<p>Anybody who has watched the movie Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) might have believed that the scene in which Harrison Ford finally discovers the Holy Grail inside the Al Khaznah at Petra might have been shot on a set artificially created. For such a marvel in stone defies human imagination, as it was hewn out of a massive rock around 3 BC. I always had a wish that if I ever get an opportunity to visit Jordan, I would never miss it. <br /><br /></p>.<p>I first decided to fly to Amman and then proceed to Petra. To go to Petra from Amman, which was called Philadelphia in ancient times, you can either travel via the desert highway or the scenic King’s Highway that links Aqaba, on the Red Sea, with Amman. I had only one day for my Petra visit, and so to save time, I opted for the desert highway to reach Petra, rock-carved capital of the Nabataean Arabs. The Nabataean tribes lived and flourished in this area around 500 BC. Petra was their northern capital, while Madain Saleh in Saudi Arabia was the southern one.<br /><br />A rich civilisation<br /><br />The first landmark we crossed was the campus of the Al-Zaytoonah University of Jordan. As I threaded through the Badia, the Jordanian desert, many villages, some with agricultural stretches, slid past. Cruising through the vast expanse of olive tree plantations, my driver Hossain said, “The cultivation and harvesting of the olive is one of the most important traditional occupations of the people of Jordan.” <br /><br />The biscuit-coloured sand bathed in the early morning sunlight provided great opportunities for shutterbugs. En route, my eyes fell on a sign, which showed the direction to Karak Castle, which was recaptured from The Crusaders by Salahuddin Ayubi, famously known to have captured Jerusalem for the Muslims. I also came across caravanserais (inns), which were places of rest and shelter for traders in ancient times. After a two-hour drive, we reached Taybeh, a town 12 km to the archaeological site of Petra. And then we moved into Wadi Musa (Valley of Moses). It was here that Prophet Moses is believed to have drawn up water from the rocks. As we approached Petra, I was instantly transported into time of the bygone splendour.<br /><br />After paying a fee of 75 Jordanian dollars at the ticket counter, a horse ride for about 100 metres took me to a point where the rocks became an enigma. As I moved inside through a narrow gorge-like pathway flanked by enchanting rocks, I felt like I was being transported into a time warp. A UNESCO world heritage site, also called a Lost City, Petra thrived as an important trading post on the international spice route. Nestled within intricate geological formations of mountains and gorges are the impressive tombs that the Nabataeans carved out of sandstone rocks. The tunnel is the first thing that I encounter, an impressive engineering feat built in the third quarter of the 1st century BC to protect the area from flash floods. Then comes the Siq, a natural sandstone chasm that gently winds towards Petra city, and opens on to the magnificent treasury, called Al Khazna, the prime spot of Petra.<br /><br />Spectacular architecture<br /><br />As you walk through, many remnants of the Nabataean history can be seen inside the Siq. Among those include Sabinos, Alexendros Station and Nabataean baetyls, which are sacred stone blocks. As I walked, I feasted my eyes on the loft cliffs.<br /><br />There are more than 800 carved monuments attributed to the Nabataeans during their occupation of the site, from sometime before the 3rd century BC to the late 4th century of our era. Inside the massive doorway of the treasury is the tomb chamber that has funerary monuments. The façade is one of the finest specimens of Nabataean carving which, even after some two millennia, remains astounding. It stands an imposing 39.5 metre high and is carved out of a single block. In reality, it is a mausoleum as many archaeologists believe that it is the tomb of King Aretas (9 BC-40 AD). The Street of Facades and the Theatre are amazing, and so are Bab El Siq, Urn tomb, Palace Tomb and the Colonnaded Street. Petra is one of the few enigmatic places on earth that wows you at every sight.<br /><br /></p>
<p>Anybody who has watched the movie Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) might have believed that the scene in which Harrison Ford finally discovers the Holy Grail inside the Al Khaznah at Petra might have been shot on a set artificially created. For such a marvel in stone defies human imagination, as it was hewn out of a massive rock around 3 BC. I always had a wish that if I ever get an opportunity to visit Jordan, I would never miss it. <br /><br /></p>.<p>I first decided to fly to Amman and then proceed to Petra. To go to Petra from Amman, which was called Philadelphia in ancient times, you can either travel via the desert highway or the scenic King’s Highway that links Aqaba, on the Red Sea, with Amman. I had only one day for my Petra visit, and so to save time, I opted for the desert highway to reach Petra, rock-carved capital of the Nabataean Arabs. The Nabataean tribes lived and flourished in this area around 500 BC. Petra was their northern capital, while Madain Saleh in Saudi Arabia was the southern one.<br /><br />A rich civilisation<br /><br />The first landmark we crossed was the campus of the Al-Zaytoonah University of Jordan. As I threaded through the Badia, the Jordanian desert, many villages, some with agricultural stretches, slid past. Cruising through the vast expanse of olive tree plantations, my driver Hossain said, “The cultivation and harvesting of the olive is one of the most important traditional occupations of the people of Jordan.” <br /><br />The biscuit-coloured sand bathed in the early morning sunlight provided great opportunities for shutterbugs. En route, my eyes fell on a sign, which showed the direction to Karak Castle, which was recaptured from The Crusaders by Salahuddin Ayubi, famously known to have captured Jerusalem for the Muslims. I also came across caravanserais (inns), which were places of rest and shelter for traders in ancient times. After a two-hour drive, we reached Taybeh, a town 12 km to the archaeological site of Petra. And then we moved into Wadi Musa (Valley of Moses). It was here that Prophet Moses is believed to have drawn up water from the rocks. As we approached Petra, I was instantly transported into time of the bygone splendour.<br /><br />After paying a fee of 75 Jordanian dollars at the ticket counter, a horse ride for about 100 metres took me to a point where the rocks became an enigma. As I moved inside through a narrow gorge-like pathway flanked by enchanting rocks, I felt like I was being transported into a time warp. A UNESCO world heritage site, also called a Lost City, Petra thrived as an important trading post on the international spice route. Nestled within intricate geological formations of mountains and gorges are the impressive tombs that the Nabataeans carved out of sandstone rocks. The tunnel is the first thing that I encounter, an impressive engineering feat built in the third quarter of the 1st century BC to protect the area from flash floods. Then comes the Siq, a natural sandstone chasm that gently winds towards Petra city, and opens on to the magnificent treasury, called Al Khazna, the prime spot of Petra.<br /><br />Spectacular architecture<br /><br />As you walk through, many remnants of the Nabataean history can be seen inside the Siq. Among those include Sabinos, Alexendros Station and Nabataean baetyls, which are sacred stone blocks. As I walked, I feasted my eyes on the loft cliffs.<br /><br />There are more than 800 carved monuments attributed to the Nabataeans during their occupation of the site, from sometime before the 3rd century BC to the late 4th century of our era. Inside the massive doorway of the treasury is the tomb chamber that has funerary monuments. The façade is one of the finest specimens of Nabataean carving which, even after some two millennia, remains astounding. It stands an imposing 39.5 metre high and is carved out of a single block. In reality, it is a mausoleum as many archaeologists believe that it is the tomb of King Aretas (9 BC-40 AD). The Street of Facades and the Theatre are amazing, and so are Bab El Siq, Urn tomb, Palace Tomb and the Colonnaded Street. Petra is one of the few enigmatic places on earth that wows you at every sight.<br /><br /></p>
