Taybet Zaman
@Jul/'04 Petra Jordan
[Middle East] [Article 2004] [Top]
Siq 1.2km long narrow pass is now paved in concrete
Unique experience on Donkey ride in narrow
high rock wall path, over 100 meters high red rock wall of both sides makes
narrow 1.2 km long path called Siq. It is high enough as sky scraper in
Shinjuku in Tokyo or Manhattan in New York. The air in Siq is even cool, though burning hot on top of
the tall rock wall. Nearly a mile long Siq is not tough to walk at all, but we decided to
ride Donkey. Young Bedouin donkey boys are so earnest to persuade foreign
sightseers to ride their donkey. With their extremely limited English words
they know, they speak out even like Western logic, how donkey is good and how
much we lose if we do not ride donkey and etc. After hearing their long
propaganda on their dear donkey, we finally agreed to ride on their donkeys.
With usual price negotiation, reached to the agreement to ride donkey by JD5
per person to the entrance gate. 5JD is obviously not cheap at all, rather high
price, but we accepted as offering rewards to their hard living and works.
Five donkeys started walking up carrying us without complaining any on
rough pebble road. They look so small and gentle. We felt somewhat little
guilty using this small weak animal in that manner. We reached to the main
shrine "Al Khaznah" where a little open space found. Suddenly
tourist police started ordering donkey boys something in Arabic. It seems
that the time is already passed over the working hours, therefore they
have to stop all commercial acts, in other wards, we have to get off the
donkey. The site officially is closed by 18:00. It was already 19:15, in
no country, one can argue with the police. We got off donkeys reluctantly,
and started walk up the Siq on our foot.
Water channel is curved in both side
In the bottom of the wall of both sides, one can see the trace of water
channel that had carried tapped water for 30,000 population of the Nabataean
Capital City. This tiny water channel had sustained that much population.
This is totally beyond our civilized people’s idea. There must be the wisdom
of the desert people, of the Nabataean tribe.
Soon after we started walking the Siq upward, 5 donkeys and the donkey
boys caught up us and said in low voice, "No more police are seen,
get on donkey, quick." We delighted with a little surprise. These
boys were trying to keep their promise with us. I was even moved with their
genuine and honest service minds. We all quickly rode on donkeys again
and started moving upwards. In few moments later, the donkey boy also rode
on donkey behind me in tandem style. They seemed so confident and proud
as they could keep their promise, but I was not so comfortable that time.
The ornament they wore seemed not clean at all. He drove donkey skillfully
with a short single wood stick from just behind my shoulder.
Al Khazneh (Treasure)
It is 33 years, since I had visited this place last time. I was even startled
with that drastic change they made since that time. Major western hotels
are standing side by side in front of the entrance gate. Well furnished
and functional information center welcome us. Cozy cafes and restaurants
were inviting us with charming atmosphere. I asked myself, is this really
the entrance of Petra? The forgotten Capital of Nabataean Empire? I recalled
my faint memory of the previous visit. I hardly remember anything. There
should be nothing so nice things in my previous visit. We had driven down
by taxi, an old and bulky Mercedes, to the right in front of the Siq. No
hotel, no café, no visitor center, nothing. A village of Wadi Mousa
(Dry river of Moses) located just before the Petra has also expanded so
large, and it seems ever expanding rapidly. It looks now bustling busy
town. Restaurants and mini-supers are everywhere. Cars are parked in front
of shops causing traffic jam which is common phenomenon in any big town.
Petra is now world famous, since the movie “Indiana Jones and the last Crusade”
had been shot in 1989 in this location.
Modern Hotels are standing in front of the Petra entrance
We, working at government related society, are given special ID, resident
VISA. Showing this resident VISA at the gate house really works. We pay
only JD 1(US$ 1.3) admission fee same as local people does, instead JD
11 (US$ 15) as foreign tourists are requested to pay.
Current gate is made approx, 500m behind the place where the Siq starts.
This gate was not 33 years ago. The gate was made in order to preserve
the nature of Siq by Jordanian authority in the event of registering the
Petra as the World Heritage in 1985.
My memory is certainly in tact in this moment, this is the same place where
I visited 33 years ago. I looked up red colored rock mountain range. Does
that Al Khaznah, main shrine, engraved deep into the huge red rock wall
still shine in soft smooth? My heart started pondering little faster with
emotion like to see the long separated sweet person.
After walk down the serpentine Siq for about quarter an hour, we reached
to the sudden open space where surrounded up-right high rack wall. This
is the place where the Treasure or Al Khaznah stands in front of us with
stunning power and dignity for more than two thousand years. This magnificent
creature can not seen from outside, only after walk down the long narrow
Siq, you will encounter the Treasure, center piece of the capital of Nabataean
empire, once forgotten from the history completely.
When the Roman Empire changed most of its commercial routes up to Damascus
Syria, recession of Nabataean Empire plummeted its way down to the bottom
in a short period of time, and finally Petra had been forgotten from anyone
in that age and after. Today, if you walk down the siq, you will find full
size half round shaped Roman Theater engraved into the sand stone, and
a Roman high way like pillared corridor wide enough to gallop chariots,
these are the strong sign that the power of Roman Empire reached deep into
this south region of desert land.
If you walk further down, there is another high rock mountain. Behind that
mountain, the largest monument of Nabataean hinders. It is the ruin called
Monastery. Wherever I visit, I always left one thing that I do not see.
I will not see the Monastery this time. This is my little trick leaving
a reason to visit the place again in another chance. I will visit the Monastery
next time.
Pistachio Tree of 400 years old
The first day, we stopped our adventure at the Pistachio tree of 400 years
old. The story you read in the beginning, of riding donkey, is the scene
from this point. We now returned to the Hotel. The hotel is classed as
five star managed by Sofitel, a French owned international quality hotel
chain. I totally satisfied with this hotel as it is totally unique. Not
shaped usual hotel at all. Every room is made of mud and stone, rooms are
spread over the hill slope and connected with labyrinth like stone paved
winding corridors. The hotel is renovated the old ruin of actual village
surrendered several hundred years back. Each room has different shape and
size. Arched ceiling, uneven wall, shined marble stone floor, and large
swimming pool that is the must for five star hotel.
Curved uneven wall gives us extra warm atmosphere. We, three families are
settled into two suites. In the living of the hotel room, black and red
striped few Bedouin lugs are lay down and a law round table is placed in
center. We sat down around the table started chatting and drinking before
the dinner. Pleasant surprises and physical fatigue brings us a heart-filled
rewarding time. Diner room and dinner is also exciting. Dinner restaurant
is like stone cave in ancient age or castle in medieval age. Arched ceiling
and stone is everywhere. Candle like orange colored illumination is nice
and romantic.
Hotel Sofitel: Rooms are connected by labyrinth like stone paved corridor, Arched ceiling produces chic mood
Next day, in the morning, I alone went to the same Siq we went yesterday,
leaving other members in the hotel. The point I am heading today is the
sacrifice height, where the sacrifice was offered to the god asking Empire’s
prosper and bumper harvest. Climb the sharp ascent step by step, exchanging
short greeting with foreign sightseer in crossing with them. In half an
hour, bird-eye view spread down in my backward.
Hotel Sofitel: Bedroom, floor is shined marble stone, Hotel Reception entrance
Reached to the tableland, started crossing the plateau following donkey
footprints. Two men came down toward me and I find one Japanese young man
and a Korean university graduate. They told me that this pass was wrong
one, the true pass was in right hand side in the beginning of plateau.
I thank to them and returned the way back to the beginning of the plateau.
Sacrifice Table-1 , Sacrifice table-2
In approx, five minutes, we came to the sacrifice height, 1035 meters high
above sea level. Magnificent view spread downward in every direction. Sharp
edged red rock mountains stood in 360 degrees. I saw a Bedouin old lady
(I do not know if she is young.) holding handmade flute in her hand. I
asked her if I take a picture of her. She nodded with smile gesturing OK.
I took her shot and offered a tip. She accepted it naturally. When I started
walk down, she invited me with her hand. I went to her. She pointed small
stone curved special stand where the most important part of the sacrifice
should be placed, I imagined. If she did not invite me, I missed this small
important human creature in the long past. I saw the similar stone made
stand in Mexico when I visited anthropology museum where explained the
heart of the sacrifice, usually small girl was placed on this table.
On this height, there stood two seven-meters high stone obelisks, it is said,
representing Nabataean’s most important gods Dushara and Al Uzza.
Obelisk enshrines two most important Nabataean Gods, Dushara and Al Uzza
On our way back to Amman, 2 km from Wadi Mousa, there is a spring called
Ain Mousa (Spring of Moses). It is said that it was happen when Moses came
this land from Egypt with their followers, in the middle of desert. Moses
stuck his stick into the ground, so clean water came out from the ground.
The water spring is now sheltered with three white round dome. Volume of
clean and cold water spring out well in this dry season.
Mouse's Spring is now covered with tree domes, Ain Mousa (Spring of Moses)
Camel Sign on the way to Petra