they are made from one piece of stone. The city was founded before our era and at different times it was ruled by different peoples. Petra was the capital of the Nabatean kingdom and some other more ancient state. Then there were the Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, and Crusaders. They all left something of their own in the architecture of the city, which is why it is especially interesting here.
The ancient city of Petra in Jordan is also the Eighth Wonder of the World and is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Petra's most famous building is Al Khazneh or the treasury. It is carved entirely into the rock. You feel the similarity between the words “treasury” and “khazneh”. It turns out that the word “treasury” is not ours, and its ancestor is Arabic. Well, this building is also well known from the film about Indiana Jones: in fact, according to the script, it collapses.
We were not able to visit it: we were escorted out of this city by a security guard for not having a ticket. But more on that below. I only got a couple of photos. Pasha reproached me for a long time that I photographed him poorly against the backdrop of this most important historicity. So. Well, yes, it's my fault. But in general, isn’t it impudent to stand and pose while you’re being escorted?
How much does a ticket cost and how to visit the ancient city of Petra in Jordan: different options
Visiting Petra is a very expensive experience, but there are different ways to do it.
To buy a ticket. Trite and expensive. Since you can’t see all of Petra in one hour, tickets are sold for one, two, three days. Accordingly, the price is different. When we were there, the ticket cost about 35 dinars per person. And now, they say, it costs about 90 dinars. A nightmare, of course, because the dinar is even more expensive than the euro. If you buy a ticket for three days, then on the fourth day you go for free. Personalized tickets. In short, an expensive pleasure.
Ask those leaving for a ticket. The point is this. Let's say someone bought a three-day ticket to visit the ancient city of Petra in Jordan, but only used it twice and decided that on the third and fourth days they would not go there again. This means that such a citizen only needs a ticket as a souvenir. He can simply give it to the needy and the poor, that is, to us. Once a generous visitor to Petra gives you a ticket, he will certainly meet his happiness. This method requires patience and good knowledge of English. You need to pick out those leaving Petra and ask them for such a ticket. We tried, but somehow inactively and timidly, and besides, the complete lack of knowledge of English led us to the idea that this was not our option.
Buy a used ticket. Same way. The difference is that you don’t have to ask to give you a ticket for free, but to buy it at half price from the same citizens. By the way, this is more realistic if you are staying in a hostel: there is more communication with people and a low-budget traveler will easily agree to return part of the expended resources back. Hostels may also have advertisements for the sale of such tickets. Although the ticket is personalized, the identity of the name on it and your body is rarely checked: many visitors go to Petra and there is no time to do this.
Enter Petra through the back door. Free and most interesting way. We succeeded: read more about this option of getting into Petra below.
How to get to Petra for free, long, hard, but interesting
Actually, we didn’t come up with this method. We just found it on the Internet. Its essence lies in the fact that the ancient city of Petra in Jordan has several entrance paths, and they are located quite far from the main guarded entrance. In fact, we had a handwritten map of how to wander between the mountains to reach these passes. True, the card was with big mistake, because of which I would either break my neck or simply go back if we had not figured out this error and corrected it.
So, I give the same description that we had, with comments on how to get to Petra.
A handwritten map of the passage to the Ancient City of Petra in Jordan with an error corrected.
We walk down the road leading to the siku (main ticket entrance). Near the bourgeois hotel Movenpick, we turn right and move along the asphalt road. We walk about 3 km and come to the village of Umm Seykhun, everyone knows it simply as “Bedouin Village”. Souvenir merchants who sell in Petra live there. Near the village there is a secret entrance number 1 to Petra. But he is of little use because he is known to the police. Souvenirs are brought into Petra through this entrance.
There is a campsite 3 km from the village. It is a sandy area, fenced with a net, and surrounded by mountains. Officially, you can’t spend the night near Petra: the cops might catch you. The ancient city of Petra in Jordan has security both inside and outside: patrols travel around the perimeter at some intervals and catch people like us. We stayed with the owner for a bit - drank tea, watched how he prepared food from tomatoes and canned beans. We sat with him for a while and went to look for a place to spend the night, as things were getting closer to nightfall.
And the night there is wonderful: thick, thick darkness, like ink, and the wind is also thick. In general, we climbed in the dark and found a passage between two rocks into some kind of stone “well”. It was a fairly large area surrounded by rocks. The most interesting thing about this place was that there was no wind exactly in the middle of this site. If you move a little to the side, there is a whirlwind there, but if you go into the middle, it’s quiet. In this place we set up a tent.
I woke up at night to someone shining a lantern from above onto our tent. I was a little taken aback, and then I realized that it was simple full moon in a completely cloudless sky. I will remember it for the rest of my life!
In the morning we took pictures of our overnight spot, ate something like halva for breakfast and then went on with the flow of events.
We move on to the Ancient City of Petra in Jordan. After 2 km we approach a paved intersection. The road leads straight into the Rift Valley, not far to the right is the village of Beida, and to the left is the little-known interesting landmark of Little Petra. It is free, also contains a sik and a mini-temple like El Khazneh in Greater Petra.
Attention: there is an error in the handwritten map! We walk straight along the small sik and come to the river bed between the rocks. In our case, the river was dry. We go downstream and come to a sharp descent. Oddly enough, you can go down there, only very carefully and not after rain. We turn right and pass through the Bedouin camp.
Here in the map there is a serious inaccuracy. There is no point in following the river and going down. Pasha, for example, descended into the first ravine in the rock, and further, he says, it was even steeper and with heavy backpacks - a problem. I didn’t even climb the first descent: if I’m not sure, don’t meddle. We regretted that we did not have a rope. In general, we decided to return to the entrance to Little Petra. By the way, here is a photo of Pasha with the skull of some animal that he found below. How this skull got there is unclear, probably also a free rider.
So it is not necessary to walk along the river bed and go down either. You can explore Little Petra and return to the entrance. Then you need to walk about 300-400 meters along a dirt road that goes to the left of the entrance, and then you will find yourself in a Bedouin village - the same one that is written about on the map and which supposedly can only be reached if you crawl down the river bed.
In the village, children pestered us. Here they took a picture of the girl. In general, they are quite enterprising there. We took a picture of her, and she said: “Give me one dollar,” and we shushed her. We also saw sheep grazing on the slopes of the mountains: it is not clear what they eat there, just thorns among the stones. Several spent cartridges were also found near the village. The village actually has just one name, it’s not clear whether it’s barns or huts. The ancient city of Petra in Jordan was very close.
The attitude towards stowaways there is calm, but it’s better not to go at night: there are angry dogs (just like at the entrance to Little Petra). You can walk straight along the road, but there may be cops there. You should turn right and walk along the field to the cliff. Then we turn left and carefully walk along the terrace along the cliff. As a result, we certainly end up at the monastery, which is located in Bolshaya Petra.
On the way to the village we came across two guys: apparently, they were walking from Petra to the village. They tried to intimidate us: they say you can’t walk here and all that. In general, they talked a little impudently, but then they got rid of it and went their way, carrying some kind of package.
That's it, you are in the city of Petra. When we descended from the last cliff to finally get into the city, some foreign tourist looked at us. He stands and watches as two citizens climb over the “fence.”
I remember one more thing: the descent was complicated by the fact that Pasha carried all sorts of fragile things with him in his backpack: smuggled coral from Egypt, a hookah and an ostrich egg, which was given to him at an ostrich farm about . In short, he's tired of his backpack. My backpack was simply thrown off, and they lowered it so gently. In general, Pasha, greetings to you, if you read these lines, and good health to your family and child. Come visit.
We walked around Petra for only about two hours at most. We were given backpacks as stowaways; we just had to hide them and explore the attraction lightly. And if one more day was needed for inspection, then one would simply have to hide in some cave carved out of the rock and spend the night.
Well, that’s about how we had an unforgettable acquaintance with the city of Petra in Jordan.
