Day 7 Petra

Where is it?

You could try to describe a visit to Petra, but it would be an exercise in futility.  Petra is one of those places you simply have to experience.  Around the time of Christ some Nabataeans moved here and they honoured their dead by carving tombs for them out of the rock cliffs.  One cannot see Petra as you pass by because it is hidden from the outside world.  Still today to see the centre of Petra you must walk a number of kilometers through a steep gorge.  In the photo above you can see how these desert dwellers solved their water problems by channeling water on either side of the gorge.  The channel on the left was open and was used for animals and irrigation.  The one on the right was closed in like a pipe and that water was used for drinking.  These channels carried water for an incredible 6km.

The Treasury

After traveling a few kms down the gorge you arrive at “The Treasury” which is considered the Crown Jewel of Peta.  It is simply stunning.  All of this was created without any machinery or modern technology.  The stone was not brought in, but carved right out of the cliff.  If you look closely on either side of the outer columns you can see footholds in the wall this is how the carvers ascended the wall to complete their work.  What appears to be ground level here is actually the second floor.  Excavations have now begun to remove the dirt that covers the first floor of this building.

Today’s Nabataeans

Today the descendants of the people of Petra sell souvenirs and food to the travelers.  They also offer donkey, horseback and camel rides.  You can see some of their shops here and there are less ornate tomb carved into these hills.

Love Those Camels

Some of our ladies were brave enough to go for a camel ride.

Owen of Arabia

Owen thought he would give us his best Lawrence of Arabia impersonation.  He would make a pretty good Arab.  Tomorrow we head back to Israel but on our way we see Mount Nebo where Moses died while the Israelites entered the Promised Land.