Jordan – Mysteries of Petra Written and Photographed by Peter Wesolowski
The way wound down ... through a labyrinth of red cliffs.
They towered now on either side. Sarah felt stifled – menaced
by the ever narrowing gorge. ... It grew dark –the vivid
red of the walls faded.
- Agatha Christie, Appointment with Death
A dark canyon winds its way to a stunning view of Khazneh
al-Faroun, the Treasury with its elegant façade in
a glaringly rose colour. Carved in rock, likely a tomb of
a mighty Nabatean ruler, Al-Khazneh towers over a circular
crevice tucked in between the skyhigh jebels.
Petra, begins here; a sandy pathway leads on through a ruined
city that still boasts an ancient Roman theatre, which was meticulously
cut into a hillside, funerary halls, tombs, temples
- all ornate with exquisite façades – and countless
edifices whose uncertain use adds to the aura of mystery
that shrouds the capital of the ancient Nabatea.
A trek up steep stairs sculptured in rock, dangerously smoothed
by centuries of rain, ends opposite another monumental structure,
ad-Dair, the Monastery, whose dark and cavernous
interior is said to have once been a home to a Christian church.
The place is best visited later in a day, when from
a place further up the ridge, bathed in the crepuscular
mist and against the backdrop of the setting sun, the mountains
seem to stretch on no end.
After many exhausting hours – dawn through dusk – I
enjoy a moment of respite. I drink hot tea – sugared and
served with mint in a glass tumbler that burns my fingers. I
chat with accidental friends united here by a shared
sense of marvel. I stretch my blistered feet and indulge in the
comfort of a thick carpet that covers the sand floor in a
Bedouin tent. The day came to a close; the sun rose and set on
Petra. I think I have witnessed a moment of eternity. These
rocks, these mountains take me back to the beginnings of time.
These ruins witness definitude of material dreams. First stars
appear in the darkening sky as I begin my descent. It is dark
when I reach al-Siq. Rows of candles placed in paper bags
light my way out. It is almost time for the night tour of Petra.
Christie referred to it as a dead city or The Valley of Death.
What is in fact left of a great culture is tombs, and more tombs.
But the British authoress was far from giving in to the first
impression; hers is a deep reflection on time, on the transient
nature of things. Still, perhaps because of the scorching
heat of the sun, the exhaustion, thirst - a constant companion;
Petra appears almost unreal, ephemeral and yet eternal - carved
in rock, chiselled in time.
Situated in southern Jordan, Petra constitutes a World’s
wonder not to be missed. Built sometime in the 3rd century B.C.
by the Nabataeans, an Arab tribe of skilled merchants,
Petra thrived on the commerce in frankincense and myrrh and while
conveniently located on the route from the Persian Gulf
to Damascus, part of the ancient Silk Road, it drew large profits
from trade with the passing caravans.
Yet, the city of Petra went through its many successive periods:
Greco-Roman and Byzantine, to name just a few; each leaving its
mark and contributing to Petra’s architectural mosaic: the
numerous Egyptian mouldings, Roman façades, Hellenistic
columns and recently excavated foundations of a Byzantine
temple complete with intricate mosaic floors.
Little is known about the Nabateans. They likely spoke Aramaic
- the language of Talmut; yet most of their writing
survived in Greek. Still, they are credited with the invention
of Arabic alphabet. They were gifted engineers capable of
designing complex systems of hydraulics. They used pipelines,
controlled the frequent flash flood, built reservoirs, stored
and sold water. They were brilliant architects endowed with a
special taste for ecclectism; they blended styles easily
and with harmony. They were also shrewd merchants whose city prospered,
grew in prestige and beauty.
Still, in a way similar to Machu Picchu, Tical, or Angor Wot,
Petra has been mysteriously abandoned. And again, it was not because
of a war, a siege followed by a savage pillage; instead, though
it had been finally annexed to the Roman Empire and gradually
declined, “the rose-red city” actually succumbed
to a devastating earthquake that ravaged the region. As of
approximately the 4th century A.D., Petra gradually fell into
ruin and long oblivion.
It was re-discovered and made known in 1812 by a Swiss adventurer Johann
Ludwig Burckhardt. Burckhardt swore to be a Muslim on a pilgrimage
to a nearby Mount Aaron where he was to offer a gift of sacrifice.
Mount Aaron, or Jabal Haroun, is the resting place of
the Prophet. He gained thus trust of the local Bedouin tribe and
was allowed a glimpse of the ‘lost city’ concealed
from the World by chains of harsh and impenetrable mountains.
Interestingly, perhaps pained by his conscience, Burckhardt
did later convert to Islam.
For centuries, Burckhardt’s discovery fed the imagination
of poets - John William Burgon; writers – Agatha Christie;
and filmmakers – Steven Spielberg whose Indiana Jones ended
his quest for the Holy Grail nowhere else but in the crypt
of Petra’s Treasury.
' In 1985, with over 800 monuments hewn into solid rock, Petra
was designated a World Heritage Site and has officially become
‘one of the most precious cultural properties of man’s
cultural heritage.’
Today, day in and day out, hordes of tourists cram the little
plaza opposite the awe inspiring Al-Khazneh. Some, in small or
large groups, roam the streets past the many façades, the
amphitheatre; rest in the shade of the Palace Tomb. Few venture
as far as the High Place of Sacrifice; even fewer make it as far
ad-Dair. However, streets of the ancient Nabataean capital
teem with life again. At dusk though, when the sun sets behind
the horizon and the last visitors enter the dark al-Siq on
their way out, the “rose-red city half as old as time”
resumes her composure “...eternal, silent, beautiful,
alone!”
While working on his first collection
of short stories, Peter Wesolowski
travels, photographs and broods on the affairs of the world
- present and past.
