JORDAN PART II-PETRA

PETRA, JORDAN
HISTORY

Petra, located about 262 km south of Amman and 133 km north of Aqaba is considered the most famous and gorgeous site in Jordan. It is the legacy of the Nabataeans, an industrious Arab people who settled in southern Jordan more than 2000 years ago. Admired then for its refined culture, massive architecture and ingenious complex of dams and water channels, Petra is now a UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE and one of THE NEW 7 WONDERS OF THE WORLD that enchants visitors from all corners of the globe.
The approach through a kilometer long, cool, and gloom chasm (or SIQ) a long narrow gorge whose steeply rising sides all but obliterate the sun, provides a dramatic contrast with the magic to come. Suddenly the gorge opens into a natural square dominated by Petra's most famous monument, AL-KHAZNEH (The Treasury), who’s intricately carved facade glows in the dazzling sun.
More facades beckon the visitor on until the ancient city gradually unfolds, one monument leading to the next for kilometer after kilometer. The sheer size of the city and the quality of beautifully carved facades is staggering and leads one to reflect on the creativity and industry of the Nabataeans who made Petra their capital.
Petra is breathtaking, and never to be forgotten. It flourished for over 400 years around the time of Rome and Christ, until it was occupied by the Roman legions of the Emperor Trajan in 106 AD.
The Petra basin boasts over 800 individual monuments, including buildings, tombs, baths, funerary halls, temples, arched gateways, and colonnaded streets, that were mostly carved from the kaleidoscopic sandstone by the technical and artistic genius of its inhabitants.
Petra sights are at their best in early morning and late afternoon, when the sun warms the multicolored stones, you can view the majesty of Petra as it was seen first when discovered in 1812 after being lost by the 16th century for almost 300 years!

 THE DZIN

As one makes one's way through the gorge, on horseback, horse carriage or on foot, to the entrance of Al-Siq or narrow defile, the first monuments one sees are three massive Djin blocks. There are about 40 such monuments to be found in Petra. Their significance is as yet uncertain. They are generally thought to have been an early form of Nabataean tomb, though their proximity to running water may signify that they were related to the worship of water, bearer of fertility.

 THE OBELISK TOMB AND THE BAB AL-SIQ TRICLINIUM

Opposite the Djin blocks are two monuments, the Obelisk Tomb and the Bab Al-Siq Triclinium, which stands below it. Although they are found in close proximity to one another, they appear to be unrelated, dating from various periods and standing on a slightly different axis. The Obelisk Tomb takes its name from the four Obelisks which decorate its upper storey.
The Obelisk was a common Nabataean funerary symbol and clearly demonstrates Egyptian influence. An inscription in both Greek and Nabataean to be found opposite it, refers to a family tomb built by Abdmank which may well be the Obelisk tomb itself.
The Bab Al-Siq Triclinium, constructed at a later date and more classical in style, is the first of approximately 100 similar monuments to be found throughout the site. These were rock-carved rooms with benches running around three sides of their interior, situated near tombs, so as to act as dining rooms for the funerary banquets which appear to have been an essential ritual in burying and commemorating the dead.

 THE SIQ

Then we enter the Siq. Once inside, the Siq narrows to little more than five metres in width, while the walls tower up hundreds of metres on either side. There are many large tombs in the Outer Siq, some of them bearing obvious traces of earthquake damage. The Tomb of the 17 Graves clearly demonstrates how the graves were cut into the rock floor. Also noteworthy are the five small commemorative Obelisks and two Nabataean inscriptions carved onto the walls.

 AL KHAZNEH ("THE TREASURY").

As we move along the narrow Siq, we suddenly emerge into a natural courtyard face to face with the glowing perfection of AL KHAZNEH(the Treasury). Its elaborately carved facade is alive with a cast of Nabataean deities and mythological characters - equestrian figures of the Dioscuri (Castor and Pollux) whose role in the Greek myths was to guide the souls of the dead to the Elysian Fields; dancing Amazons wielding axes; winged Victories; Medusa heads; eagles and various mythical creatures. All are funerary symbols.
At the center of the tholos - the round section between the broken pediment at the top of the facade - is the eroded relief figure of a goddess holding a cornucopia in her left arm. This has been identified as Al-Uzza, the great goddess of Petra, who was commonly assimilated with the Greek Aphrodite, goddess of love; here she includes the attributes of Tyche, the Greek goddess of fortune, and of Isis, the supreme goddess of the Egyptian pantheon who, as the wife of Osiris, also presided over the underworld and the spirits of the dead.
Though all the figures are eroded, the flowers, leaves and fruits on the friezes, pediment and capitals still look, almost as crisp as the day they were carved.
In Arabic the Treasury is called El-Khazneh, or Khaznet Far'oun, Pharaoh's Treasury, from an ancient myth that treasure had been concealed here by a powerful black magician, popularly identified with a wicked and fabulously wealthy Pharaoh, who drove prophet Moses and his followers out of Egypt and chased them here to Petra. At this point, it seems, the Pharonic treasure had become an impediment.
The Treasury's original purpose remains elusive - except that it was not a Treasury. Some scholars believe it was a royal tomb, with the king's burial place in the small chamber at the back; others, a temple, pointing to its temple-like facade and the lack of burial holes - for them the rear chamber was the sanctuary, complete with ritual ablution basin.
Yet others suggest it was a memorial mausoleum, perhaps for the cult of the deified Obodas I. The funerary symbolism of the carvings on the facade certainly points to some association with the dead. What ever it was intended to be, to day, as you enter it, you find only a 10ft.X 10 ft. chamber.
The date of the Treasury is also unclear, and has to be assessed on stylistic grounds, providing yet more theories. It is tempting to suppose that its ornate carving points to a later period, but Petra has proved a graveyard for such neat solutions.
The picturesque site is featured in various films such as: Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Arabian Nights, Passion in the Desert, Mortal Kombat, Annihilation, Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger, the Sisters of Mercy, music video "Dominion", and the latest film, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.
The horses and the buggies take a turn from here and return to the Visitors Center.

 THE ROYAL TOMBS

A stairway leads to the Royal Tombs set into the rock-face of the Jabal Al-Khubtha. These tombs, thought to be those of several Nabataean kings, are certainly amongst the most impressive of the 500 tombs to be found in Petra.
The Urn Tomb was probably constructed around 70 AD. It is preceded by a deep courtyard with colonnades on two sides. High up in the facade there are 3 niches which give on to small burial chambers. Their inaccessibility would have made them relatively safe from tomb robbers.
Inside there is a massive single chamber which may originally have served as a triclinium for funerary banquets, but which was adapted in 446 AD to serve as a Byzantine church, the vaults of which can still be seen below the tombs.
The small Silk Tomb is remarkable for the swirls of different colored rock which make up its facade. Then comes the Corinthian Tomb, which combines various elements of both the Nabataean and the classical architectural styles. Next to it is the broad, 3-storey high Palace Tomb, interesting in that its lower part was cut from the rock, while some of its upper storey was constructed with masonry when the cliff itself proved to be too low.

 THE THEATER

Beyond lies the Theater. This was constructed in the early 1st century AD by Nabataeans and enlarged and improved by the Romans shortly after their annexation of the Kingdom in 106 AD. This they did by ruthlessly gouging away a street of houses or tombs in order to extend the rear of the auditorium, which could then accommodate 3000 people. This also improved the acoustics of the theater and supported a drain, which took the run-off water around the sides of the theater. The standard Roman-design theater today lies open to the Outer Siq, but would originally have been enclosed by a wall and completely cut off from the street.

 OUR VISIT TO PETRA 20TH APRIL, 2008

We left the hotel in Amman around 6 am. It is necessary to reach Petra as early as possible to avoid noon sun. It took us around 3 hours to reach Petra. From the visitors center one can walk, take a horse ride or ride in a horse buggy up to The Al Khazne. All of us preferred to walk the distance of about 500 meters. Along the road we see the Dzin, Tombs and then we enter the Siq. Once inside, the Siq narrows to little more than five metres in width, while the walls tower up hundreds of metres on either side. The floor, originally paved, is now largely covered with soft sand, although evidence of Nabataean construction can still be seen in some places. On both the sides along the Siq there are carvings which are mostly worn out. The most interesting one is the human form with camel feet. Along the Siq there are covered drains. Then suddenly through a slit in the Siq you get a glimpse of the Al Khazneh. At the end of the Siq you enter a court yard. The horses and buggies come up to this point and take a turn back to the entrance. The Al Khazne is awesome. Beyond the Al Khazne are the tombs and the theater. You can read the description on each of these above. It takes nearly 4 hours to reach the center of Petra where the Byzantine church is situated. Most of us returned from that point as it was already getting too hot.
It is necessary to have lot of water and snacks ready as nothing is available once you enter Petra. Good walking shoes and a cap covering the neck are a must. As the Sun is very hot, loose full sleeved cotton clothes should be preferred. It is necessary to protect your self with Sun screen lotion. Those who are very keen to study the archeology of the place can stay over night at Petra and spend early morning and late evenings to visit the place.
I would like to acknowledge that in writing the History of Petra I have borrowed heavily from writings of some professionals, while adding substantially on my own.