The city of Petra is the most famous landmark in Jordan. It is called the "home of eternity." And perhaps not without reason. The Victorian traveler and poet Dean Burgon wrote lines about Petra that are still quoted today: "Show me another place so beautiful in the eastern land, comparable to this pink-red city, as ancient as the world."
Petra is a true wonder of the world, being the most impressive work of antiquity. The buildings carved from the rocks and constructed from red stone seem to float in the mirage-like spaces. Temples, an amphitheater, palaces, royal chambers, tombs, channels and reservoirs, baths, markets, archways, streets, staircases, sculptures, and altars... - this is the result of amazing combinations of nature and human imagination, capturing and creating a symbiosis of thoughts and aspirations, myths and customs of a civilization that has long since vanished into oblivion.
Everything that unfolds before the eyes in Petra is a symbiosis of nature and the creations of high human culture.
Hidden in deep, hard-to-reach mountains, surrounded by a realm of deserts, Petra leaves a strong impression. Entering the City of the Gods (as Petra is also called), travelers are immediately transported to a completely different spatial dimension, another world. Words cannot convey the feelings that envelop you upon entering the city. Rocks resembling the forms of gods and mythical heroes surround you on all sides, creating a sense of connection to a deep history.
The creators of the city called themselves Nabataeans, which in Arabic means "sculptors." They were renowned for their stone-working skills. The masters not only created temples, dwellings, theaters, and prisons from stone, but also knew how to collect the precious water in these places, carving channels in the rock to direct rainwater into special reservoirs.
The mountains surrounding Petra on all sides served as a factor of protection against all kinds of encroachments.
The Nabataeans settled the mountains of Petra and the lands of Edom as early as the 6th century BC. They developed the springs around Petra, carved out dwellings, and built other structures. Thus, over many generations, the Nabataeans created a fairy-tale city in the pink rocks.
By strengthening their positions through active trade, the Nabataeans accumulated vast fortunes and came to hold dominant power in the region.
Petra became the capital of a kingdom that encompassed the northern regions of present-day Saudi Arabia and southern Syria, including Damascus, the Dead Sea, and the Negev Desert in Palestine. According to historians, more than 40,000 people lived in Petra, which was considered a very large city for those times. The capital occupied 30 square kilometers of the total 100 captured by sandy mountains.
The arrival of Roman rule in Petra dates back to the 2nd century AD. King Rabel II, on the eve of his death, voluntarily signed an agreement to join Petra to the new Roman province of Arabia in 106 AD.
Petra continued to exist under Roman rule, with the Romans building and adding colonnaded streets and amphitheaters. The city was personally visited by Emperor Hadrian in 130 AD...
But gradually, Petra turned into an ordinary provincial town. The arrival of Byzantium and the Crusaders marked the last era in the city's history. Frequent natural disasters predetermined the fate of the city of the Red Rose. The last traces of Petra's life are noted in the mid-8th century AD.
This is the official historical version of Petra, beginning with the time of the Nabataeans. But if we believe the existing biblical narrative, the history of the city of eternity begins long before the arrival of the Nabataean tribes here.
This story is about the two sons of the patriarch Isaac — Esau and Jacob. Open the 25th chapter of the Book of Genesis, which tells how Esau calmly yielded to Jacob the right of primogeniture, and thus the special divine blessings, exchanging this priceless gift of God for a bowl of lentil stew. When he regretted it, it was already too late. The red lentil stew not only gave its name to the land of Edom but also divided the two peoples for many centuries: the descendants of Jacob, i.e., the Jewish people, and the descendants of Esau, i.e., the Edomites, or Idumeans.
From its very early years, Edom showed itself to be a very warlike and aggressive state. Its armies, like hawks, conducted raids, spreading death and fear in the surrounding area, and then returned to their impregnable nest — the city of Petra, located high in the mountains. The Edomites harbored a particular hatred for the Jews, believing that they had lost the beautiful lands of Palestine because of them, and therefore avenged themselves at every opportunity, in the most brutal ways. They not only participated in all wars against Judea but also bought Jewish captives from the Assyrians and other nations, to take them to their fortresses and subject them to torturous executions. In Petra, the red steps of a huge staircase leading to the platform where the altar of the sun god stood have survived to this day. These steps are red not only from the color of the stone but also because they are soaked in human blood...
The first to subjugate the Edomites was King David, who incorporated them into his kingdom. But during the reign of David's son, Solomon, a rebellion broke out in Idumea, and Edom separated from Israel once again. However, the New Edomite kingdom, which lasted just over 50 years, was destroyed by the Jewish king Amaziah, who annihilated the Edomite army and captured their capital, Petra. Then, for centuries, the Jewish state experienced periods of decline and flourishing, but the Edomite people never managed to regain their independence. They remained vassals of Assyria, then Babylon. In the 2nd century BC, the royal dynasty of Edom and a large number of its inhabitants were destroyed by the warlike Nabataean tribe that came from the southern Arabian desert.
This biblical story, while indicating somewhat different historical dates, nevertheless significantly complements the early history of Petra, which official sources in Jordan remain silent about.
Petra remained forgotten for more than ten centuries. It was rediscovered by the Swiss traveler Johann Ludwig Burckhardt in 1812, who visited Jordan under the name Sheikh Ibrahim.
Since then, a new history of Petra begins.
What he saw deeply impressed Johann, and caravans of scholars, treasure hunters, and tourists flocked to Petra.
Today, Petra is one of the greatest monuments of world history, rivaling the famous pyramids of Giza in scale and impact.
I have been fortunate to stand at the foot of the pyramids and admire them in the rays of dawn and sunset. But what I saw in Petra is incomparable to anything.
The pyramids of Egypt were built in nearly thirty years. Petra was created over millennia.
The tourist history of the city of the Red Rose is just beginning and likely has colossal prospects. Not all the streets of Petra are known yet. The Jordanian authorities, represented by the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, closely monitor developments and intentionally limit access for scholars and specialists to areas of Petra, understanding the immense potential for tourism and archaeology that history has bestowed upon them.
The path to the city of the Red Rose begins right from the tourist center of Wadi Musa and leads to the southern foothills of the ancient sandy mountains of Petra. The paved road runs between yellow mountains. On the right and left, the eye is met with the eye sockets of tombs, obelisks, and altars. However, Petra is still far away.
It is believed that somewhere here Moses, leading the Israelites to the Promised Land, struck the rock with his staff and a spring was formed. It is known for certain that on the highest peak of the red sandy mountains lies the grave of Moses' brother, Aaron, who was the first biblical priest. Interestingly, a Muslim mosque now stands at the burial site of Aaron.
Gradually, the road winds into a gorge and soon leads to the beginning of a canyon, where remnants of the entrance arch can be seen. This is the only way into the city of Petra. The narrow, dramatic canyon is called Siq (in Arabic - "pass"). The canyon of natural origin has been washed by streams of water flowing to the center of the mountain range, where the stone city is located. The narrow gap of the canyon meanders deep into the mountains. Its length is 1,200 meters. Darkness reigns at the bottom: its walls are polished by water and rise high. Each stone evokes awe and interest. At every turn, you expect surprises, but a new, even more bizarre turn appears. And so it goes dozens of times. The height of the canyon is 70-120 meters. From time to time, ancient altars' outlines can be seen weathered on the walls. The colors of the Siq canyon are breathtaking. The high and winding walls create a whimsical play of light and shadow.
The top of the canyon is brightly illuminated by golden light, which below on the walls scatters into many colorful shades. Along the bottom, at a height of about one meter, runs a drainage channel through which rainwater flowed to the reservoirs of the ancient inhabitants of the city.
The path through the canyon was the only way to walk into the city of Siq, and it was well guarded. As you pass through it, you can see niches of various sizes carved into the rocks, which served as lookout points for the warriors guarding the pass.
The Nabataeans honored many deities of antiquity, and thanks to close relationships with various states of that era, they often borrowed foreign culture. They perceived other deities as prototypes of existing gods. For example, the Arab cult deity Dushara — translated as "lord of the mountains of Ashshara," stretching from northern Jordan to the south — was considered an analogue of Zeus.
Their deities were depicted abstractly. Very few anthropomorphic figures have been found.
And then comes the moment when the narrow gap of the canyon ahead is illuminated by golden light, through which the most majestic sight of the city of the Red Rose opens up. This is Al-Khazneh, or the Treasury of the Pharaoh - the most beautiful monument of Nabataean civilization. Al-Khazneh is completely carved into a solid rock, standing 39 meters tall. The facade depicts scenes of life in this world and in the heavens. In such cult drawings, the Nabataeans' belief in the continuation of human life after death can be traced.
Did only the Nabataeans contribute to the creation of the treasury of Petra?
In its architectural elements, scholars find monuments that could belong to the ancient Egyptians, ancient Greeks, and ancient Romans. The construction of two citadels in the very heart of Petra is attributed to the Crusaders.
The Treasury of the Pharaoh is no exception. Scholars suggest that the facade of Al-Khazneh was carved into the stone wall for at least 10 years. The date of the work is the second half of the 1st century BC. The structure impresses with its symmetry and the craftsmanship with which the composition is executed. The motifs carved on the treasury encompass all existing cultures of the then-known world, from India to Egypt and Italy. In the sculptural group of the facade, experts have discerned Horus (the Egyptian god of the eagle), the Greek goddess Nike, two warriors, beautiful Amazons, and two centaurs.
Despite its name, scholars are confident that the treasury is still not a storage for money, but a tomb of one of the Nabataean rulers.
Al-Khazneh is rightly located at the entrance to the city: by the design of its creators, this majestic yet elegant structure was meant to remind visitors of Petra of the greatness of its rulers, the strength of the spirit of the people, and the eternity of life.
Next, we explored the main attractions of Petra, which were located along the standard route for tourists. Groups of tourists moved from one site to another. French, Americans, Japanese, and especially many Russians... The facade street is a kind of necropolis of the city.
Further on is the royal palace, the church, the Temple of Winged Lions, the colonnaded street, the great temple of Petra, the gates of the Temenos, the palace of the Pharaoh's daughter, and finally, the monastery, raised to the highest peak of the mountains — another postcard of Petra. More than a thousand steps carved into the rocks form a path that winds along the sheer verticals of the canyons.
The long and exhausting journey to this monument is worth it. The facade of the monastery, measuring 50 by 50, is the concluding structure that completes the architecture of the city at its western border.
In front of the temple, a spacious square was built, which gathered a large number of people ascending to the temple for religious ceremonies.
When we climbed the path to the west of the facade, a breathtaking view of the surroundings of the Petra mountains, the Arava Valley, and the Negev Desert opened up before us, along which ancient caravan routes from distant Eastern lands passed.
Descending into the city, we had the opportunity to free ourselves from the supervision of our guide. Exhausted, he asked us for permission to rest over a cup of coffee. We gave him two hours, and we wandered through the stone streets of Petra in an unknown direction. The streets of the stone city twisted, winding around brightly red, time-polished rocks, climbing with ornate steps to flat platforms carved into the rocks, twisting loops along with the canyons, climbing to ridges, descending into valleys, revealing the facades of intricately carved bright red buildings... And there was no one on these streets except for the cool wind and time, which had stopped many centuries ago.
A short January day burned in the rays of the setting sun. Petra blazed in scarlet colors, contrasting with the darkening but still azure sky. Forgetting about time, we climbed to the highest eastern peak of the sandy mountains.
The panorama that opened up was breathtaking. I looked towards the order. The line where light and shadow passed, a narrow strip of the red ridge cut into the heart of the massif, and there in the narrow canyons and constrained valleys lay Petra. In the bright colors of the emerging sunset, the outline of part of the mountains resembled a dried flower of a red rose. Enchanted by the otherworldly beauty of what I saw, I felt like a deity flying in the streams of time and space. However, the feeling of a fantastic flight over the fairy-tale city was short-lived. Suddenly, the sun sank below the horizon, and reality returned the mountains, Petra, me, and everyone else to the ordinary dimension.