Petra
Day Four - Jordan - 2023
A full day exploring the crown jewel of Jordan, Petra.
1. The Obelisk Tomb & the Triclinium
A triclinium is a dining space where large groups of people could hold events such as ritual funeral banquets; this justifies its co-location with the tomb (whose pillars are not obelisks, but rather nepheshes).
After spending a night in Wadi Musa, we made our way in the morning to Jordan’s crown jewel, Petra. I think if you look at this objectively, Petra may be able to claim the title of world’s greatest tourist destination. I’m willing to elaborate on this claim, so -if you’ll indulge me- I’ll make my case.
First I want to clarify what criteria I apply in defining the “greatest tourist destination.” To me, this is an assessment of a location’s:
Historical and cultural value,
Total (or, at least, relative) visitation and general notoriety,
Ability to be defined as a distinct, unique, and stand-alone entity,
Remoteness from sights of similar notoriety or importance (to borrow a term applied when describing the height of mountains, let’s call this “touristic prominence,”)
Ability to be identified as a symbol of a group of people or emblematic of a national identity, and
Majesty or beauty.
This is a pretty comprehensive list which -for better or worse- excludes many of the world’s greatest tourist sites. Let’s go line by line and see what prominent tourist sites are excluded through the application of this criteria:
Historical and Cultural Value: Generally speaking, this excludes purely scenic locations. There are many amazing locations which meet all other qualities but this one -the Grand Canyon, Iguaza and Victoria Falls, and the Great Barrier Reef- come to mind, but I think additional credit must be given to locales that are both scenic and have deep historical or cultural significance.
Visitation and Notoriety: I feel like this is common-sense, but I’ll provide an example all the same. Compare Angkor Wat, Bagan, and Borobudur - while all three are temple complexes (albeit of different varieties, I’ll concede) listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, Angkor Wat is -by a long way- the best known and most visited of the three.
Distinct, Unique, and Stand-Alone: This is where many urban sights meet their undoing. While I’m not sure how they would have come to this conclusion, two surveys of the “most visited” tourist sites crowned the Las Vegas Strip and the Istanbul Grand Bazaar as their champions. I’ve also seen surveys which list Times Square as the most visited site in the U.S. But ask yourself: what does it mean to “visit” any of these locations?
Touristic Prominence: To me, a site deserves more credit if people had to go out of their way to visit it. The Great Wall of China and the Forbidden City can both be visited in a day, and both are located in the urban area of a 21 million person city. Similarly, Giza is located a short distance from Cairo, a city of 9.5 million people. I am not suggesting these three sites should be penalized for where they are located, per se, just that some analysis should be taken to determine whether people are specifically visiting one of those sites, or whether their visit is part of a collection within the same general area.
Symbolism: There are certain locations that are strongly evocative; that is, when you think of them you also automatically think of the people and place associated with that location. But, better still are those places that are also true in reverse: when you think of a place or a people, you think of the site. Here’s an example: think of the place that most represents Italy in your mind. Did you think of Rome? Or Venice? Or perhaps a structure, such as the Leaning Tower? Now think about the place that most represents Russia in your mind. I think there is a pretty good chance you thought of St. Basil’s Church and Red Square.
Majesty or Beauty: Places cannot exist in a place just for the sake of existing. You move Disney World from the swamps of Florida to, say, Kansas, not much about Walt Disney World has changed. But you move Meteora from the columns atop which they sit to downtown Thessaloniki, they probably lose much of their appeal (no offense intended, Thessaloniki.)
To my mind, I can only think of three places in the world which check every single one of these boxes: the Taj Mahal, Machu Picchu, and Petra. All three have cultural and historical value, all are well visited and recognized, all are distinct and remote (even the Taj Mahal, by Indian standards, anyway), all are symbols of their nations, and all three are scenic. I’d be splitting hairs choosing between all three, and I can see an argument as to why any of them -including Petra- could be crowned as "the world’s greatest tourist destination.”
2. Just Shut Up & Show Me Pictures of Petra Already
Okay.
3. The Siq #1
The main approach to Petra -called the Siq- has multiple dams which not only redirected drinkable water to the city, but also prevent flash floods.
Sorry Ms. Cat, I’ve got some more talking to do real quick. A very abridged history lesson:
While settled to some extent for millennia, the first people who truly inhabited the area that would become Petra were the Nabataeans, who did so in the 4th century BC. The Nabataeans settled here because of the location’s proximity to trade routes (like most settlement in ancient Jordan, if I’m honest). Petra’s strategic location along the main trunk of these trade routes coupled with defendable terrain suited well to these formerly nomadic desert dwellers allowed the Nabataeans to establish a near monopoly on trade in the area, and it flourished in the 1st century AD.
What, in particular, made Petra so well defendable were the limited numbers of access points to the city. The main one of these -that is, the one which led from the trade routes- is a narrow 1.2 km / .75 mile long gorge now called the Siq. The Siq not only provided physical access, but regulated the flow of water -to include the drinkable supply- down into the desert plain of the city. It did so through an intricate and ingenious system of gutters and dams.
4. The Siq #2
Unlike most narrow slot-like canyons, the Siq was not created by water, but by tectonic forces.
The Nabateans never lost touch with their nomadic ways, and -when Petra would come under threat- they would cut off the water supply and make use of passed down knowledge to find water caches in the nearby mountains. This rendered the city of little-to-no value to anyone who occupied it.
5. The Temple of the Sun in the Canyon of the Crescent Moon
I think we all know where the Siq ends.
Thank you, Indiana Jones.
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Now back to the travelogue!
6. The Treasury #1
The Treasury was built sometime in the first half of the 1st century, probably between 20 and 40 AD.
Undoubtedly, the most famous location inside Petra is the Treasury, otherwise known as al-Khazneh. It is carved directly into the sandstone rock and is widely considered to have been a crypt. Much to popular belief and despite the excellence of the exterior, the interior is plain without carvings or relief, and -no- you may not enter. If you did, you would find a small vestibule with three blocked chambers off of it, so you’re not missing much if that’s any consolation.
Petra itself was “rediscovered” in 1812 by Swiss explorer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt, and I can’t fathom his amazement in seeing the Treasury for the first time, particularly if he arrived via the Siq. I put rediscovered in quotes because it wasn’t technically forgotten – the local Bedouin tribes knew of the sites existence but perhaps did not ascribe much historical value to it.
7. The Treasury #2
The likely origin of the name “Treasury” comes from the bedouin tribes who believed the building -particularly the urn-shaped top on the façade- contained valuables; it did not, but the bedouins could not help but shoot at the urn to try and crack it open, damage from which can be seen today.
As mentioned, the most common belief is that the Treasury was actually a crypt. This jives very well with the ornate statues which appear on the façade of the building, many of which concern the afterlife. For better or worse, the carvings have faded quite a bit since they were cut, but we have an excellent idea what was there. Towards the top appear four eagle statues, representing the carriers of souls to the afterlife. At the bottom (visible in the preceding photograph) appear Caston and Pollox, two figures also associated with the link between life and the afterlife.
But rather curious -to me, at least- are the depictions of Amazons and two statues of Nike, as these are figures more commonly associated with Greco-Roman mythology than anything faintly Nabataean. So, what’s the significant here? Well, Nabataean culture was familiar with Greek and Roman culture by the time of the Treasury’s construction, and it is likely these figures from mythology these proud warriors gravitated towards in the pantheon of their neighbors.
8. The Treasury #3
Tourism is a blessing and a curse for Petra and Jordan - tourism accounts for about 20% of Jordan’s GDP, and Petra significantly contributes to that figure; however, the surge in visitors -over one million in 2019- has caused some of the fragile faces of the monuments to recede (by some estimates 4cm / 1.5 inches in a ten year period). This resulted in the Petra interior being closed to visitors in 1997.
I haven’t spent much time talking about the practicalities of visiting the Treasury, so let me talk about that real quick. Everyone visiting Petra follows the same basic program - walk down the Siq in the morning, arrive at the intersection with the Treasury, and … loiter in one massive ball of humanity in the tiny open area in front of the crypt. This is stifling and claustrophobic, so if you are expecting an intimate introduction to Petra you’d better be the first person at the gate in the morning and walk down to the Treasury as quick as you can.
There are -by my estimate- three “alternate” views of the Treasury which are a little bit more intimate. Two are a short distance away, one to the left and one to the right, both of which require local guides to reach (who will request a tip). The one on the right (where the above photo was taken) requires a short scramble up a rock face, while the one on the right -which is a bit higher and a bit more remote- requires walking up some very steep steps which, I’ve been told, takes about 10 minutes. The third overlook is quite a long distance away, and requires walking around behind the Royal Tombs and up the jebel. This route should become obvious on your tourist map once you get oriented. My understanding is this site does not require a guide, but there is a small fee to access the overlook.
I am generally opposed to paying for access to sites I’ve already paid access for, but this is one of the rare cases where I’ll say that the splurge is worth it, especially if you want a pleasant crowd-free view of the Treasury.
9. The Street of Façades
The Street of Façades are rock tombs, likely reserved for senior officials or princes.
The main course that almost every visitor to Petra chooses to take runs from the Visitor’s Center west down the Siq to the Treasury. After fighting off crowds to get a somewhat useful photo, most continue on down past the Street of Façades, past the Theater, and to the crossroads by the Royal Tombs. Most opt to continue down the Colonnaded Street, past the Great Temple, and through the Temenos Gate to the area where the cafes and restrooms are, at which point you will have a decision to make: what to do next?
10. The Royal Tombs
Four tombs make up the Royal Tombs -Palace, Corinthian, Silk, and Urn, from north to south; Palace (left) and Corinthian (right) are depicted here.
See, if you’re just in Petra for a few hours, you realistically can only choose one of four follow-on activities: first, explore the central core in more detail (Qasr al-Bint, the Winged-Lion Temple, etc.); second, hike to the High Place of Sacrifice, an overlook behind and above the Treasury; third, head to the Monastery, as I did; or, four, hike up past the Royal Tombs to the “secret” view of the Treasury I mentioned early (it is on top of the hill in the above photograph). But I promise you: if you are headed to Wadi Rum in the afternoon, you will only have time for one of these choices, with maybe a follow-on to one of the two pay-to-play overlooks of the Treasury on the way out. In other words, do your research before you go. Remember: the walk from the Treasury to the Visitor’s Center is uphill and will take at least 30 minutes.
11. The Monastery #1
The purpose of the Monastery, which was probably built in the mid-1st century, remains a mystery. Suggested uses have ranged from palace, gathering space, or religious ceremonial space….
As mentioned, I opted to visit the second-best known site in Petra -the Monastery, or ad Deir. This is another sandstone carved face building, much like the Treasury; however, its façade appears significantly more well preserved than its more famous relative.
The Monastery is a lovely façade and visiting is absolutely the 30-40 minute walk up the 800 step path from the central core of Petra. Just watch out for donkeys along the path, their autopilot needs correcting….
12. The Monastery #2
… The true purpose of the Monastery is difficult to determine in part because the interior and the square just in front of the building were likely modified during the Byzantine era, when it was likely used as a religious meeting space.
After visiting the Monastery, I made my way with purpose to the Visitor’s Center and on to my hotel to meet back up with the rest of my group. I was the last to arrive, but I was only late by a few minutes so I don’t feel to bad about it! Anyway, it was time to head to Wadi Rum.
