Listed on the new Seven Wonders of the World. Petra is an absolute must see destination for your Jordan trip.
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The Treasury of Petra, Jordan |
Arriving there from either Amman or Aqaba by the bus company named Jordan Express Tourist Transportation (or JETT for short). They have several offices located in Amman and Aqaba. Make sure to get your ticket a day in advance.
Once you arrive at Petra you can skip the line for tickets if you've acquired a
Jordan Pass before your arrival in Jordan. There's a hiking trail to follow (approx. 3 hours back and forth). You'll receive several offers to go by camel-, donkey- or horseback. You'll hear "included in your ticket" a lot. Don't trust that - nothing is free. Satisfaction of reaching the top with the two legs God gave you is much greater anyway.
There are PLENTY of things to see along the trail, so here I've listed a few which stood out to me. The first being
Bab Al Siq. Bab Al Siq is Arabic for gateway to the "siq". The pyramids and the niche with a statue in bas-relief symbolizes the five people buried there.
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Bab Al Siq tombs at Petra, Jordan |
The Siq is basically a narrow gorge in between the mountain walls. Leading visitors to the ancient city of Petra. The Siq is a natural splitting of the mountain (1.2 km long). Along the Siq you can spot two water channels, which brought water to the city. Even today's engineers struggle to know how the builders of Petra found the perfect inclination for the pipelines.
The Siq opens up to the world famous
Treasury (see top photo). This is the place where the famous scene from Indiana Jones: The Last Crusade. In which Harrison Ford enters Petra. Trust me. You won't miss it.
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The Siq and Treasury of Petra, Jordan |
After adoring the Treasury head to the left and follow the path. You'll pass by
The Street of Facades and
High Place of Sacrifice and eventually reach the
Roman Theatre.
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The Roman Theatre in Petra, Jordan |
From there the road takes a turn and takes you past the
Royal Tombs, the
Nymphaeum, the
Church, the
Colonnaded Street and the
Great Temple until you arrive at
Qasr al-Bint. The monument itself is almost square and is set on a podium. Qasr al-Bint was the main and most important temple in Petra. Even though today both the Treasury and the Monastery have outgrown it in popularity - by far.
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Qars al-Bint in Petra, Jordan |
From there the path takes you uphill. 850 steps to be exact. To the last stop on your journey. The astonishing
Ad Deir. One of the largest monuments in Petra (47x48.3 m). Originally used as a biclinium for religious meetings. The hall was later re-used as a Christian chapel. Crosses were carved into the rear wall, which lead to the more popular name; the
Monastery.
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The Monastery at Petra, Jordan |
From the Monastery you can take several hikes to different summits for views over the ancient city. Before eventually heading back down the same path.
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