The Rose-Red City
Every once in a long, long while, just when you begin to think that nothing has the power to impress or excite you any more, something comes along to remind you that being blown away actually feels pretty damned good.
I felt it today; coz it was way, way more spectacular, way, way bigger, way, way more stunning than I had imagined.
The stones I walked on had been trodden by the Romans, the Egyptians and the Nabataeans, trader-craftsmen who literally carved the city into the mountains about 2000 years ago.
Walking 1,200 metres through the ancient main entrance, or As-Siq, one is flanked by cliffs of pink, orange, ochre and yellow that rise up to 80 metres.
And up till 1986, humans were inhabiting the caves which existed alongside tombs for kings of old, a hill top used to perform sacrificial rites, and a theatre - yes, carved into solid rock, too - which can hold 7,000.
It's hard to imagine people living in such harsh, dry terrain, but the Nabateans and their descendants managed more-than-fine, and for a while, Petra flourished because of the silk, spice and other goods that were exchanged between China, India and the Mediterranean. It was in the middle of it all.
Grateful for their fortunes, the Nabateans built temples for their kings and gods, some of which managed to survive the many earthquakes that inflict the area.
Yes, these are opulent.
But there is nothing that is as famous as the Al-Khazneh, or Treasury, which is - perhaps not happily - known to most as "The Gate" in Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade.
Take it from me, the best photograph has nothing on the real thing.
I felt it today; coz it was way, way more spectacular, way, way bigger, way, way more stunning than I had imagined.
The stones I walked on had been trodden by the Romans, the Egyptians and the Nabataeans, trader-craftsmen who literally carved the city into the mountains about 2000 years ago.
Walking 1,200 metres through the ancient main entrance, or As-Siq, one is flanked by cliffs of pink, orange, ochre and yellow that rise up to 80 metres.
And up till 1986, humans were inhabiting the caves which existed alongside tombs for kings of old, a hill top used to perform sacrificial rites, and a theatre - yes, carved into solid rock, too - which can hold 7,000.
It's hard to imagine people living in such harsh, dry terrain, but the Nabateans and their descendants managed more-than-fine, and for a while, Petra flourished because of the silk, spice and other goods that were exchanged between China, India and the Mediterranean. It was in the middle of it all.
Grateful for their fortunes, the Nabateans built temples for their kings and gods, some of which managed to survive the many earthquakes that inflict the area.
Yes, these are opulent.
But there is nothing that is as famous as the Al-Khazneh, or Treasury, which is - perhaps not happily - known to most as "The Gate" in Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade.
Take it from me, the best photograph has nothing on the real thing.
posted by Jean.Chua at 8:14 PM
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