Aqaba, Jordan

Sunday, April 3, 2011     85 degrees                                         6:00 AM – 11:00 PM



Aqaba, Jordan the port for Petra

The name Jordan derives from the Arabic phrase al Urdun, the ancient name for the Jordan River and surrounding territory.  The life-giving river flows from Mount Hermon (near the Syrian border) to the Dead Sea and forms not only a fertile valley, but a natural frontier between Jordan and Israel.

Located in the far south of Jordan, Aqaba occupies a most important place as it is the country’s only seaport.  Aqaba is best known as a diving and beach resort, but also the port call for cruisers visiting the Lost City of Petra, also known as The Rose Red City.  Aqaba, whose human history dates back to 4000 BC, was popular because of its location at the juncture of trading routes between Asia, Africa and Europe.  Petra, known for its rock cut architecture and water conduits system, was established around the 6^th Century BC and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985.

Linking Jordan’s capital city of Amman in the north to the beach resort of Aqaba in the South is The King’s Highway – the world’s oldest continuously used trading route, mentioned in the Bible.  Lawrence of Arabia, Bible stories and mysterious lost cities – Jordan is romantic and epic. 

Enclosed by towering rocks, Petra, the rose-red city, was an ideal fortress city and  has been voted as one of the ‘New Seven Wonders of the World’.  Built by the Nabataeans, an Arab tribe, between 4^th C BC and 106 AD.   Nabataen society was a Greek, Egyptian, and Semitic hybrid.   Their 4^th century BC capital was later absorbed into the Roman Empire.  Merchants from all directions brought their own cultures to Petra, and while most of the 20 square mile city remains buried, the intricately carved excavations reveal a rich society.



Could rent a donkey carriage ride into Petra

 

Walking into Petra



A guard along the way




The treasury



We drove 50 miles to visit Petra.  There is a dramatic entrance through the siq which is 1 km long and a gorge whose walls rise 200 metres.  As you enter you arrive  at an impressive view of the Treasury, one of Petra’s most recognized icons carved out of solid rock and standing over 40 metres high.  The original channels cut into the walls to bring water into Petra are visible, and in some placed the 2000 year old terracotta pipes are still in place.  The terrain displays a rainbow of purple, pink, and orange hues.



Colonnade Street with a series of tombs




Street of the facades




Greek theatre




Coffee on terrace after lunch at Crowne Plaza Hotel

 From the treasury the Siq turns off to the right heading towards the center of the city, and just before the Theatre, are an amazing number of tombs and houses.  This is called the Street of the Facades.  These are the most accessible tombs.  The  theatre  was renovated and enlarged by the Romans to hold about 7000 not long after they came in 106 AD.

Right after the theatre, carved in the face of Jebel al-Khubtha are the impressive burial places known collectively as the ‘Royal Tombs’.  These include the Um Tomb recognized with an urn on top, the Silk Tomb noteworthy for the pink, white and yellow colouring of the rocks, the Corinthian Tomb with a similar top to the Treasury, and the Palace Tomb which is a three story imitation of a Roman palace. 

Further along is the Petra Church (Byzantine Church) with an unmistakable pale green roof.  Inside the church are some exquisite mosaics on the floor.   There is much more to see, but we ran out of time.  Camel rides and horse rides are available as well as a donkey carriage ride.  We walked over 6 miles by the time we arrived back at the Crowne Plaza Hotel for a late lunch. 

 A traditional Bedouin coffee ceremony involves 3 cups of coffee; one for the soul, one for the sword, and one because you are a guest. Remarkable engineers who constructed a sophisticated pipe-on-tunnel water system.