Petra: popular destinations, forgotten dynasties
(Previous) After the final time having cookies as breakfast in Amman, I headed to the bus station, boarding the bus to Petra.
Fun fact: Amman was called “Philadelphia” in Greco-Roman times. Today these two cities couldn’t be more different….
There was only one bus to Petra per day, which stopped once by a store. This really reminded me of my cross-country Greyhound road trip in the US (2016).
Upon checking in to the only hostel in Petra where most budget travelers stayed, I finally entered the ancient city of Petra, arguably the most important site in Jordan, as well as in my entire round-the-globe journey.
The Oblisk tomb, featuring four standing oblisks on its fecade, sit at the entrance of Petra. It gave visitors a quick summary of typical Nabataean architecture: Intricate tombs or temples with imposing facades carved on rock cliffs, influenced by both Hellenistic and Mesopotamian elements.
In fact, the word “Petra” referred to rocks in Ancient Greek. You may have heard that the common name “Peter”, the name Jesus gave to one of his most important apostles, was also derived from the same root. But rocks likely long preceded the Greco-Romans in Petra. It is believed that the place was already named “rock” in local Semitic languages. Quite a fit name given its landscape.
Visitors walked through “the Siq”, a long narrow shaft through a magnificent gorge, to officially enter Petra. A path where must have been set foot by countless merchants, pilgrims, and soldiers in its hayday. Petra as a site was so significant that even its entrance, the Siq, qualifies an article on Wikipedia. Niches carved on the rock cliff to protect those walking along the path (shown right) could be seen along the way.
At the end of the 2km long walk of the Siq, Petra finally revealed herself. And she did so slowly, little by little. Al Khazneh, commonly known as “the Treasury”, was the most iconic of all magical architectures of Petra. I felt surreal looking at its facade, while bearing typical Greek pediment and Corinthian columns, had the unique decorative urn-like altar at the top. It seemed so out of place, as if someone were trying to design a neoclassical architecture today, but accidentally incorporated anachronistic elements on it.
Of course, this came from me, who knew next to nothing about the Nabataeans before my visit. Nabataeans were Bedouin Arab tribes under significant Armaean influence from the 4th century BCE to the 2th century AD. As a once prosperous and powerful geopolitical entity that likely dominated the trade route between Asia, Europe and Africa, Nabataeans left no literature, and all its stories were told by outsiders. Perhaps more people know about Petra, a famous “instagramable” destination, than about the Nabataeans, the little known ancient dynasties that only scholarly sources and history nerds like me care about?
Petra was likely the capital of the Nabataean Kingdom, but even this historians weren’t 100% sure about. Same goes for the purpose of “the Treasury”, which only gained its nickname from the myth that it contained treasures. It was most likely the tomb of a Nabataen monarch, and contrary to what people in the 19th century believed (and propagated by popular culture today), certainly wasn’t filled with gold inside.
Many visitors, especially many coming with tourist groups, ended their trips at “the Treasury”, which was a real pity because Petra’s glamor just started here. For those not fit enough to trek, yet with the curiosity to venture further, animals could offer their help. But honestly, I would always be wary of how animals were treated in this part of the world.
The archeological park was filled with temples, tombs, and hiking trails that visitors could easily spend 2 full days exploring. Stands opened by local people could be seen throughout the park selling souvenirs, foods and drinks. All vendors I met in Petra were respectful and friendly, none of whom sold things aggressively as seen in many popular tourist attractions elsewhere in the world.
left: The Urn Tomb; right: the Palace Tomb (Both were tombs of Nabataean royals. Their nicknames were simply named after physical resemblance)
There were numerous hiking trails to explore in Petra. Despite Petra’s popularity and significance, once leaving the major tourist route, I could barely see traces of other tourists.
As I hiked onto a hill trying to look for a photo spot overlooking “the Treasury”, I pleasantly encountered some animal friends making loud meh sounds.
I headed back to the hostel before the sunset. It was the only hostel for budget travelers in Petra, making it a fabulous place for like-minded travelers to gather naturally. We watched the spectacular sunset from the hostel’s balcony and exchanged stories about our past and planned adventures.
After dinner, I headed to Petra again to attend the “Petra By Night” show with some friends from the hostel. To be honest, “Petra By Night”, featuring candles in the desert night, traditional performance and light show on the “the Treasury”, was very overrated. Not only was it overpriced, it also completely deprived Petra of its historical context, thus devaluating it to yet another Cinderella Castle in Disneyland. Moreover I (still) don’t know how I feel about such tourist-oriented “traditional” singing and dancing performances, as it was an unequal and sometimes ingenuine exchange of cultures, which at worst could be tinted with neocolonial mindset.
Petra is magnificent by itself, while any extra efforts to further glamorize it was merely gilding the lily. However, the show aside, walking with a bunch of people through the Siq in darkness was one of the truly magical experiences I still vividly remember to this day. Today I just scratched the surface, and tomorrow, I would explore what Petra had to offer in detail.
