Carved in pink and white sandstone, Petra, the jewel of south Jordan
Petra tomb. (Photo: DC)
Hyderabad: It’s a quiet, winding, ribbon-like road in rugged terrain with patches of green gleaming bright in the October sunlight. The silence is occasionally interrupted by the guide’s repeated remarks about the “lost city of Petra” and why it’s a “must see” for all those visiting Jordan. Unesco has described the site as “one of the most precious cultural properties of man’s cultural heritage” and the Smithsonian Magazine says it is one of the “28 Places to See Before You Die”.
So, taking its advice, here we were. We arrive at the visitors’ centre, which is crammed with tourists. We walk through the gates crowded with men and boys offering us horse rides to the entrance of the Siq, which is the gorge, that leads to Petra or Rose City, a historic place famous for its rock-cut architecture and water conduit system. It earned its latter name due to the colour of the stone with which it is carved. We opt for the horse, as opposed to walking on the rocky path.
Carved in pink and white sandstone, Petra, the jewel of south Jordan, is located amid rugged, desert canyons and mountains in what is now the southwestern corner of the Hashemite kingdom of Jordan.
Centuries ago, this 2,000 year old, richly carved rock city flourished with overseas trade and was prosperous until it was occupied by the Romans under emperor Trajan in 106 A.D.
The city’s trade linked her with China, India, the Arab world and the Mediterranean markets. But a series of earthquakes destroyed a part of the city causing it to be buried underground and what we see today is a tiny percentage compared to what this place once was. It remained in ruins and extreme desolation until Swiss adventurer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt discovered it in 1812. The world was stunned and in 1985, Petra was declared a Unesco World Site Heritage and again in 2007, was honoured with the title the “seventh wonder of the world”.
In a little while we arrive at the entrance to the Siq. Surrounded by mountains that are riddled with passages, we walk along the gorge, a long path, flagged in limestone, with sky-high rocky walls with ancient inscriptions on either side.
There are also cave-like openings to show dwelling places, indicating traces of the Nebatean civilisation and evidence of an ingenious water management system which allowed these Nebatean Bedouins to inhabit this arid city and prosper, taking advantage of the spring water underneath. The architectural beauty of this place is breathtaking. It’s only when you visit sites like Petra, do you realise what gifted architects our ancestors were they have left behind stories, innovation and so much more.
After that we arrive at Petra’s “gem on the mantle piece”, a treasury house. It is an impressive monument featured in the Indiana Jones. The statues and inscriptions on its facade are stunning. It’s no wonder that this building, centuries after it was constructed, still inspires awe.
After the tour through the Siq, and a few more monuments later, we are back at the visitors’ centre in a chariot this time. And then to our surprise we discover that there is one last gift Petra is yet to offer a candle-lit night. Innumerable candles, illuminating the city, light the narrow gorge and a Bedouin piper plays a haunting melody while we sit on soft sands outside the treasury.
And as we sit and stare, we realise Petra is indeed a wonder and to think that we’re amidst a civilisation that had probably seen a different sky above that’s another wonder altogether.
The writer is a travel enthusiast
( Source : dc )
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