PETRA
 
Arriving at Petra
 
Walk In
 
The Siq
 
The Small Siq
 
Treasury
 
Street of Facades
 
 Water Works
 
The Theater
 
The Royal Tombs
 
 High Place
 
Colonnade Street
 
Great Temple
 
Temple of Al Uzza
 
Temple of Dushares
 
Museum 
 
Dier 
 
Habis
 
 Biera
 
City of Board Games
 
Snake Monumnet
 
Sabara Suburb
 
City Walls/Map
 
Al Beidha
 
Churches
 
Kubtha High Place
 
Wadi Nmeir 
 
Small Delights
 
The Bedul
 
Petra Today 
 
Petra Park
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

PETRA: The Walk In
A horse  Just past the main gate you will be offered horses to ride, or even small buggies for two people. The rides are very inexpensive, and help the local Bedouin make a living. You will be asked several times, and then they will politely let you walk on, if that is what you wish to do.
 Along with the horses there are also buggies to ride. These drivers can take you all the way through the suq to the treasury Horse and buggy
Brooke Animal Hospital  The horses at Petra are well groomed and cared for at this site. If you are interested in Arabian horses, this is a great place to stop and chat to the horse owners. 
Walking in

 Many people prefer to walk, especially if it is a nice day. (Not too hot). Since the horses only take you 1/3 of the way to the heart of Petra, you may wish to walk, and enjoy the siq at a slower pace. Or, if you are afraid of tiring out, take the horse to the entrance of the siq and walk from there.

If you are in really bad shape, and do not want to walk a lot, take the buggy ride, but be aware that you will quickly was through the scenic wonders of the siq, where the rest of us will be enjoying the spectacular wonders of nature.

 While the horse riders and buggy riders go trotting past, those walking can stop and view the sites. The first thing to see are the silica quaries on the left, where Nabataeans may have mined silica for making water proof cement. Beyond this, on the right are the jinn rocks along the right side of the road. (Picture on right) There are over 20 of these massive stone monuments around Petra, usually at entrances to the city. Some theories suggest that these rocks represented deities who were guarding over the city.  djinn rock
unfinsihed tomb  Along the way, small tombs will start appearing. These were tombs of the middle class. Those with a sharp eye however, will be able to spot an unfinished tomb, one of several in Petra. (right side of the road)
 The first major monument that you come to will be on the left side of the road. This is the Obelisk tomb, named after the four Indian obelisks that decorate the top of the tomb. This tomb has two stories to it. The top story houses the tomb proper, while the bottom story, decorated in a more classical style contains a traditional dining hall for Nabataean funnery rites. oblisk tomb
 The road will eventually lead you to the dam. This dam was built across the entrance to the siq, to keep water from rushing through the crack in the mountain and destroying the city of Petra. The Nabataeans cleverly bore a tunnel through the rock to divert the water into another valley. After Petra was deserted, the dam crumbled and flash floods raged through the siq for many centuries, destroying much of Petra's city center. the dam and tunnel

Thankfully the Jordanian government rebuilt the dam, and now there is no danger of flash floods. When you reach the dam, have a look around. On the mountain walls are some inscriptions, in the tunnel wall there is a statue of an eagle, and of course there are the ever present jinn rocks that surround the city. If you are riding a horse you will have to get off here and walk, while buggy riders zoom past and through the siq.