Petra was established around 6 BC as the capital city of the Nabataeans. It is famous for its rock cut architecture and water conduit system. I knew the moment I started down the trail toward the city that my little camera (or any amateur camera) could not possibly do justice to the mammoth cliffs and rock buildings there. So I took a few photos of interesting small formations as I strolled along and enjoyed myself thoroughly. I came home with lots of memory photos.
Date(s): April 2012. Album by Kathie Muench. Photos by Kathie Muench. 1 - 36 of 36 Total. 241 Visits.
1 We rode 3 hours from Amman, Jordan, to get to Petra. We went through this town of Wadi Musa just before we got to the entrance of Petra. Judging from the photo that I took out the bus window, you'd think it was a dry, brown desert town, but in reality it was surrounded by groves of green trees that made it look like a real oasis.
2 The entrance to Petra leads steeply down through a dark, narrow gorge (in places only about 9 ft wide) called the Siq. Some of the rock formations are 650 feet high.
3 A soldier, guarding the entrance to Petra, who let me take his picture for $1.
4 The rock formations and the buildings are all sandstone.
5 Building carved out of rock.
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9 A quake on May 19, AD 363 left Petra in ruins. Half the city was destroyed as well as the water supply system.
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15 The treasury, the most famous building in Petra. Petra was unknown to the western world until it was discovered by a Swiss explorer in 1812.
16 Another massive rock building.
17 The interior of the previous building.
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22 Three views of the amphitheater.
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25 A boy rode this donkey down a long flight of rock steps right after I took this photo. I was afraid he would slip and that he and his rider would fall several hundred feet to their death, but he was sure footed and scampered quickly and safely down the steps.
26 I could see people up on the highest point we could climb in Petra, and I just had to get up there with them.
27 This is called the Urn Tomb. The lower part consists of the Royal Tombs and the 2 vaulted rooms on top are believed to be a church.
28 The higher I climbed, the more awesome it looked.
29 I'm almost to the platform on top.
30 The courtyard of the Urn Tomb.
31 The church on the top. There was a Jordanian soldier on duty there in full dress uniform too.
32 Inside the church was a huge room. A Greek inscription on one of the walls states that this room was used as a church in 447 AD.
33 Three views from the church at the top.
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36 The trail goes on further, but it was time to head back to the bus. We walked about 4 miles in the four hours we were there, but it wasn't nearly long enough. In two or three days a person might see all of Petra.
