Today is special! Today is our tour of the famous Petra archeological site. We drive three hours by car south of Amman. We combine two single guys in our hired car (one way for them) and save $40. We arrive by 11am and pay our $150 entry fee (OUCH).
The next 4 hours we spend enjoying one of the world’s most precious world heritage sites from 2000 years before Christ. The city had come alive under Hellenistic rule in about 300-100 BC with a vibrant Bedouin community, crossroads of trade and water. The community changes under Roman rule, 50 BC through 363 AD with the extension of entry gates, new churches and a Roman road through the middle of town. The year 363 AD is important as on this date a devastating earthquake substantially damages the city, and possibly even levels it.
In such disrepair, time is not kind to Petra. A gentle walk through the siq (entry way) is long and narrow, but you are rewarded with your spectacular entry into the Treasury complex. Walks through the old tombs, special markings, temples and civic buildings draw you toward the far end of the city. You understand the flow of daily life of Bedouin residents, the Nabataeans.
They are in ruins, but partial reconstructions help you understand how water flowed, where the government met, and where the temples were located. The mile and ½ long main road features tombs in the walls from hundreds of years of history. Time and erosion have taken a toll on the limestone faces but you can envision the daily life of the Nabataean people. The earthquake of 363 must have ended life as they knew it.
The six hours spent in the car and four hours of walking in 100 degree heat was exhausting but well worth it. Bud
