Petra

We finally know what it feels like to be Indiana Jones.  

The most famous monument in Petra is the Treasury, where Indiana finds the holy grail.  If we were looking for the holy grail, that is where we would look too.  We would start underground -- there is an entire story which isn't visible in the picture.

The Nabateans built Petra around 300 BC, and were their peak from 100 BC to 100 AD before they were annexed by the Romans.  Petra is filled with incredible structures (mostly tombs) carved into rose-colored rocks.

 

The Nabateans were incredibly wealthy -- and not very war-like -- and expected the Romans would be interested in taking them over.  They lavished the Romans with gold and other gifts, and must have built this theater to keep them entertained when they visited.

Besides the Treasury, the monastery is considered the most spectacular ruin in Petra.  It is a strenuous but beautiful hike from the main city (the biggest complaint about Petra is the number of stairs).

 

We weren't disappointed when we made it to the top.  It is hard to believe how big the buildings are.  Here is the monestary, with a tiny little head at the base as point of comparison.


The view on the way back down reminded us our trip to Utah.

The Byzantines made it to Petra, of course, and spent enough time to tile the floor of a church.

The land was beautiful, and must have been more so when it was a bit more lush.  But even when Petra was inhabited, it was very dry, and the Nabateans built an elaborate system to store water during flash floods.  The floods were enough to create an oasis and support agriculture during prolonged droughts. 

Later, we walked up to the High Place of Sacrifice, which the Nabateans thoughtfully situated where the sacrificed would have a great final view.

We spent parts of three days in Petra, which was enough time to see everything we wanted to see.  The final day we arrived as the park opened, and it felt like we had it to ourselves (other than the locals who live in / on the outskirts of Petra) for hours.