Petra, Jordan: one of the Seven New Wonders of the World. A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985. The famous Lost City. Just HOW famous, you may ask? Apparently extremely, although I knew next to absolutely nothing about its rich history prior to booking my flight into Amman, aside from what I had discovered in a quick and obligatory Google search. I figured if I was going to Jordan, I had no choice but to discover what Petra was all about. I am not proud of my ignorance, but at least I try to be honest about it. To be fair, my friend’s boyfriend Kevin commented on an Instagram post of mine mentioning that he only knew of Petra from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, which made me feel a little bit better.
History of Petra
If you’re like me and you went through decades living under a rock without exposure to culture or history, here is a little rundown.
In the 4th century BC, Petra was established as a trading post by the Nabateans, a Bedouin tribe indigenous to the area. The city was unique, because the Nabateans utilized the mountainous terrain to their advantage by carving their buildings and infrastructure into the rock, including channels to carry water from rainstorms into cisterns for harvest.
While this system of irrigation helped maintain crops such as wine, fruit, and olive oil during drought and accumulate a good amount of wealth, it also drew the invasions of the Greeks in 312 BC (which the Nabateans were able to fight off by using the mountains as a natural protective wall), and the Romans (to whom they surrendered), and the Byzantines (who ultimately ruled the region for a few hundred years).
Many of the buildings were destroyed in an earthquake in the fourth century AD. By the eighth century, the city of Petra was largely abandoned, earning its name “The Lost City,” for being essentially lost to the rest of the world. Now, its ruins are a major tourist site, and it is still considered noteworthy for the innovative way the city came to be.
Cost of Entering
As of May 2020, for non-Jordanian residents, the cost of entering Petra on a one-day ticket is 50 JD, or about 70 USD. If you’re feeling like taking your time, there are also two- and three-day tickets for 55 JD and 60 JD respectively. There are no places to stay overnight within the site, so you’ll need to find accommodation outside and re-enter each day if you opt for the multi-day ticket.
The Sites
We stayed in a hotel just outside of the city, within a half mile walk from the visitor center. I rolled out of bed shortly after awakening to the call to prayer, the soft light of dawn peering through the window, gently probing and reminding me that I was walking distance from one of the most fascinating ancient civilizations to ever exist. We had a quick breakfast and ended up getting an early start, which helped to avoid massive crowds and tour groups, as well as stay ahead of the midday sun. Petra itself stretches over 60 square kilometers, and there’s lots to see, so an early start is highly recommended.
There are several trails winding throughout Petra, but the main trail that most guides will point you down (the easy, 4 kilometer jaunt to Petra’s main temple, Qasr al-Bint, and then the 1 kilometer mountainous hike to the Monastery), is what will tick all those glorious boxes on your Petra bucket list.
For those who want to learn a little bit more about Petra’s history while traversing the ruins, there are tour guides you can hire when you arrive at the visitor center, for 50 to 100 JD, depending on whether or not you want to go all the way up to the Monastery. There are also plenty of guided tours from Amman and other cities throughout the region.
The Siq
There is only one way to enter Petra, and it certainly isn’t modest about it. From the visitor center, we walked along The Siq to the Treasury. The Siq, translated literally as “The Shaft” (no, not THAT kind of shaft, you absolute sicko), is a little under a mile of narrow gorge, the smooth rock twisting and turning, soaring over 300 feet into the sky. The only thing I’ve experienced that is anything close to The Siq is Antelope Canyon in Arizona, but The Siq was not shaped by the force of water; instead, it was originally shaped by natural tectonic forces, and the Nabateans added their own touches by filling the walls with votive niches and carved rivulets intended for the movement of water. Even the trek through the dimly lit canyon is enough to make you feel like you’ve stepped back in history, as horse-drawn carriages hurtle past in a cacophonous blur and sand billows and swirls under your feet.
As you reach the end of The Siq, the rocks open up, as if dramatically presenting a whole new world from a whole different century. BEHOLD: The Treasury of Petra.
The Treasury
These people carved this thing out of A MOUNTAIN. A GODDAMN MOUNTAIN. Can we just take a moment? I tried to carve a hippo out of soap in middle school and, despite staying after school for days trying to make it perfect, the end result resembled a sad, misshapen horse. I cannot even imagine the skill and precision required for this beautiful façade.
The Treasury was originally built as a tomb for a Nabatean king, and is easily the most recognizable spot in the entire city, most recently made famous, apparently, by Harrison Ford.
That incredibly striking view of the treasury you see all over instagram
As imposing as the Treasury is from the courtyard in front of it, you’ll most likely be fiending for an even better view. The best way to see the Treasury is from above, no ifs, ands, or buts about it. There is a good, ethical way to get there, which is by climbing up hundreds of stone steps via the Al-Khubtha trail, which is just past the Royal Tombs off the main trail and will take about 20-30 minutes. There is also another, faster way that is (rightfully) discouraged, but when a random Jordanian boy came up to me and offered to take me up a cliff (for a small fee of 3 JD), I could not fork over that cash fast enough.
I knew I was being a bad bitch as soon as I saw this sign, but the Jordanian boy took me by the hand and led me and my travel companions up the steep rock to the cliff’s edge. I thanked my past self for dressing appropriately (I had considered a longer skirt, but the pants I decided on ended up carrying a much smaller risk of accidentally mooning the entire city as my Jordanian guide yanked me by the arm up a particularly treacherous bolder).
I’d recommend taking the Al-Khubtha trail, but certainly enjoyed the help up to the summit, and my own personal photographer at the top!
He clearly knew all the best angles. I didn’t even have to ask.
Royal Tombs
If you follow the Street of Facades from the Treasury, you’ll be surrounded by expertly crafted tombs. This is your first real taste of Petra beyond the iconic Treasury building, and it is just as awe-inspiring. Carved into the cliffs of the Jebel Al Khubtha massif are the Royal Tombs, which are thought to be the final resting place of Nabatean royalty.
The Theater
If you’ve ever been to Rome, you’ll find the style of Petra’s theater familiar, but the fact that it is carved from the sandstone makes it distinctly Nabatean.
The Monastery
The hike to the Monastery is not a particularly grueling one, but there is definitely some uphill trekking involved. Not that I minded. The path is well established, consisting of stone steps and packed dirt, and there are no parts that are exceptionally steep. I think the hike through the Jordanian mountains was actually one of my favorite things I did in all of Jordan. There are no words for how vast and breathtaking this little slice of the Earth really is.
From the Treasury, you’re looking at about an hour and a half by foot to reach the Monastery. As you approach and gape at the building from afar, the façade actually looks less impressive and less ornate than the Treasury. It isn’t until you walk across the flattened courtyard to the entryway and realize how utterly massive and imposing this thing is. Though called the Monastery, this building was likely used as a temple, a place for the masses to gather for religious ceremonies. Because of our early start, and because some visitors are dissuaded from trudging through the mountains under the blazing sun, we had the entire Monastery to ourselves when we arrived.
Across from the Monastery is a small cafe inside a cave, which is the perfect spot to plop down, kick your feet up, sip a tea or chug a bottle of water, and appreciate the fact that you are sitting in a piece of history.
High Place of Sacrifice
Before heading back to the Treasury the way we came, we climbed a little bit farther, our legs sore and our armpits drenched, to the High Place of Sacrifice. Petra has several High Places; this one is easily accessible, and offers a 360 degree view of the Lost City from up in the clouds.
More Tips
- Petra is in the middle of the desert, and can get extremely hot while offering very little shade. Be sure to bring a head covering, sunscreen, and plenty of water.
- Don’t forget to bring your passport to the visitor center, as you may need it to purchase a ticket.
- Jordan is pretty lax about their expectations of how visitors should dress, but it might still be a good idea to cover up, at least a bit.
- Wear comfortable shoes, as there will be a lot of walking, and you are looking at an eight hour day minimum.
- There are ample restroom facilities throughout the city, so don’t worry about needing to take a leak.
- There are Bedouin tents set up throughout the city and along the mountain paths, all with vendors hoping to sell you a scarf, some spices, or a history book. You are, of course, under no obligation to buy anything, and the vendors are generally not pushy.
- There are also plenty of people who will offer you rides on their camel or donkey. While I’m not here to tell you what to do, I am usually not a huge proponent of riding random people’s animals, and they may try to rip tourists off by charging an arm and a leg. If walking is hard, there are carriage rides that you can pay for at the visitor center, ranging from 20 JD to 40 JD.
- The hike to the Monastery can be done in a day, but staying at least 2 days will give you more time to go at your own pace.
Okay, so I may not have known much about Petra (if anything at all) before heading to Wadi Musa and packing my day bag full of water and chocolate bars. I own that. But what is travel if not one big, beautiful learning experience? Petra is, and will remain, the most formidable and evocative place I have ever seen, and it certainly earns its spot as one of the Seven Wonders of the New World.
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