We spent today again as tourists. After a drive made longer because of engine troubles, we arrived in Petra, one of the new seven wonders of the world – and it is just that.
The city was carved into rock more than 2,000 years ago by the Nabataeans, an ancient Arab people. Petra was an important junction for the silk, spice and other trade routes that linked East and West.
We entered the city through a narrow gorge, flanked on both sides by cliffs that are more than 260 feet high. This gorge, called the Siq, is a wonder in and of itself, with rocks of varying colors and formations. At the end of the gorge, a length of approximately 1 kilometer, we came upon the the Al-Khazneh, the Treasury building made famous in an Indiana Jones movie and carved in the early first century A.D. as the tomb of an important Nabataean ruler. The building is an awe inspiring example of the engineering capabilities of Nabataean engineers.
After the Al-Khazneh, we saw tombs, homes, the remains of an impressive water distribution system and other amazing sites. Petra clearly deserves its place as one of the new seven wonders of the world.
After Petra and equipped with a new bus, we drove further south to Wadi Rum, one of the world’s outstanding desert landscapes. We encountered breathless scenery created by huge mountains of sandstone and granite. Narrow canyons and fissures cut deep into the mountains and many conceal ancient rock drawings etched by the peoples of the desert over millennia. Bedouin tribes still live within Wadi Rum and we saw a number of their large tents. At one point during our two-hour “Safari,” several of us took advantage of an opportunity to ride a camel, some for the first time.
After Wadi Rum, we returned to our hotel in Amman, more than four hours away. Understandably, most of us slept along the way.
Another terrific day in the Middle East for our Citizen Diplomacy Group.
No comments:
Post a Comment