Indice
one of the reasons to visit Jordan is Petra, one of its main tourist attractions, declared a World Heritage.
Site by UNESCO and considered one of the seven wonders. In fact, it is a unique and magnificent archaeological site, among the most beautiful not only in the Middle East, but in the entire world.
Where is Petra located
The ancient Nabatean city of Petra is located in the Wadi Araba, which stretches between the Dead Sea and the Gulf of Aqaba. The site of Petra is 250 km from the Jordanian capital Amman and 120 km from Aqaba.
Tips for visiting Petra
Visiting this archaeological site with a guide or an organized tour is interesting, but planning the discovery of these places on your own is far better. Although one day is enough to see all of Petra, it would be better to have two days available, to be sure not to miss anything and to organize the tour calmly.
Before starting the tour, then, it is necessary to be sure to have water, food, a hat, sunscreen, shoes and suitable clothing, considering that the temperatures are quite high, there are large areas exposed to the sun and the bars, stalls and restaurants present have rather high prices.
What to see in Petra
- The Siq – السيق The Arabic name السيق means “the gorge” and was chosen by the Bedouins who inhabited Petra. Its path winds for almost 2 kilometers, winding to the right and left, widening and narrowing between walls that reach a height of 100 meters and that, at times, almost block the view of the sky. Along the Siq we find inscriptions, reliefs and channels dug into the rock that collected water and led it to the city center.
- The Treasury – الخزنة The Treasury was carved into the living rock of a vertiginous and imposing cliff. The Bedouins called it “The Treasury of the Pharaoh” because legend has it that a powerful pharaoh with magical powers built this monument to hide his riches, so that no one could ever steal them from him. The facade of the Treasury has colossal dimensions: 25.3 meters wide x 39.1 meters high.
- The Tomb of the Obelisks – قبر المسلات The Tomb of the Obelisks and the triclinium of Bab al-Siq make up the same funerary complex, share a single access staircase and were sculpted with the same technique. It is the first large tomb that is found before entering the city. The shape of the “obelisks” is identical to that of the 𝑛𝑒𝑓𝑒𝑠ℎ (symbolic representations of the deceased), whose function was to perpetuate the memory of the dead.
- The Theater – المسرح The Theater of the city of Petra could hold between 7,000 and 10,000 spectators. For a long time it was thought to be a Roman work, but subsequent excavations confirmed that it is a Nabatean monument. In fact, although the project derives from the rules dictated by the Roman architect Vitruvius (1st century BC), the construction method has many Nabatean characteristics, such as the typology of the capitals, the sculptural technique and the signs on the column drums, written with Nabatean letters.
- The Palace Tomb – قبر القصر This tomb is part of the complex of royal tombs, belonging to Nabatean monarchs whose identity is unknown. The four doors at the base, with their steps, lead to the burial chambers. The most interesting chamber of the tomb is the second on the left. On one of the sides of this niche, in fact, remains of stucco are preserved, which would confirm that the sandstone walls were covered to prevent deterioration, and perhaps painted.
- The Colonnaded Street – Petra The city of Petra grew in a wide valley surrounded by mountains and hills and the only flat surface was a narrow corridor located in the center of the valley. Right there, taking advantage of this strip of flat land, the inhabitants built this long street and on the slopes of the nearby hills they placed the main buildings of the city center, such as temples, markets and shops. This street runs east-west for almost 250 meters and divides the heart of the city in two.
- The Great Temple – Petra This building was, without a doubt, the largest building in Petra. With a surface area of 7560 m2, the imposing complex was built on the slopes of the hill called al-Katute. Its construction was carried out during the reign of Aretas IV (9 BC-40 AD), when the process of monumentalization and renewal of the city was concluded, but it underwent renovations in the Nabatean and Roman periods.
- Qasr al-Bint – قصر البنت Built at the beginning of the 1st century AD at the foot of the mountain al-Habis, the temple of Qasr al-Bint was probably dedicated to the main pair of gods of the Nabatean pantheon: Dushara and his consort, the goddess al-Uzza. None of the temples of Petra bears the name of the god in honor of which it was erected, but in the case of Qasr al-Bint the Bedouins, amazed by its imposing appearance, built a legend around this building that has been handed down over the centuries and which ended up giving its name to the monument. “Qasr al-Bint faraun” means “Palace of the Pharaoh’s Daughter” and according to the story it was the residence of the daughter of a powerful pharaoh, who promised to marry the man who could bring water to the palace.
- The Monastery – الدير This monument, together with the Treasury, is the most important in Petra. The facade is colossal: 46.7 m wide x 48.3 m high!). The facade of the Monastery was built by excavating the mountainside to a depth of 15 meters, and for this reason the monument is well protected from erosion caused by the wind. It is believed that the Monastery had religious purposes and that the pedestal located in the niche inside was the base on which the betyl (a stone believed to have a sacred function) rested. NB: The Petra site is very large and can be visited by following various itineraries. In addition to the classic order of the stages that you have just read, we recommend an alternative route far from the classic tours!
Petra by night
Don’t miss, if possible, the visit to the site of Petra by night (available on Monday-Wednesday-Thursday at a cost of JD12) and starting from the visitor center at 20:30.
The visit includes a walk in the site by candlelight until reaching the place of the Treasury.
Little Petra
The site of Little Petra, also called “Siq al-barid” (the cold Siq) and located 9 km from Wadi Musa, extends for 350 meters alternating narrow passages and wide open spaces.
Despite its name, it is a site quite different from that of Petra, both for the extreme density with which houses dug into the rock, temples and triclinia follow one another, and for the bizarre stairways carved into the rock that dig into the walls of the gorge on both sides and lead to a multi-story alley, once bustling with life.
In the Nabatean era, the area was inhabited by a thriving community, traces of which can still be found in one of the numerous houses on the site: on its ceiling appears a winged cupid armed with a bow and arrow, and above it a bird with Pan playing the flute to its left.
How to get to Petra
Petra is about 250 kilometers from the capital Amman; there are various options for reaching it. In fact, if you have decided to stay nearby, you can easily get there on foot.
If, however, you have a hotel in other locations, you can take advantage of shuttles and buses that are specially organized by the main hotels, especially in Amman.
Finally, if you have your own vehicle, there are three main ways to get to Petra: the road that runs along the Dead Sea, the Kings’ Highway and the Desert Highway.
You can also choose to use the taxi service, which, in Jordan, is quite convenient; finally, there is an efficient public bus service that regularly connects Amman to Petra and vice versa.
History of Petra
The Edomites settled in Petra first, around the 7th century BC, then left it to the Nabataeans, a people of nomadic origin, very skilled in trade, so much so that their wealth contributed to making Petra so magnificent and prosperous, especially under the reign of Aretas IV. It was precisely in this period that the most beautiful palaces in the city were built.
Then followed the Roman domination under the emperor Trajan and the arrival of Christianity in the 4th century AD with Constantine. In both periods the original structure of the city was modified, with the construction of other buildings and churches.
The first archaeological remains that you encounter are the Tomb of the Obelisk and the House of the Dijin, both from the 1st century AD; you then enter the legendary Siq, a long and narrow canyon, on whose walls there are a series of bas-reliefs depicting caravans and kings and accompanying the tourist towards the magnificent city of stone.
Walking through the Siq you reach the Treasury, a colossal structure carved into the mountain, which was perhaps the Tomb of Aretas III. It shows some Greek influences, especially in the presence of columns, pediment and tympanum together with typical features of Nabataean buildings. The visit continues along the street of facades, where there are a series of tombs carved into the rock. At this point you can choose to climb to the height of sacrifice and admire a spectacular view from above, or reach the Nabataean theater, later expanded by the Romans.
Also not to be missed are the Royal Tombs, in the Jabal-al-Khubtah complex, among the most evocative places in Petra, the Byzantine Church with mosaic floors and the Roman part of the city, marked by the presence of a colonnaded street.
Where to eat in Petra
Our favorite restaurants in Petra are:
- Al Wadi – Located in the center of Wadi Musa. They serve great Jordanian food and homemade bread.
- Al Arabi – Here you can enjoy great felafel, hummus, fuul, kebabs and the like.
- For more details check out our blog post Where to Eat In Jordan.
