The treasury 2

The front of the treasury is a staging ground, one can catch a ride back to the entrance after a long day hiking in Petra.

Or one can just meet up with friends here. The grandeur of the treasury was to instill a sense of might and awe in visitors in the olden days. It still has the same effect today. Petra was only discovered quite late because of the security of the narrow siq and if and when anyone finds their way there, they are struck by a sense of awe at the might of the Nabataeans.

The treasury 1

 This is the most coveted view of the treasury. It is known as the treasury because the urban legend was that one of the Pharoahs' of Egypt stored his treasure here. But nothing could be further from the truth, the fact is this was a facade tomb with a burial chamber in the centre. After the long trek through the narrow siq, suddenly this structure comes into view and it is the most photographed part of Petra.

There's always people and animals milling around in front of the treasury. Unless one comes before the crowds, there'll always be people assembled here, more during the later hours of the day.

The niche monument in the siq

The siq is quite barren of any significant carved monuments except for this. This is the largest niche monument in the siq. I've seen pictures where there is no metal barrier protecting it. The metal barrier was there during our visit to protect the monument.

The siq 2

It is narrow and in some places only allow a horse cart to come through. When you hear the sound of horse hooves, it is wise to move out of the way. The color of the rock changed each minute depending on the warmth of the sun. The advice is to start at 10 in the morning when the sun is up and you'll see the rocks come alive and be fired up. In the early hours of the morning it is pale and dull and take on a different persona, but is still fantastic.

The siq 1

The 'Bab-as-siq' is the gateway to the gorge. It is the only way in and out of it. So every morning we would walk this narrow path into the gorge and at the end of the day walk the return trip. It is long, narrow and twisty with the huge rock faces towering above on both sides forming an incredible awesome view, each face has a different color tint. It is hard to describe, only a visit can justify its beauty. Once in a while the sound of horses hooves are heard and we have to move aside or else get run over by the horse carts. Petra is so well preserved because the 'siq' protected it from discovery for centuries.

Entrance to the 'siq'

As we approach the entrance to the siq, there are groups of Bedouins plying their services here, pony rides into the park or horse and cart rides. They take people from inside the park to this area and return again to find more customers. The sound of horses' hooves are heard all the time.

Obelisk tombs

The tombs on the top has an Egyptian style, very similar to an obelisk and therefore is being referred to as the 'obelisk' tombs. The tombs in the lower part is referred to as the 'triclinium', presumably containing chambers used for memorial feasts to the dead. Today we don't celebrate our dead like they did in the days of pharoahs and the Nabataeans.

Djinn blocks

These are carved blocks of rocks near the entrance and are known as 'Djinn' blocks. Djinns are malevolent spirits in the Arab culture. They are probably Nabataean tombs of an earlier period. Most of the monuments are so huge that one can't miss them.

Petra

From the entrance to the start of the 'siq' is this long stretch of dirt path. It's a fun walk at the start of each day but at the end of the day, it is a tiring walk. That is why it is important to stay as close to the entrance as possible. If one is staying further out in Wadi Musa, one might have to take a taxi to the hotel at the end of the day. There are lots of Bedouins plying horse rides along this path or horse carts. Not everyone who visits are young and fit. A lot are elderly and older and less fit and these means of transportation are a godsent.

Wadi Musa

The village serving Petra is called Wadi Musa. It is a hilly village that is nondescript, filled with little restaurants, little hotels, stores that sell souvenirs. The bus from Amman stops at a station near the entrance to Petra and if you are staying at a hotel near the entrance, you won't have to bother with the rest of Wadi Musa. There are a lot of buses between Amman and Petra. Many hotels in Amman offers day trips to Petra. The Express bus is the JETT bus. Just take a taxi to the JETT depot before 6.30am every morning, buy a ticket and be in Petra in 3 hours. It leaves everyday at 4pm from Petra for the return trip to Amman. We took this bus but stayed 3 days.

Come and have tea

I did not climb all the way to the top though I could and should have. I was a little scared. There was nothing up there, just a beautiful view and a cute Bedouin little girl. She can't be more than 10 years old. She greeted us and yelled to us to 'come and have tea.' Her accent and the maturity of her voice was impeccable. It's was fascinating to realise English isn't their language and they don't go to school. They just learned it from the tourists. 'Come and have tea..... I insist', she hollered. Majenica did go up to have tea. We stayed below.