November 19, 2010

Petra in Pictures

Posted by Evelyn Mervine

Petra is my favorite place in the whole world. When I was fifteen, I lived in Amman, Jordan for five months as part of a high school exchange program. I lived with a Palestinian refugee family and attended a school where I was the only foreigner. My five months in Jordan were eye-opening and full of wonder, but one experience stood high above all others: my first visit to Petra, the red-rose sandstone city.

Petra is an amazingly beautiful place. The towering, glittering sandstone cliffs are awe-inspiring, but what really takes your breath away is the widespread evidence of ancient civilization: facades carved into the sandstone cliffs, water-channels lining the walkways, and windswept remnants of sculpture everywhere.

I visited Petra twice more during my high school exchange. For years I longed to return to Jordan and especially to Petra. In 2007 I managed to return to Jordan for a week. I had been on a research cruise in the Indian Ocean, and the end port was Singapore. I booked my ticket home via Amman (for just a little extra), and my old high school connections lined up a place for me to stay for a week. I paid far too much money for a driver to take me down to Petra and Wadi Rum, but as a single female staying with a conservative muslim family, I felt obligated to pay for a proper driver/escort. However, I long to return (with a friend this time), stay in a backpacker lodge, and wander the desert, exploring Petra for days.

Below are some pictures I took during my 2007 visit to Petra. I hope you enjoy! I encourage all of you to visit Petra, though a part of me wishes Petra were still a lost (to Westerners, anyway) city. Petra is now weathering faster as a result of so much tourism. Hopefully, a balance can be struck between encouraging tourism (which helps Jordan’s economy immensely) and protecting these incredible ruins from the devastation of millions of foreign footprints.

Click on any of the images below for a larger version. 

Roadstop on the way to Petra from Amman 1, August 2007.

Roadstop on the way to Petra from Amman 2, August 2007. 

On the road to Petra, August 2007.
Town near Petra 1, August 2007.

Town Near Petra 2, August 2007.

Town near Petra 3, August 2007.  
A first hint of Petra, August 2007.

Nodules/concretions in sandstone, Petra, August 2007.

Sandstone cross-bedding, Petra, August 2007.

Walkway to Siq, Petra, August 2007.

Windswept cube, Petra, August 2007.
The first facade 1, Petra, August 2007.
The first facade 2, Petra, August 2007.
Tourist horse, Petra, August 2007.
Entrance to The Siq, Petra, August 2007.

Siq Sign, Petra, August 2007.

Cart in The Siq, Petra, August 2007.

Siq Entrance Ruins 1, Petra, August 2007.

Siq Entrance 2, Petra, August 2007.

Siq Sky 1, Petra, August 2007.
Siq Sky 2, Petra, August 2007.
Walking the Siq, Petra, August 2007.

Siq Wall 1, Petra, August 2007.

Siq Wall 2, Petra, August 2007.
Siq Wall 3, Petra, August 2007.

Stairway in the Siq, Petra, August 2007.
Siq Sculpture 1, Petra, August 2007.

Siq Sculpture 2, Petra, August 2007.

Al-Khaznah through the crack, Petra, August 2007.

Aweseome Al-Khazneh, Petra, August 2007.

Tourists mob Al-Khazneh, Petra, August 2007.

Al-Khazneh close-up, Petra, August 2007.

Al-Khazneh with flag, Petra, August 2007.

Child on camel, Petra, August 2007.

Fading facade, Petra, August 2007.

Geometries of sky, Petra, August 2007.

Man with camels, Petra, August 2007.

Sandstone facades, Petra, August 2007.

Theater, Petra, August 2007.

Souvenir heaven, Petra, August 2007.

Camels, Petra, August 2007.

Far-off facade, Petra, August 2007.

Goat crossing, Petra, August 2007.

Goats on hillside, Petra, August 2007.

Column base, Petra, August 2007.

4 bars of signal, Petra, August 2007.

Littered columns, Petra, August 2007.

Breathtaking view, Petra, August 2007.

Single branch, Petra, August 2007.

1000 Steps, Petra, August 2007.

Donkey 1, Petra, August 2007.

A camel collectors delight, Petra, August 2007.

Donkey 2, Petra, August 2007.

The Monastary, Petra, August 2007.

The photographer, on a tourist camel, Petra, August 2007.
Sunset over Petra, August 2007.