Rose-Colored City

No trip to Jordan would be complete without a visit to Petra, the city carved out of the multi-hued cliffs in southern Jordan by the Nabateans. Most people will at least recognize the 'Treasury', the first tomb facade you see when approaching from the main entrance. The Treasury was featured prominently in 'Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade', where Harrison Ford saved Sean Connery's life and vanquished the bad guys after correctly identifying the Holy Grail from a room full of chalices.

The Treasury is an impressive sight, no doubt. Still, Petra consists of twenty or more rock-cut tombs equal in size to the Treasury and one (the 'Monastery') is even larger and, arguably, better preserved. Why hadn't I ever seen pictures of the rest of Petra? The Treasury gets primacy of place, I think, for its placement. Most visitors approach Petra through a narrow defile called the 'siq'. The cliffs on either side soar over 100 feet above and only a thin strip of sky is visible. Then, after walking for about 30 minutes, the gorge narrows even further and turns to the right. It is rounding that darkened bend that the Treasury suddenly appears, brilliantly lit in contrast to the siq. It is a very dramatic moment and kudos go to the Nabatean who selected that place for his tomb. Although his name may be lost in history (at least, I don't remember it if we were told), the image of his memorial will live on in postcards and souvenirs the world over. You will also see it as the cover image for my Jordan photo album.

As for the rest of Petra, the valley widens past the Treasury and tombs are carved into both cliff-faces. Although most are not as well preserved because of exposure to the wind, rain and sand, many are cut into more colorful (i.e., mineral-rich) sections of the sandstone and almost appear to be painted with stripes of blue, green, red and black. At the top of the valley is the Monastery, perched above the rest of Petra and appreciated most of all for the 800 or so steps one must climb to see it. On the valley floor are several classical structures and a Byzantine church with some wonderful mosaics. It is a beautiful place with enough to fill a couple of days and still leave some for a future visit.

Photo Album: Jordan

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