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Petra, the legacy of the Nabataeans, an industrious Semitic people who settled in what is now south Jordan more than 2000 years ago, is at the centre of a move to promote tourism in Jordan. Mahmoud Bakr explored the rock-hewn city
Facilities at Petra, one of the Middle East's favourite tourist destinations, are to be upgraded as part of a Jordanian bid to woo back visitors, whose numbers have dropped considerably since last September.
When the lost city was rediscovered in 1812 by the young Swiss explorer Johann Ludwig Burkhardt, Petra was a long and arduous journey from Amman. Now you can reach this legendary destination after only a few hours' drive along the highway from Amman in the north or Aqaba in the south.
Unfortunately, tourism has dropped in recent months as a result of the uncertain political situation in the Middle East. But this has not stopped Jordan's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities from launching a sustained promotional campaign under the slogan "Jordan the Beautiful." Low prices are on offer for hotel accommodation.
"The government has made a deal with travel agencies, hotels and other tourist-related industries to cut their prices in order to attract more Arab tourists," the ministry's secretary-general, Sultan Abu Gaber, said.
Shehada Abu Hodeib, director-general of the regional authority in Petra's modern town, said a committee had been set up for the Petra area, which covers 900sqkms and has a population of 30,000.
"Our aim is to supervise the upgrading and development of the area and establish an archaeologically protected area on 264sqkms," Hodeib said. "We plan to develop tourist facilities with suitable infrastructure, designed for all tourist and archaeological needs. Eco-tourism will be encouraged and among our most ardent hopes is that Petra will qualify as a candidate for a production of Verdi's Aida next summer."
We made the five-hour drive to Petra along the old King's Highway from Amman, passing through delightful rural and natural areas full of greenery and with wonderful vistas. The country is very fertile and well-supplied with hotels for visitors who might wish to linger.
In Petra, our young guide was waiting to take us through the Siq, the narrow passageway first ventured by Burkhardt, to the ancient city. Under the Nabataeans no one could pass through here unchecked or unbidden; they used the Siq to defend their city and levy taxes on caravans from Arabia laden with Indian spices, African ivory, animal hides and other exotic goods.
There is no doubt that Petra's appeal comes largely from its spectacular setting. The ancient city is locked inside soaring sandstone hills, and the entrance adds to the fantasy and secrecy of its repute. The Siq is an extremely narrow chasm, more than a kilometre in length, running between two mountain ridges 100 metres high. We rode through on donkeys, and it was so narrow that I could put out my arms and touch the rock on both sides.
After a while I began to wonder whether it would ever come to an end. On each side were water channels, and our guide told us that one originally carried water from the Spring of Amun for agricultural purposes, while the other was for drinking. Eventually we emerged from the Siq and found ourselves in a great, open space. In front of us was a tall building carved out of the rosy sandstone and known as Al-Khazna (the Treasury). This was a most impressive sight. It appeared to glow from within, and we only realised how massive it was when we came close to it and lifted our eyes from the Corinthian columns to the pediment, and above that to other architectural elements which showed a somewhat eclectic display of Greek, Egyptian and Roman styles.
Our guide told us that people once believed the pottery found in Al-Khazna contained treasure -- jewellery, gold coins and such things -- but that nothing had ever come to light. He gave us some background history: the building was hewn from the rock in the first century BC as a mausoleum for a Nabataean king, but the great mausoleum was subsequently converted into a temple. He added that it was an important pilgrimage site. Prayers were conducted in the open court, and from the fourth century, during the Byzantine era, it was used as a monastery. He showed us crosses drawn on the walls.
Many of today's tourists get no further than the treasury and the tombs and houses hewn out of the surrounding wall of rock, or the Roman theatre, which was carved in the 2nd or 3rd century to seat some 3,000 spectators, or an elaborate array of tombs known collectively as the Royal Tombs.
We were more adventurous. Charmed by the rippling colours of the rock, we set off for other tombs on higher levels, tombs which bore such engaging names as the Urn Tomb, the Silk Tomb and the Rainbow Tomb. Threading our way between the cliffs, which rise to 200 metres, we saw inscriptions in the rock in various ancient scripts, and as we climbed we passed more tombs, baths and funerary halls. There is enough in Petra to keep an interested visitor busy for many days.
Practical information:
The main attraction of Petra is the site of the ancient city itself. A one-day visit is an absolute minimum, and a week will still leave many parts unexplored. Maps and excellent guidebooks are for sale at the entrance to the Petra site, and guides are available to take you through the city.
You can hire a horse to take you through the Siq (about 1 kilometre) and once inside, hire a donkey or, for the more adventurous, be led on camel-back. Horse-drawn carriages are available for children, the elderly, and the disabled. Remember to pace yourself, as the Petra is a large site and can involve some fairly steep climbs!
More information on Petra and its other attractions is available from the Petra Visitors' Centre at the entrance to the site.
Tel: 032-156020.
Opening hours 7.00am-4.00pm daily in winter, 7.00am-5.00pm in summer.
Another worthwhile place to visit is the Petra Archaeological Museum which houses a wide variety of artifacts from various periods excavation in and around Petra. Hours 8.00am- 4.00pm.
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