Ad-deir or the monastery

This was what we came up here to see, the Ad-deir. In the past this was a monastery complex but now all that is left is this facade. It very much resembles the treasury except it is plainer. The treasury is more frilly. The view from up here is spectacular and well worth the effort to get up here.

the 808 steps

I so wanted to climb the 808 steps to the top to see the monastery. I was agonizing about that 2 hour hike up knowing I'm not going to make it. So a decision was made, we would ride donkeys up there. It wasn't all fun and games, the climb was steep and the drop into the ravine equally steep. But those donkeys were sure footed, they made it with the donkey drivers running at the back of us and coaxing them on. I was a basket case, all I could say was 'oh my god, oh my god....' The donkey driver kept saying, 'just close your eyes and open your mind!' Huh? What does that mean? Anyway we made it in 20 minutes and I was glad.

The blue church

While excavating these churches they found in one of them fragments of Byzantine mosaics and even papyrus scrolls in Greek. It's amazing how anything have survived. These blue granite columns survived. It's Egyptian. The Roman and Byzantine empires covered a huge area in Europe and North Africa and it shouldn't be surprising to see such remains. In Rose MacCauley's book 'the pleasure of ruins', she described all the ruins in the world that she has visited. It is so amazing. This is the blue chapel.

Byzantine churches in Petra

Petra is not only a memorial to the Nabataeans. Before them were the Edomites of the Bible, descendants of Esau. The Nabataeans built most of the monuments that we see. After the fall of the Nabataeans, the Romans and Byzantines were here for a while and the Crusaders were here for even a more lesser while. It is estimated that there are about 15 Byzantine churches in the area. We saw the ruins of a few of them. They are still excavating the area.

The colonnaded street

Right in the heart of Petra is the colonnaded street, the main thorughfare of the ancient city.... (jane Taylor). Here is also a huge gate and a temple complex and excavations has revealed a Nabataean community. The Romans might have added to this complex. It is interesting to see it today, with the throng of international visitors walking on the paving stones and bedouins riding their camels through it.

Roman fountain

This is the remains of an old Roman fountain. The Nabataean empire gave way to the Roman empire. The Romans occupied Petra and they left remains of their presence.

Who would live here?

This is a necropolis. It is so inhospitable but I'm sure in its hey day, it was a thriving community. It still fascinate me to learn about what the ancients believe about death and dying. Today we say, 'you can't bring it with you.' In their days they try to bring it with them. I'm reading a book on Tibetan Buddhism and what they believe about death and dying. They believe that the body must be completely destroyed in order to release the spirit. They practise hacking the body to pieces and letting the vultures finish off the flesh, the bones are then ground up and scattered. This way there's no trace of the body and the spirit is free.

Selling trinkets

While the bedouin men are tending to the animals, the women are selling trinkets all over Petra. The bedouins live in both Jordan and Israel. I read an article on the plight of bedouins in Israel on how their roaming land has been reduced and their way of life deeply curbed. In Petra they are still allowed to roam the land thus preserving to a certain extent their ancient way of life. Though selling trankets is not one of them.

Blackberry, raspberry....

In the early days of travel, one has to haul along a lot more things, the beddings, the food, the water and a staff that might include a cook. Here in Petra, most of the tombs are named according to what they look like, the silk tomb because it had striations like that of silk. Sometimes there are inscriptions of names like that of 'Uneisha' other time they are simply the 'urn' tomb. The explorer, Edward Lear brought along his cook. His cook is reported as saying, 'Master, we have come into a world where everything is made of chocolate, ham, curry powder and salmon. Had they named some of the tombs, the names most likely have gastronomic associations. He omitted to describe in Petra the colors of fresh blackcurrant, peach, apricot, mulberry and saffron. (from Jane Taylor's book on Petra).

Invitation to tea

 As I walked into the tomb, I saw the glow of embers on a pan and the three bedouin women had the kettle and invited me to have tea with them. I was invited to share tea with them and to sit on the blanket where they were sitting. I told them I won't be able to get up if I should sit so low on the blanket. One of them said, 'I'll help you up!' On that I lowered myself and sat on the blanket with them.

 I took their picture and showed it to them. One of them wasn't happy, she wasn't ready for the shot. So she retied her scarf and posed again and this was the result.

 Now she is happy.

It was taking too long, so I got up, thanked them and rejoin Sophie who was snapping pictures outside.

Inside the urn tomb

It is only called the urn tomb because it looked like an urn. It was once converted into a church. The inside revealed the beauty of the cut rock. There's no where in this world where the rock looked like this when cut. It is so amazing. Everywhere we went, it's the same, the gorgeous color of the rock.

Early morning in Petra

From the urn tomb we looked down at the valley and saw this beautiful desolate scene, a land so inhospitable, yet harboring an ancient city of such immense and beautiful proportions. In a way it reminded me of Cappadocia, a vast area of infertile and scarce land, yet harboring some tenacious Christians who lived and worshipped there, building, more like carving so many churches and painting them as well. If we didn't have a computer or TV, who knows, we could be doing what they did. Instead we are (me included) hooked up to the Internet and working on a computer screen is all the skills we have today.