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| The city of
Petra lies hidden in a rugged area accessible only through a narrow pass between jagged
cliffs of rose colored sandstone. Inhabited from prehistoric times by the Edomites, the
glory of Petra flowered with the arrival of the Nabateans, whose new ideas and concepts in
art and architecture, influenced by the prevalent Hellenistic culture at the time, gave
rise to the spectacular monuments carved into the rose red mountains. A city intact with
amphitheaters, houses, tombs, monasteries, temples, palaces, triumphal arches, all adorned
with intricate sculptures demonstrates Nabataean skill at the art of sculpture, plaster
and fresco work. This fortress city stands today as a silent testament to the ancient
world that can be seen in Jordan. |
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The Siq is a 1.2
kilometer long natural crack in the rocks, which the Nabateans developed into the
city’s formal entryway. The Siq ends infront of the Khazneh or Khaznet Phar’oun,
so called because it was thought that the monument held the Pharaoh’s treasure.
The Khazneh is a beautiful and well-reserved monumental tomb for a Nabatean king, which
probably was later used to worship the king’s memory. It has statues of gods, animals
and mythological figures.
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From the museum
area the 45 minute ascent to ed-Deir is one of Petra’s most enjoyable treks,
combining some of Petra’s important monuments such as the Lion Monument, Qattar
ed-Deir, and the Hermitage.
Ed-Deir is Petra’s largest facade. The modern name, ed-Deir (“the
monastery”), is derived from several crosses scratched on its rear wall. Worshippers
of priestly processions would have followed the ceremonial route through Wadi ed-Deir and
assembled in the vast open area in front of the monument. |
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The arched gate
provided access to the most important religious building in Petra, Qasr El-Bint Temple.
The arched gate has carvings of soldiers, animals and other designs. Qasr el-Bint temple
(or Qasr Bint Phar’oun, “ the palace of Phraoh’s daughter”) has a
local legend linked to its name.
It is said that a princess who lived in the temple offered to marry anyone who could
provide the building with running water. In The Roman Period the temple was destroyed, but
was used for storage and other purposes in the Byzantine and medieval Islamic periods.
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During the
Nabatean times, the Siq was the only way to enter the Nabatean city, Petra. It is a
natural passage in the rocks, which permitted the Nabateans to see who was entering the
city without being seen. On the left-hand side of the Siq, are the channels that once ran
all along the Siq and carried water to the Nabatean city from the springs of Moses.
There are also the Djin Blocks, which are said to be for the Gods. The Siq walls are a
fantastic example of the sandstone’s beauty. At one point,the passageway goes from a
wide breach to a narrow passage not a few feet across. Suddenly, in the space of a few
footsteps, visitors can get their first glimpse of Petra’s most fabled achievement,
El Khazneh. |
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