Travel Guide Petra

Nestled between the eroded canyons of the southern valleys, the ancient city of Petra is simply breathtaking. Like the pyramids of Ghizeh in Egypt or the oasis of Palmyra in Syria, Petra is one of the major sites of the Near East and a reward for any trip to Jordan. Words alone cannot express the magic of this place, which has been on the Unesco World Heritage list since 1985 and was elected one of the "7 wonders of the modern world". Petra is more than just its famous treasure carved in pink sandstone at the end of a vertiginous canyon. The site covers 264 km², or 2.5 times the surface of Paris. The mountains encircling a vast plain are crossed by temples, tombs, caves dug in the rock. Countless paths crisscross the site leading you from ancient ruins to majestic panoramas. Petra transcends the senses with the power of its natural environment and the delicate legacy of a mysterious civilization.Petra, which means "rock" in Greek, was the capital of the Nabataeans, a trading people of unknown origins who dominated the region from the 6th century BC. They carved temples and tombs in the soft sandstone cliffs with impressive facades, whose colors fluctuated from beige to pink to orange depending on the time of day. They gave their city the name of Raqmu. The Romans chased them out of this sheltered circus and occupied the site as some remains left behind testify. The Byzantines took over, but without giving the same importance to the city, perhaps because it was not mentioned in the Bible. They only built a church there. Once the site was abandoned, especially after the earthquake of 363 which destroyed many infrastructures, it naturally reverted to the Bedouins. They occupied the caves for a long time, cultivated the irrigated canyon bottoms or led their herds to graze in the mountains. They were relocated in 1985, in a logic of sedentarization undertaken by the government and in order to be able to create a National Park. However, they are still present on the site and have gradually become sellers of souvenirs, camel drivers, cafes... They benefit from the economic spin-offs of the development of Petra and enjoy a higher income than many other Jordanians.The number of visitors to Petra has increased 25-fold between 1984 (just before Unesco's recognition) and 2019. The ancient city remained in the shadows until 1929, when serious British excavations were undertaken. Over the years, archaeologists have gone from discovery to discovery and have identified nearly a thousand tombs. And there may well be many more "treasures" in Petra, since archaeologists have only excavated a tenth of the site's area.Petra has also inspired many artists. But the hero who contributed the most to make it known is none other than Indiana Jones, played by the American actor Harrison Ford. In Steven Spielberg's film Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade(1989), we see him riding with Sean Connery in the Siq in the final scene. The origin of the nickname of Indiana given to the character of Harrison Ford is revealed before the Treasury.