Petra is a city in Jordan. Ancient mysteries: the city of Petra hidden in the rocks (Jordan)

Our visit to Jordan naturally culminated in a visit to Petra.

What can you say about this place, this city? First, let's voice its modern attributes:

This is one of the 7 new wonders of the world;

This is the symbol of Jordan;

It is part of the UNESCO World Heritage List;

This is a place that has been mentioned many times in the Bible;

It is ultimately one of the most magnificent architectural ensembles of antiquity.

Regarding the history of the city - it is quite capacious, long and consists of many interesting facts and moments. However, in this case, we will not dwell on it (who cares that the Edomites, Nabateans, Romans, Byzantines or Arabs left behind in the city, and when it was - the Internet is at your service). Let's note just a few points.

Historians found the first mention of Peter in manuscripts dated XIII century BC

The period of prosperity and construction of the rocky city fell on the period of the occupation by the Nabateans ( IV-III c. BC.)

At the end of XIII century AD, the city was completely abandoned and forgotten (for some unknown reason).

In 1812, the famous traveler Johann Ludwig Burckhardt reopened Peter for Europeans, who managed by hook or by crook to get into the trust of the local Bedouins and, under the guise of an artist, get into the forgotten city with guides. Since Burckhardt had a lot of practical experience as a traveler, it was not difficult for him to remember the route and subsequently bring researchers here ...

From that moment to the present, constant archaeological research has been carried out in the Petra area, during which many historically important and valuable objects have been discovered, which are placed on the map below ...

(Map taken from the Russian edition "Jordan" Geographic & Co)

We will not describe now what each number means, but as we travel through Petra, we will refer to this map.

So - let's go!

Our journey to Petra began at 7.30 am local Jordanian time. It was at this time that the taxi driver Reid Al-Masri was waiting for us at the entrance to the hotel, with whom we had agreed on a trip the day before.

In order for us to get from Aqaba (where we lived) to Petra, it was necessary to overcome over 100 km. The roads in Jordan are for the most part decent (not like ours), there are few cars, the driver is experienced (with great experience), so in time, moving in a clean state would take no more than an hour. But even during the negotiations, Reid told us that on the way to Petra he will make several stops, from which a wonderful view opens up. He kept his word. True, the first stop was unplanned. At the pass we saw snow and asked the driver to stop. Snow for Jordan is perhaps also a kind of miracle ... Reid told us that a week ago the height of the snow cover here was about a meter, so many roads were completely closed to transport.

Then everything went according to plan. Next stop is at the nearby gift shop. It offers a wide range of Jordanian handicrafts, including numerous cosmetic products with Dead Sea ingredients at very attractive prices ...

Having tasted local tea and coffee, warmed up a little in camel skins (in Aqaba the air temperature was +20 o C, but here it was about 0), we continued our trip ...

After driving a couple more kilometers, we found ourselves on the observation deck. This is the highest place in the neighborhood. The wind was so strong that we were afraid to approach the edge of the site - it could blow ...

The driver says that only a few kilometers are left before Petra, and because of the next turn, a wonderful view of some town opened up in front of us ... We stop (according to the plan) and start looking around ...

Where is Petra here? The driver explains that we are looking in the wrong direction. This town is called Wadi Musa, but what we need is located aside from it.

He makes us turn to the side and points to the rocks in front of us, repeating uncontrollably: "Petra, Petra!"

We began to peer into the distance more intensely. But alas - they never saw anything. Now it became clear why, until 1812, for many centuries, newcomers could not visit the ancient city ...

We go down by car and in a few minutes we are already at the entrance to the famous open-air museum.

We buy tickets (to be precise - it was done by the driver) and .....

Let's digress a little here. Concerning tickets. Petra is considered one of the most expensive museums in the world. This is not accidental, since the museum is one of the few sources of income for Jordan. So the ticket prices are different here. If you come to Petra, for example, from Israel or Egypt (i.e. for one day), then 90 dinars will be charged for you (1 local dinar is only 70 American cents). If you got here while in Jordan, you will be asked for only 50 dinars. To do this, you will have to show your passport or have a friend of such a cunning driver as our Reid, who bypassing the queue (it really was not very big) poked his way into the cashier window and explained to the cashier in a couple of seconds that he had brought a group of tourists from Aqaba who were there. live in one of the hotels (or maybe he told them something else - fluent Arabic is unknown to us).

In a minute we were already inside the complex called "Petra".

Before going further, on a small island of civilization, you can, for example, stock up on water, wash your hands, in the "Information for tourists" point, get a Petra diagram for free (it is advisable not just to take it with you, but try to understand the map a little, so that later already consciously walking around the city), etc., etc.

Well, now that all everyday problems have been settled, having cast a farewell glance at today's time

we, having passed the control, find ourselves in the distant past ...

Having passed the control, we find ourselves in the Wadi Musa valley (1) (Moses Valley). The road to the past is quite long. Parallel to the pedestrian path, there is a road for local transport: donkeys, horses, etc. If you carefully read the rights of a tourist, which he receives when buying an entrance ticket, then its price includes the delivery of your person by this transport to the center of Petra. Many do not know about this (the information is presented in very small print on the inside of the ticket) and, despite the beckoning shouts of the drivers: "All inclusive!" Others who know about this service refuse to use it due to the fact that, as follows from the numerous reviews of tourists, all this local fraternity will still try to charge you money for delivery. They will give you a lot of reasons for this. Starting from the fact that they take for free only to a specific place that you have already accidentally passed, and ending with a noisy disassembly in your own language, as a result of which you will still fork out ...

In general, we went on foot, but not based on the above factors. Firstly, the weather was amazing - the air temperature was somewhere around 15 degrees Celsius above zero (in summer it happens over 40 - that's when you think about transport), the sun is shining, a little cloudy, a breeze is blowing ... - secondly, it was interesting for us to see everything slowly ...

Already literally around the first turn in numerous low cliffs, man-made structures are noticeable ...

Djinn's boulders (5) rise in front of the course on the right side.

Here they are in front of us .... There are several opinions about them. Someone says that these are stone gods, someone else is something .... We will adhere to the official version, which can be found on the information board. It follows from it that these are a kind of tower tombs ...

After a small turn, but already on the opposite side, another structure is visible in the rock ...

This is nothing more than the Obelisk Tomb (6). There were five graves in the upper tier, and the basement was a funeral (ritual) hall .... There is another interesting, but not official version: some believe that four sons of one of the rulers of Petra were buried in this tomb (by the number of pillars above the entrance) ....

Some have already managed to inspect everything and are returning "to the base" with a breeze ....

And we continue our acquaintance with Petra ...

Opposite the Obelisk Tomb, there is another burial chamber .... Its purpose can be judged by the peculiar ornament located above the entrance - two steps converging to the bottom ...

And this is a confirmation of our words. Connoisseurs of English can familiarize themselves in detail with the opinion of the museum management regarding the purpose of certain structures ...

While we are moving along the Valley of Moses, literally in all the numerous rocks that surround us, you can find traces of an ancient civilization ...

"Prospectus" ends with another stronghold of law and order

and more information for tourists ....

We are at one of the most ancient dams, which were built by the Nabateans during the construction of Petra. Subsequently, in 1964, the dam was restored. Its purpose is very practical and very important for Petra. As we will find out later, the entire ancient city is located at the bottom of a deep gorge. Accordingly, in the rainy season (and they are decent here + water flows down into the gorge from all the surrounding mountains) Petra could simply be washed away. Clever city planners of the past solved this problem quite simply and ingeniously: a dam was built in front of the entrance to their gorge, and a tunnel was cut down on the side (to drain water), which is called the Nabatean or Dark (8). Along it, all the "extra" water went to another gorge ...

Behind the dam, two soldiers of Petra are guarding the entrance to the Siq gorge (9) ..... This main road leading to Petra is the bottom of a split rock about 1200 meters long. The height of the steep walls reaches 80 meters, and the width of the "tract" is from 3 to 12 meters (so be careful in narrow places, otherwise you will be easy prey for a dashing chaise).

Once upon a time, the entrance to the gorge was decorated with arched gates, but they could not be preserved - they were destroyed in 1895. However, if you look closely, you can see the remnants of the former luxury ...

And on the next "cheat sheet" you can get to know them better ...

And so we "plunge" into the pleasant coolness (although it is not particularly hot outside) of the Sik gorge ...

If you look closely, on the left side, along the entire gorge, there is a groove carved into the rocks. This next invention of the Nabataeans is a water supply system. They managed to collect fresh water for their needs from the mountains within a radius of up to 25 kilometers. Moreover, they thought through everything to the smallest detail: the constant slope of the drain, which allows you to regulate the flow rate, and the numerous number of tanks (there are more than 200 of them), and ceramic pipes, and the laying of a water supply system at a height, and much more, which at that time was beyond the power most other nations ...

It is no coincidence that it was at the edge of the drain that this lonely tree found its "refuge" ...

Before us is perhaps one of the narrowest places in the gorge ...

And here already there is no gap over the head ...

And here is what we warned you about above. True, we were lucky - we ran into a "convertible" in a fairly wide part of the gorge. And if it had happened a few minutes earlier, we would have had to take the shape of a wall ...

According to our estimates, we have already covered half of the way to the Siq gorge ...

And here we will linger a little. If you pay attention, there is a huge cracked piece of rock hanging from the top right above the gorge ...

Many scientists believe that this is a real danger that can manifest itself at any time. The Jordanians are making every effort to avoid collapse. There are many sensors installed on the rock that register all changes in the crack. In addition, the country's authorities turned to other states for help, and according to some information, the Germans seem to have some kind of project to protect the rock ... (So hurry to visit Petra, otherwise the entrance to it will be blocked)

We were lucky again - the rock did not fall off and we continued our movement forward ...

In this part of the gorge, hand-made works of ancient masters begin to appear ...

But this has already taken away the soul of nature ... If you look at this creation from this side - it resembles some kind of terrible fish ...

And from here - a couple of elephants ...

It turns out that everything that we saw above was the creation of the hands of a man named Sabinos, who was engaged in certain religious ceremonies ... True time, or rather strong winds and rains that influenced over 18 centuries did not spare his masterpieces ...

Sik expanded again. By the way, very often on the ground you can find the remains of that ancient paving stone ...

More and more often traces of civilization began to be encountered on the way ...

Suddenly the passage narrowed completely, it became dark, and in the distance, in the gap between the rocks, the outlines of some structure appeared ...

In a few seconds, the most famous building of Petra El-Khazneh (10) opens to our eyes ...

Al-Khazneh is the calling card of Petra, and indeed of the whole of Jordan ...

Once upon a time to Europeans who first visited these places, it appeared in the following form ...

(Photo taken from the Russian edition "Jordan" Geographic & Co)

During this time, a lot has changed in Al-Khazna: something for the better - the collapsed column was restored, something worse - time did its job and many sculptures were worn out ...

What is this building like? The height of the facade is 39 meters (this is the height of our 12-storey building), the width is 25 meters. This structure was carved into the rock. Until recently, scholars did not have accurate information about how the Nabataeans managed to do all this. Many believed that the classical construction method was used, i.e. scaffolding was erected and builders were located on their platforms, who hollowed out the elements of the building in the rock. However, this version quickly lost its relevance: there are mountains and desert around for many kilometers. Each tree to be counted. After many years of research, it was found that all work was carried out in a completely new style for architecture - not from bottom to top, but vice versa: from top to bottom. Ancient builders climbed up the cliff and from there they began to build their masterpiece. Making ledges in the rock and gradually going down, they, at the first stage, created something like a perfectly flat canvas. At the second stage of construction, again working from top to bottom and using a system of phased cutting of cornices (instead of scaffolding), the elements of the main structure were created. If at that time it was possible to use modern means of video recording, then the following video fragment would appear before us: you are a spectator and, as it were, are in the auditorium. Before you is a curtain that begins to descend from top to bottom, and at this time El-Khazneh begins to appear in front of you ...

First its top fragment,

well, and then its lower part ...

As they say - all ingenious is simple. Although with this method of building it, so to speak, the chief architect must have colossal knowledge ...

Most of the buildings of Petra are built in a similar way. By the way, this production was virtually waste-free. The clearing of the building was carried out in blocks (something like bricks, only large), which then went down and were successfully used in the construction of other structures ...

For a long time it was not possible to determine the purpose of this building. At first it was believed that this is a treasury. After all, Petra was at one time a fairly rich city. It was located at the crossroads of two major trade routes: the first - connecting the Red Sea with Damascus, the second - the Persian Gulf with Gaza. It was in Petra that numerous caravans stopped to rest after long and tiring journeys. At that time, Petra was a real oasis in the desert: there was a lot of greenery, fountains, places for recreation, etc. The Nabataeans were good traders and, accordingly, the city treasury was constantly replenished. So, according to one version, it was decided to build a building of amazing beauty at the entrance to the city, in which the latest innovations of advanced world architecture would be used (hence we observe elements of the Greco-Roman style in Al-Khazna), and which would force Newly arrived guests of the city immediately understand where they have ended up. Accordingly, they planned to keep all their wealth in this building. By the way, El-Khazneh is translated from Arabic as treasury, treasury ...

Another version of the appointment of Al-Khazneh is a temple, a tomb. The thing is that if you go inside the building, then there are no architectural excesses except for bare walls. In addition, the analysis of the sculptures on the facade of the building showed that they are all connected in one way or another with the afterlife. But the main feature of the tomb - no burials was found.

Literally not so long ago, one scientist who conducted the study of Petra found it strange that the slope under which we leave the Sik gorge to Al-Khaznah in front of the building sharply changes its level (i.e. levels off). Then the assumption arose that the base of the building was simply covered with sand over time. The scientist's assumption was justified: during excavations at the visual base of the building at a depth of 6 meters, the lower floor was discovered, in which the burials of 11 people were found. Based on their remains, it was possible to accurately determine the time of burial and finally determine the exact purpose of this grandiose structure - the tomb of the Nabatean king Aref IV ....

If you come closer to the building, then you can see some of the results of these excavations ...

And here is another caravan left the gorge

and settled down to rest ...

Yes, donkeys have no place among the ships of the desert ...

The square in front of Al-Khazneh is a favorite place for tourists. But today there are not many people and we manage to calmly examine and photograph everything without the hustle and bustle ...

Even on the wall near the building, we managed to see such a balcony ...

However, it should not be forgotten that Al-Khazneh is only the beginning of the glorious city of Petra. Therefore, if you want to have time to see its other attractions, then it's time for you to move on .... Which is what we are doing.

We pass through a small gorge

and before us is a new creation of the Nabateans - the street (wall) of the Facades ...

These are numerous burials, the entrance to which is a true architectural monument ...

In fact, among many scientists there is a version that Petra is the city of the dead. There are too many objects in the city associated with this event. True, their opponents also have quite compelling arguments in their favor: why do the dead need such a powerful and well-developed water supply system, why do they need a theater, etc., etc. Agree these are strong enough arguments. Again, if you get acquainted with the culture of the Nabataeans in more detail, then they were very sensitive to the afterlife and believed that the deceased should not need anything. Hence, it is possible both large tombs (which are much better than their dwellings), and many ritual complexes that we see today in Petra. In other matters, history is a relative thing. Perhaps soon, some lucky one from this brotherhood will be able to find such an artifact that will turn all official ideas about this, and it may happen that Petra is really the city of the dead ...

In the Wall of Facades, you can also find open openings, although today the access to tourists there is closed - specialists are still working there ...

Directly in front of us is the Nabatean theater. It is also carved into the rock, although some of its parts are made from the blocks that remained from Al-Khazneh. The theater has 45 rows. The average length of one row is about 95 meters. It was designed for 7-10 thousand spectators ...

On the left side of the square, we again see many tombs and some other rooms. Yes, one more household moment. The fact is that before the trip, having studied many sites, we realized that in Petra there is a certain problem with WC - all unanimously said: "Be careful! There is only one toilet, which is at the entrance! "So, ladies and gentlemen, let me disagree with this. There are many of them in Petra. more: there are both at the entrance and at the entrance to the gorge (dry closets), and on this square (hospital), and further along the course of your movement in several places. So don't worry too much about this. The only place where these comforts of civilization are absent is if you go to the mountains ...

Speaking of the mountains ... While we were looking around in this square, a couple of tourists (foreigners) with a local guide stopped next to us. After he told them something about this square, the guide invited the couple to climb to enjoy the amazing views of Petra .... Since we became involuntary witnesses of this fluent communication in English, we had no choice but to follow them. example

We start climbing ...

We climbed literally a few tens of meters, and Petra looks different ...

Well, let's continue our experiment ...

I still have strength, my breathing does not seem to go astray, so higher and higher ...,

and there are fewer and fewer camels ...

And this is how the Assyrian-type tombs in front of the theater look from a height (with a sufficiently close approach) ...

It seems that we have already climbed high, but our mountain does not end there ... Well, at least the weather is favorable (at +40, such a rise would not be a joy) ...

After the next turn, another long ascent ... As for the road itself, it is quite decent: 50 percent are fairly well-preserved steps, 25 percent of its length is a fairly compacted surface, but the remaining 25% are as usual in the mountains .. Of course, in rainy weather, climbing some areas would be very problematic ...

Looking back once again .... Maybe it's time to go back? But the guide took our foreign colleagues up somewhere and for some reason ...

But these steps delight the soul, and the body too ...

In places, the walls of the rocks along which we move look very good ...

And here is the first living creature on our mountain path ... Meet - in front of you is a Jordanian pigeon with a high-mountain registration in the city of Petra ...

We look at our starting point through the lens of the camera with a good approximation ... Now, until we know the purpose of our ascent, descending is definitely stupid ...

So imperceptibly, quite often being distracted by photography, we caught up with the initiators of our ascent. Local Bedouins make life much easier for themselves by making this path on donkeys .... True, on this site you come across such places that, overcoming on foot, you experience a lot of thrills, but if you overcome these areas on horseback ... In short, comments are unnecessary.

Even at this height, there are tourist processing points, i.e. sale of local handicrafts ...

Prices are much lower here than below. We offer you various amulets with stones, products supposedly made of pure silver, etc.

A high-mountain cafe is located on a small flat area. It offers Bedouin tea, local coffee with coriander, and some other non-alcoholic drinks. We have no time for them yet ...

Poor donkey, how he breathes heavily, and it looks like he’s sweating .... Or maybe I’m already breathing like a locomotive? Although foreigners are already somewhere far behind ...

Let me tell you a little secret. Due to the fact that there is only one path further, we decided to bypass them (we will not get lost anyway) ...

We somehow got carried away with the process of conquering the summit and forgot that on this path, besides us, there could be faster walkers ... I had to give way ...

We go behind the next turn and .... and there is no longer a road higher! We are on top !!!

Why were we dragged here, to put it mildly?

Maybe in order to enjoy the music of this Bedouin at such a height?

Or drink some water from this alpine well?

So far we cannot find the answer to our question, but with all this, we no longer regret that we climbed here and spent a lot of time on it.

First, it offers a magnificent view of the mountains surrounding Petra ....

Secondly, where else can you find cats at such a height and in such a desolate place?

By the way, they feel quite well here and lead a very active lifestyle ...

Thirdly, only here you can meet real modern residents of Petra, who absolutely do not care about the level of local sales (they will better study the stock market news) .....

who, in the absence of an influx of tourists, will develop their abilities as a guide, expounding all the delights of Petra to their beloved donkey ...

And at the same time, the latter, we must pay tribute to him, will be a worthy listener ...

Only on this summit, hoisting the flag of Jordan (while risking their lives), local residents discuss the global geopolitical situation ...

Only from this summit one can see from one side the modern city in which life is raging,

and on the other hand, observe the dwelling of a Petruan Bedouin ...

Only at this summit our esteemed donkeys bow before religious buildings and, in silence, probably think about something vital ...

Agree, it’s painfully on some specific mountain you and I are ...

As it turned out a little later (when we had already gone down and analyzed our route) we ended up on Mount Attuf (mountain of sacrifices)

Having carefully looked around, we found facts confirming that we are in this very place ...

These are, first of all, two obelisks - symbols of the deities Dushshara and Al-Uzza ...

and, of course, these ruins of ritual temples ...

But as it turned out, even this was not the goal of our ascent ...

Everyone says donkeys are stupid animals. I don't think so. Would a stupid animal just go to the edge of the abyss like that?

They clearly knew that being in this somewhat dangerous place, you can see most of Petra at a glance ...

Well, if you move to the other side of the peak,

then you will have a view of that part of Petra, to which, as they say, 99% of the tourists who visited it have not set foot ...

To make it clear in the future which places we are examining from the Mount of Sacrifices, we will make a binding to the area ...

In front of you, in the upper right corner, is a fairly well-known building - the Qasr Al-Bint palace (we still have time to look at it from below).

and then even more to the left ...

If you take a closer look at the above photos, you can see a lot of different tombs and structures. To our great regret, we have not found any information about this part of Petra. Being at the top for about half an hour, we could not see the tourists who would have got there ... Immediately, we note that most of the photos shown on this page were taken with a telephoto lens, so the real distance to objects is quite decent ...

Here is our Kasr again,

Not reaching the palace - a little to the left and higher along the slope, you can see the columns of the pharaoh ...

To the left of the columns is an incomprehensible building. Most likely, this is already a modern building, tk. glass is visible in the openings ...

And now we will "walk" near those distant mountains (from right to left), which were discussed above ... (We will not comment on anything here. You just yourself will see how long Petra is and how little we actually know about it)

So, you yourself were able to see that the largest part of Petra, on which hundreds of various ancient buildings are unfortunately not visited by tourists ...

Although there is nothing strange about this. On the one hand, these objects are not marked at all on the maps that give out at the entrance, on the other hand, it takes a lot of time and effort to get here, and then come back ...

And now let's return to the other side of our mountain, from which a view of the famous places of history opens up ...

From this square (Fasadov street), we once began our ascent ...

Yes, there are fewer people there ...

What else did we manage to see from above?

Here in front of us, or rather below us, is the tomb of Uneishu (19). It is fairly well preserved. Unlike other tombs, this one has its own courtyard ... When excavations were carried out here, they found a coin of the Nabatean king Malk II and a number of fragments of slabs with inscriptions, from which it followed that there was a burial of a royal person ...

Well, what else can you see from here? Time is limited, so after breathing in the fresh high-mountain air, we begin to think about the descent ...

The descent went quite quickly (in relation to the ascent) and without long stops, so in ... minutes we were already at the bottom ...

Here is our amphitheater ... By the way, like many other structures of Petra, at one time, it was badly damaged by an earthquake ...

We continue our journey through Petra towards the Royal Tombs ...

If you still have strength, you can slightly deviate from the route and drop by the light to the Nabataeans ...

And here's another place for a sanitary stop ...

Slightly away from the main caravan route is the Urn Tomb, already known to us.

They say that it got its name due to the fact that a small urn is located at its top. Here it is (the top) in front of you. Where is the urn?

True, the tomb has another (local) name: the Bedouins, due to the grandeur of the architecture of the building, called it the Court ...

Squeezing through another caravan

start another ascent ...

At the site at the base of the Urn, there is a rather brisk trade in souvenir products ...

A little more and we will be there ...

Everyone got there ...

You can go inside the tomb. Archaeological excavations are still underway here, so some of them are closed to the public ...

Immediately striking is the peculiar color scheme of the ceiling ...

When you leave, you will again be haunted by the tourist service ....

Some sellers can be seen for a long time already sitting on this tourist route ....

The Tomb of the Urn is followed by a whole series of rich tombs that are part of the Royal: the Palace-Tombstone and to the right of it is the Corinthian Tomb. They are all built in 1st century A.D.

We took a little breath, looked around and found that we still have a long road ahead, and not back, but all forward and forward ...

After all, there are a lot of people on that rock on the horizon. So there is something to see ...

We go down to the main square of Petra ....

Finally, you can take a breath: have a little rest, sitting for a couple of minutes on the bench ...

It turns out that not only we are tired, but also the Bedouins, who comfortably settled down near a lonely tree,

moored to rest and "ships of the desert" .....

Yes, rest is not work .... We relaxed too early. We must get up and move on ...

We are immediately offered to use local transport ... But we decide not to change our principles ...

To our right, the Royal Tombs are lined up in all their glory in all their glory ...

Our route passes along Colonnade Street (24) .... At one time it was the main street of Petra, along which there were numerous retail outlets, markets, temples ...

The next and the next caravan descends from the mountains to the "shopping center" ...

At the end of Colonnade Street, on the left side, in the direction of our movement, there is the Great Temple of Petra .... to this day, historians have not fully decided on the purpose of this object ...). The temple is really great in the literal sense of the word - it covers an area of ​​over 7.5 thousand square meters. and is the largest building in the city ...

Our next stop is near Qasr Al-Bint (27) - Temple of the Pharaoh's daughter. If you look around, then this is the only more or less preserved building. It turns out it's all about its design. Unlike its counterparts, this building is made using a unique technology: its brick blocks are interconnected with juniper twigs. It was thanks to this design that he managed to withstand a strong earthquake ...

Ahead appeared, let's say, the original rock ...

Ask: "How is this expressed?" See for yourself: All openings are closed with modern architectural design elements (doors, glass), there is quite civil ventilation, etc. New residents of Petra? Everything turned out to be somewhat more prosaic - this is the new Archaeological Museum of Petra ...

Near the museum, you can have a bite to eat in a cafe in the open air, and if you wish, well, if you have not yet examined everything, spend the night right there at the hotel.

Another feature of this place is a fairly large number of green spaces ....

The Archaeological Museum is not the end point of Petra. From its walls there are also roads to the left and to the right. If you move to the left, then after a few kilometers (I don't know exactly how many there are) you will come to that part of the city that we examined from the Mount of Sacrifices. If you go to the right, then overcoming a difference in levels of 350 meters (and this is a winding path, and a steep staircase ...) you can reach the Ad-Deir monastery. We didn’t have enough strength for such an ascent. And time too. After all, do not forget that there is still a road ahead and in the opposite direction, but this is still a few kilometers of the way ...

Going back ...

The Royal Tombs "float" before us again,

the central square of Petra (though now it is completely deserted)

and the Siq gorge ....

And here we are on the home stretch ...

Well, now that everything is behind I will tell you a little secret.

We were in Petra several times: the first - in excellent sunny weather. Then we spent about 5 hours in this beautiful city, but unfortunately we did not have time to see many interesting moments. The second - three days later (then the weather turned a little worse, swimming in the Red Sea was not very comfortable and part of our small group decided to slip into Petra to see the sights). On this day in Aqaba (where we lived) it was about 15 degrees. above 0 (sea water temperature - 21 degrees) and rather cloudy ...

And here is what my "colleagues" faced on the way to Petra ...

On the one hand, the local driver was insanely happy - after all, snow is a great holiday for them (although recently such holidays in Jordan have noticeably increased), and on the other hand, he repeatedly tried to turn back (since no driving skills on a snow-covered track, and even in the mountains conditions and on summer tires, like 99.99% of other local drivers, he does not).

In fact, this trip was close to its completion (there was fog all over the mountain section),

but already in the city of Wadi Musa, in the immediate vicinity of the entrance to the museum "Petra", it was taken off like a hand ...

Then our travelers decided to inspect Petra ... (you yourself can find some differences in the photographs of those that were taken on a sunny day from a cloudy one). By the way, in their opinion, and according to the footage, on a cloudy day, many of Petra's objects look much better than in clear weather ...

If you want to get to know all of Petra, then you will need either a whole day (hours from 6 am to 4 pm - at this time the museum is open in winter) and at the same time you will be on the move all the time and by the end of the day you will be completely unsettled (and not every tourist can handle such a pace), or split the visit into several days. At the same time, the employees of Petra themselves recommend that you examine it in three days (the official website of the museum even contains a recommended daily program). In this case, the price of the entrance ticket changes significantly: if a one-time visit costs 50 dinars (for those who stay in Jordan for more than a day), then for three days the cost of a ticket will be only 60 dinars. So everything is in your hands.

In conclusion, I would like to say only one thing - it is not for nothing that Peter is considered one of the seven wonders of the world!

Petra is the main attraction of modern Jordan, it is an ancient city and the former capital of Idumea or Edom, and later, the capital of the Nabataean kingdom. The remains of the city are located at an altitude of almost a kilometer above sea level and 660 meters above the Arava Valley, and located in the narrow Siq canyon. The passage to the valley where the ancient city is located lies through the gorges located on the southern and northern sides of the mountain, and on the eastern and western sides, the rocks form natural walls up to 60 meters in height. The first, after many centuries of solitude in the desert, the city was found in 1812 by Johann Ludwig Burckhardt from Switzerland. In 2007, the city of Petra became one of the new "Seven Wonders of the World". Indeed - this is one of the great miracles ever created by man and nature. Not far from the city and above it are the tomb of Aaron and the rocky temple of Ad-Deir.

As history tells us, the city was the center of two important trade routes: one of them connected Damascus with the Red Sea, and the other - the most populated province of Gaza with the Persian Gulf, which ran along the Mediterranean coast. These roads connected India, China and southern Arab countries with ancient Egypt, Greece, Syria and Rome. Here caravans passed by with the finest silk, various spices, and precious stones. Columns of loaded camels and merchants accompanying them, leaving from the Persian Gulf, loaded with goods brought from overseas countries, moved for weeks through the harsh Arabian desert, and when exhausted they reached the narrow Siq canyon, travelers found here water, food and lodging for the night.

For centuries, trade has brought unheard-of riches to the ancient capital. But this did not last forever, until the Romans opened the sea routes, then the overland trade in spices and Chinese silk was reduced to a minimum and the city gradually became empty, lost in the desert sands and time. Many structures of the city of Petra were carved in different eras and under several owners of the city, including the Edomites (XVIII-II centuries BC), Nabateans (II century BC - 106 AD), Romans (106-395 AD), later Arabs and Byzantines. In the XII century A.D. it was owned by the Crusaders.

The entrance to the city runs through a one kilometer long narrow gorge. The Petra Gate is a long and winding Siq gorge. Petra is located among red sandstones, which are well suited for construction, which allowed the then residents of those places to quickly build living quarters. With the help of terracotta pipes, the architects of Petra created a complex water supply system and despite the arid climate, the inhabitants of the city never needed water. About two hundred reservoirs were located throughout the city, collecting and storing rainwater for some time. In addition to connecting the reservoirs, terracotta pipes collected water from all sources within a radius of 25 kilometers. The most famous buildings today are: Al-Khazna, which means treasury or treasury, where jewelry, gold and everything of value that was in the city were kept and eventually became a tomb for one of the rulers of the city. Al-Khazna is one of the best-preserved structures of the first century. Al-Khazna can be seen directly from the entrance to the rocky city. The massive façade, 30 meters wide and 43 meters high, carved into a solid rock of dark pink color, everything around seems to be made of coral, creates an unforgettable experience. The construction of the Al-Khazna temple was carried out in the former riverbed. For the construction of this structure, the architects changed the course of the river. A tunnel was cut into the rock, diverting the flow of water, and a series of dams were built. In addition to this famous building, there are many colorful buildings for different purposes. Place of sacrifice, Roman amphitheater for 3000 spectators. Temples, obelisks, colonnades, holy sacrificial altars and the majestic, famous monastery of Ad-Deir, to which there are 800 steps carved into the rock.

There are two museums in the city of Petra - the Archaeological Museum of Petra and the Nabataean Museum of Petra. The exhibits that can be seen here are archaeological finds from the vicinity of Petra, they provide an opportunity to better understand the history of the ancient city.

The list of sights and monuments of Petra is very long, it will take several hours to list everything, in total there are more than eight hundred historical sites. The most popular and visited: Sahrij ("Djinn blocks"), Mugar An-Nasara ("Caves of Christians"), the sacred mountain Jebel Al-Madbah ("Mountain of Sacrifices"), Byzantine church behind the ruins of Nymphaeum, Qasr Al-Bint ("Palace Pharaoh's daughter "), Mount Jebel Garun (Mount Aaron) and the Temple of Ad-Deir.

Today Petra is the most visited place in Jordan. Local traders sell souvenirs and offer tourists a camel ride.

The trip from Amman, Israel and Egypt to Petra will be significantly more tiring and expensive. Border stops are inevitable, and moving from Egypt requires crossing the Israeli border, and Israeli border guards are renowned for their corrosiveness and slowness. In addition, a border tax has recently been taken from those crossing the Israeli border.

In summer on the way, the temperature reaches 50 degrees, which is not too conducive to curiosity. The ideal time for a thoughtful visit to Petra is late autumn, winter, spring. It is not hot at this time, you should even stock up on a jumper.

The place is so interesting that you should devote more than one day to it, although, of course, you can fit into a one-day excursion. The fact is that in order to even just get from the entrance to the city to the main interesting places, you need to walk several kilometers along the narrow (in some places about a meter) Siq canyon. The lazy and wealthy tourists hire donkeys or a stroller. There are inevitable pauses for photographing and amazed scratching of the back of the head.

You can stop for rest in the town of Wadi Musa near the rocky city, or in several hotels directly on the territory of Petra.

City `s history

Petra, despite its unusual appearance, is historically the city - the capital of the Nabataean kingdom, which existed for seven centuries. The city had houses carved into the rock, temples, tombs. During these centuries, no one has managed to take the city by storm. It's all about a competent location and a fantastic communication system.

The city of Petra, in Nabatean "Nakmu", is located at an altitude of more than six hundred meters above the surrounding area. Climbing the cliffs surrounding the city is very difficult. Water remains the main resource of the Middle Eastern countries to this day. The unnamed city builders provided for a system for collecting and concentrating all possible precipitation. In the Petra region, the average monthly precipitation in the wettest month - January - is 45 mm, in June there is no precipitation at all. All the water that flowed in the spring months from the surrounding mountains, through channels carved in the rocks, flowed into pools and reservoirs that provide residents for the whole year.

The city stood at the crossroads of two trade routes - the Mediterranean Sea - the Persian Gulf and Damascus - the Red Sea. The spice trade brought fantastic profits to the Nabateans. Only the opening of new trade routes to the east by the Romans led to the decline of Petra.

Walk in Petra

All visitors get off the buses in front of the entrance to the canyon. Souvenirs are sold here (residents of Bedouin settlements in several factories in the district process ornamental stone under the state program), there are several coffee shops, you can hire a carriage to travel along the canyon.

After passing a canyon with vertical (thirty meters high) walls, you go to the main square of El Ghazne. Usually the guides deliberately “speak their teeth,” in order to guess the effective moment of the exit to the facade of the Treasury. The canyon makes a turn before entering the square, so all beginners are looking in the wrong direction. The effect is tremendous.

The building, famed for the Indiana Jones TV series, is said to have kept the treasures of the pharaohs and, later, Mediterranean pirates. No one is allowed inside. The dimensions of the Treasury are striking - 40 meters high and 24 wide.

At every step, Bedouin kids offer to buy souvenirs, even simple stones. Depending on the time of day, the surrounding rocks change color - from pale pink at dawn to orange at sunset. The territory of the city is gigantic, so you can walk here for several days. Some come with their tents and mountain equipment to spend a few days in the surrounding mountains. Only the cost of staying on the territory of Petra changes.

The places here are harsh, therefore, when planning a trip for several days, you need to provide yourself with a supply of water, food (we absolutely do not recommend taking alcohol), strong shoes, warm clothes for the night, learn a few Arabic greetings - no one guarantees that you will be understood in Russian (although in the same Aqaba all young people speak Russian fluently).

If you ask any local guide - how could people build such grandiose buildings without cranes, without forty-meter scaffolding (after all, there is nowhere to take so much forest), they will answer you - they were lowered from above on ropes. Perhaps. But a believer will immediately remember the words from the sixth chapter of the biblical Book of Genesis: "At that time there were giants on earth." Maybe they really lived here?

The Arab Middle Eastern state of Jordan is small in area and does not have its own natural resources, therefore it largely depends on assistance from other countries, in particular the United States. The country lies on the coast of the Dead Sea, which it shares with Israel and Palestine, and partly on the coast of the Gulf of Akkaba. Not far from the capital of Jordan, Amman, is the ancient rocky city of Petra, recognized as one of the seven wonders of the world. Petra, carved into the pink rock, is a priceless treasure that has glorified the Kingdom of Jordan throughout the planet. UNESCO has included Petra in the list of masterpieces of the world human heritage.

The city where Moses drew water from the rock

Pink Petra delights with its rare color - the color of the rock, from the stone flesh of which buildings and tombs are skillfully carved. To preserve the unique attraction, the entire infrastructure is not located in Petra, but at the entrance, in the village of Wadi Musa, which spoils the anticipation of meeting its beautiful shops, markets and hotels.

Petra was created by the ancient Arab tribe of the Nabateans, who inhabited Jordan two thousand years ago. From impregnable cliffs, warlike aborigines controlled the trade caravans that marched along the ancient Arabian "road of incense" for a small fee, and protected them from raids. From India and Arabia to the west, slow processions flowed continuously with expensive fabrics and rare spices, hides of wild animals, gold and precious ivory. With the money raised, the Nabateans tirelessly improved their Petra. In those centuries, it was a highly developed technological city with dams and canals, an absolute masterpiece of architecture.

The Temple of Petra in Jordan is even mentioned in the Bible - it was here that Moses drew water from the rock and with his staff made his way through the Siq gorge, where tourists are now walking to see the city.

The road to Petra

A rocky road, cut down next to the Siq gorge, which is more than a kilometer long, leads to the ancient settlement. The path is laid along a strange, anomalous-looking plateau, consisting of sandstone of different shades. On both sides there are 80-meter cliffs. The shrine is located at an altitude of 660 m above the Arava Valley, and you can get closer to it only after passing through the gorge, which is an adventure in itself, full of anticipation of a meeting. The view of magnificent Petra at the end of the dark passage leaves travelers speechless. Pinkish rocks and a majestic necropolis are ingenious creations created by nature and an ancient tribe.

Arabs make money with might and main at their shrine, every step is paid. Entrance to the Siq gorge is also paid, and if you haven't enjoyed Petra in a day, you will have to pay again the next day. Enterprising locals offer live vehicles to pass through the corridor - horses, mules, donkeys, and even camels. Until recently, the fee for the opportunity to see the seventh wonder of the world, Petra, was 20 euros. But it is much more interesting to go all the way a kilometer long on foot, lagging behind the group - the traveler finds himself in a fantastic world. Overhanging blocks of sandstone, a path that is extremely narrow, then unexpectedly wide, like an avenue. And only high above your head you can barely see the blue sky between the almost closed stones. In the distant centuries, Petra was inaccessible, because the Nabateans hid their city well. Below you can see how Petra is located on the map.

Treasures of the ancient city

Unfortunately, not all of Petra has survived, many sights and masterpieces have not reached us, especially detached buildings. But the Treasury and the High Altar, carved into the thickness of the rock, still look great today.

Treasury

Each traveler, approaching Petra along a winding corridor cut through the rock, experiences a culture shock from the unexpectedly opened city, pink, glowing from within. It is impossible to forget this. The ancient capital is forever bound by a rock, from the shackles of which it seems to be trying to free itself. And the first thing that the gaze of a tourist, numb with amazement, is directed at is the "Treasury" monument. Its façade, renowned throughout the world for the Indiana Jones movie, rose into the shimmering blue of the Jordanian sky.

The portico of the Treasury is crowned with a 4-meter urn, according to legend, the jewels of the pharaohs are hidden in it. The urn is dotted with traces of bullets, these are barbarians in previous centuries trying to get what is hidden in it from human eyes. Modern scholars have roughly estimated the age of the building and determined that it was carved during the reign of Arethas IV, who died in 40 AD. The architectural style of the Treasury can be described as a kind of fusion, since Corinthian, Egyptian and Alexandrian motifs coexist in it. Historians are inclined to believe that foreign workers, possibly slaves, were involved in the construction, and not just the Nabateans. In contrast to the pretentious facade with its serpents, dancing Amazons and sphinxes inside, the building is completely empty and ascetic.

Tombs of Petra

But the Treasury is just one of the amazing wonders of ancient Petra. When approaching the city, travelers will see many magnificent tombs, or rather 107, which are carved right into the rocks and intricately decorated with exquisite carvings. The tombs are designed in such a way as to protect the dead in their afterlife. Some benches have been preserved inside; apparently, people ate in them and even slept in them.

Amphitheater and High Altar

The Roman Amphitheater is another majestic landmark of Petra. It housed 3,000 Nabateans and its arena is well preserved. The ancient city of Petra in Jordan is full of shrines. One of them is located 200 meters from the Treasury. This is the high Altar, the sacred site of the Nabataeans. Here, on a high rock, an altar was built, and grooves were cut on the sides for the drainage of the blood of animals sacrificed to the gods. The picture below shows a long staircase along which the priests led the doomed animals to the altar.

Practical information

Petra is open to visitors all daylight hours, although it is officially listed - from 7 to 18 hours. The most comfortable months for the tour are from March to May and September to November, as it is very hot and dusty in summer and cold in winter. If possible, it is better to choose to meet with a wonderful weekday, on weekends and holidays there is pandemonium, 3000 people a day is considered the norm. Mostly tourists come on a one-day excursion in an organized group. To fully enjoy Petra, you can stay for a couple of days in Wadi Musa, in one of the small hotels.

How to get to Petra

Pink Petra is located 260 km from the capital of Jordan - Amman. Two highways lead to it - Korolevsky (6 hours drive) and Desert (3.5 hours drive). You can take an organized excursion on the Jetta bus, it departs from Amman at 6 am and arrives back at 15.30. The price of the excursion includes lunch in Petra, the rest of the costs are at the expense of the tourist.

How to prepare for your trip

Jordan is a very hot country, where desert winds almost always blow, blowing sand, therefore, the correct selection of clothes and especially shoes is extremely important:

• for protection from the aggressive sun, it would be wise to wear a thin T-shirt with sleeves and elongated pants;
• you will have to walk a lot on hot stones and various unevenness of the mountain, so put on high socks on your feet that will protect your ankle from impacts on sharp stones, and lightweight, breathable sneakers on a special thickened sole;
• Be sure to take a small backpack with you, in which you put a bottle of water and sunburn cream with a high degree of UV protection;
• Buy light but nutritious food - nuts, energy bars, fruits - to recharge your trek.
• change money, a trifle, will also come in handy.

You can go to a meeting, Petra is waiting for you, a city map will help you navigate the terrain.

Video about the rocky city of Petra

In this short article, beautiful Petra appeared before you, a brief description of her main shrines and a little history. We will be glad if you, dear reader, share your impressions of visiting the capital of the ancient people of Nabatea in Jordan, because real reviews from tourists are priceless. They say that Petra is the city of the dead. But it has been living for many centuries, sheltered from age-old dust by the reliable protection of a pink rock.

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 the gorges located in the north and south, while from the east and west the cliffs drop vertically, forming natural walls up to 60 m in height. In 2007, Petra was elected one of the new seven "wonders of the world."

Petra was located at the crossroads of two important trade routes: one connected the Red Sea with Damascus, the other - the Persian Gulf with Gaza off the Mediterranean coast. Caravans laden with precious spices leaving the Persian Gulf 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 opened sea routes to the East, the land trade in spices came to naught and Petra gradually became empty, lost in the sands. Many buildings of Petra were erected in different epochs and under different owners of the city, including the Edomites (18th-2nd centuries BC), Nabateans (2nd century BC - 106 AD), Romans (AD 106-395), Byzantines and Arabs. In the XII century A.D. NS. it was owned by the crusaders.

The first Europeans of modern times to see and describe Petra was a Swiss traveler, Johann Ludwig Burckhardt, who traveled incognito. Next to the ancient theater, you can see a building from the era of the Edomites or Nabateans. Monuments built after the VI century BC. NS. practically not, because in that era the city had already lost its significance.

01. Now Petra is visited by about half a million tourists annually. Entrance for a day is about 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, wide enough, almost all tourists get to Petra along it. But you can turn off and go through an unenhanced road. To do this, turn right at the post into the tunnel. It is quite difficult to walk there, but you can feel like in the place of the Swiss traveler Johann Ludwig Burckhardt, who discovered Petra in 1812.

03. some more vidos from above.

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05. This is what the main road looks like. Before entering you will be actively vparivat horse to get to the city, do not agree, the way there is very easy. But you can go back by carriage. This pleasure costs 20 euros, you cannot bargain, since the tariff is official.

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09. With the help of terracotta pipes, the architects of Petra created a complex water supply system and despite the arid climate, the inhabitants of the city never needed water. There were about 200 reservoirs 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. The annual rainfall in Petra is only about 15 centimeters. To conserve water, local residents cut canals and reservoirs right in the rocks.

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11. As tourists walk through the cool one kilometer long Siq Canyon, the Treasury opens up around the bend, a majestic building with a facade carved out of a huge rock. It is one of the best preserved structures from the first century.

12. The building is crowned with a huge stone urn, which supposedly contained gold and precious stones - hence the name "Treasury". The official name of this building is El-Khazneh. The architects planned the construction of this temple in the former riverbed. For its construction, the river bed was changed, a grandiose project for that time. A tunnel was cut into the rock, diverting the flow of water, and a series of dams were built.

13. According to the folk-etymological version, the word “Kazna” subsequently came from the word “El-Khazne”. In fact, there is no direct connection between these words. El-Khazne literally means "storage" from the khazan - to store, store. The Russian word "kazna" goes back to the same Arabic word, but it was directly borrowed in the XII-XIV centuries from the Polovtsian language. The famous cat.

14. A few more photos of local cats, but I don't like them so much)))

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18. The canyon is gradually expanding, and tourists find themselves in a natural amphitheater, in the sandstone walls of which 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.

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20. The very name "Petra", which means "rock". And Petra, indeed, was a city of stone, similar to it in the Roman Empire. The Nabateans, who built the city, patiently carved houses, crypts and temples out of boulders. Petra is nestled among red sandstones, which are great for building, and by the first century AD, a monumental city had grown in the heart of the desert.

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30. The end point of the route is the monastery of Ed-Deir. To get to it, you need to climb the mountain for a long time, or you can take a donkey for 5 euros, and go back down on foot.

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38. Ed-Deir, a monastery carved into the rock at the top of the cliff, is a huge building about 50 m wide and more than 45 m high. Judging by the crosses carved on the walls, the temple served for some time as a Christian church.

39. Not far from the monastery there are observation platforms, here you can admire the view of the valley.

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42. All the vantage points were filled with Bedouins, who will extort money from you.

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45. Be prepared for a lot of small extortionists and souvenir dealers. There is not much to buy there, the prices on the territory of Petra are overstated by about 2 times.

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49. Some tourists try to save money and penetrate mountain trails without a ticket. For them, security guards were posted at distant approaches, who check tickets and drive offenders.

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54. And this is how an alternative gorge looks like, through which you can get to Petra. Very beautiful, although the walk is much longer, but worth it.

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58. Entrance to Petra is open from 6 am to 5 pm. Sometimes the city is opened at night, you need to buy an additional ticket. Paper lanterns are adorned all the way to the Treasury.

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60. A small performance is taking place in the square near the Treasury itself.

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64. View of Petra from the neighboring mountain.