Jordan Petra
Petra
Updated on April 08, 2022
Welcome to Petra
Petra, the ancient city born from the rock.
Petra is an ancient city in Jordan, located 250 kilometers south of Amman, hidden in a narrow canyon on the eastern side of the Arabian Valley. It was once the capital of the Nabataean kingdom, with Damascus in the north, the Indian Ocean and the Red Sea via the Gulf of Aqaba in the south, Gaza in the west, and the Persian Gulf behind the desert in the east.
It is called the Rose City because all the buildings are hewn out of the rose-colored rock. Petra is the most shocking historical site in Jordan. It is also known as the "Seven Wonders of the New World" together with the Great Wall of China and the Colosseum in Italy. Petra was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site on December 6, 1985.
Temple of Khazni
It is the Bedouin's "Treasury", which represents the engineering genius of the ancients, carved from top to bottom by the Nabataeans in a single block of sandstone.
The front wall of the shrine consists of two floors, and the top is decorated with four statues of eagles, which are believed to carry the souls of the dead to heaven. There are nine statues on the second floor. In the center is the ancient Egyptian goddess Isis, who is called the protector of the dead and young children. On both sides of Isis are the Greek goddess of victory Nike, and the rest six statues are Amazon female warriors with double axes, who dance the Amazon dance of death. The two figures at the base of the temple are believed to be the Roman twins Castor and Pollux - who led the human souls to the underworld.
These sculptures are all closely related to death, and Khazni Temple is considered to be a temple for the dead. A major archaeological excavation carried out here in 2003 solved the mystery about the purpose of the Khazni Temple: Four burial chambers were discovered underground. It is speculated that Khazni Temple was chiseled during the reign of Nabataean king Aretas IV, and it is not only a magnificent monumental building, but also a mausoleum with a catacomb, which may be buried by the king Family of Arida IV.
Passing through the simple hall of Khazni Temple, you immediately enter a vast basin, scattered with the remains of a lost civilization: a temple, a semi-amphitheater, dozens of tombs... Petra's thousand-year-old monuments are huge, really is shocking.
Highlights in Petra
1
The Treasury, Al-Khazneh
The Temple of Khazni is a shrine in the ancient city of Petra with a history of two thousand years. This is the filming location of the movies "Indiana Jones 3 - The Last Crusade" and "Transformers 2 - Revenge of the Fallen".
Opening time: 6:00-16:00
Evening program starts at 20:30
Evening program starts at 20:30
2
The Siq
The narrowest part of the famous Siq in Petra can only allow four or five people to walk side by side. There are towering cliffs on both sides. It is the only way to the Kazni Temple. You can choose to walk along this road. But there is also the option of taking a horse-drawn carriage ride to enjoy this spectacular view.
3
The monastery Ad Deir
The monastery Ad Deir is a must-see in Petra. Although you need to climb a lot of steps under the hot sun to get here, it is very impressive to see the appearance of this monastery. In addition, the scenery overlooking the area below is also beautiful.
4
Little Petra
The visit to Little Petra does not take too long. In particular, you can also see the remains of the murals of grapes and flowers, and the murals are very delicate and cannot be seen in the ancient city of Petra.
Travel by jeep to visit the ruins of Petra, old Stone Age farmhouses, and surround the mountains with views of the sunset.
5
High Place of Sacrifice
Starting from the Treasury side and hiked up to it, it's a very nice hike with some shade along the way, it's not too difficult to climb. There are still well-maintained sacrificial stones here. In addition, you can see the beautiful Petra scenery here.
6
Royal Tombs
Casting on the mountainside, it is a mausoleum group with more than 700 tombs. The outer wall of the royal tombs is as tall as Al Khazneh, with a magnificent entrance, a multi-layered column front porch, and the same complicated carvings. A masterpiece of architecture.
7
Theatre
The theater was built more than 2,000 years ago, and the theater is about 200 meters away from Al Khazneh. Due to its location in a desert area, the theater here is also severely weathered. Stand on the marked spot in the center of the venue and sing softly so that your voice can be heard throughout the theater.
8
Street of the Facades
Street of the Facades is the center of the ancient city of Petra, the only way to Al Khazneh. There are ancient theaters, temples and avenues with a capacity of more than 2,000 people, which are masterpieces of the sixth century BC.
Practical Petra Travel Tips
How much time is to spend in Petra?
It's worth to spend at least 2 days in Petra, 2 days allow you photograph the beautiful sunrise and sunset over Petra, and you can also hike to the monastery and the High Place of Sacrifice.
When is the best time to visit Petra?
It's better to visit Petra in spring and autumn time, that is March to May or September to November, which are dry and cool season, the temperature is about 20°C-28°C. The temperature can reach 40 °C in summer time.
