“A rose-red city half as old
as time,” poet John William Burgon has said of it in his 1845 Newdigate Prize
winning poem Petra.
Concealed from the rest of
the world for many centuries before it was rediscovered by Swiss explorer Johann Ludwig
Burckhardt in 1812, the ancient city of Petra stands out for its rock-cut architecture where old settlements, royal tombs,
temples, and palaces were directly hewn out of massive rock walls.
Established by the Arab
Nabataeans as their capital city as early as 312 BC, Petra showcases the
construction and engineering skills of the Nabateans as evidenced by their
ancient water irrigation designs modern
engineers studied with admiration and emulated by present-day urban planners.
Situated at the slopes of the biblical Mount Hor and surrounded by the
mountains of Wadi Aqaba, Petra gives the impression of a city that completely grew
out of the rocky mountains.
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| The ancient homes which are chiseled from the walls as it appears today |
We started our brisk walk
from the wide walkway enveloped by small hills dotted with royal tombs and ancient
settlements. The further we went the narrower the path leading to the Treasury
becomes. I savored each step, stopping to appreciate the glistening colorful
walls. Not long after, we reached the part where the canyon becomes slender and
the famous Siq would start. The Siq is a mile-long narrow gorge that
features stunning rock-wall formations gleaming of dramatic rose-red and
glittering golden hues when kissed by the seeping sunlight.
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| the famous Siq of Petra |
The dreamlike sensation of
walking along the Siq presents the appropriate antecedent before one rests
their eyes on Petra’s most elaborate ruin, the Al Khazneh or “the Treasury.”
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| The Treasury |
Magically cleaved directly
into a sandstone cliff, the well-preserved condition of the Treasury serves a
visual banquet that lingers in your sight and summons you to just stare longer.
I stood there in sheer awe, mesmerized by the façade, when a local Bedouin
tapped me on my shoulder asking if I wanted to ride his camel for a photograph.
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| the ampitheater of Petra |
The Treasury is anything but
related to the ancient Nabataeans’ finances. The Al Khazneh was originally
constructed as a tomb during King Aretas IV Philopatris’ reign in 1st Century
AD. The term “Treasury” originated from a legend when Bedouins fired multiple
rounds of ammunition at the urn placed on top of the Al Khazneh, hoping
to break and spill out the gold coins they believed was hidden inside the urn. They later found out to be made of solid sandstone and stores no secreted treasure.
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| Some of the doors lead to ancient tombs such as this one |
The history of Petra runs
far back and in wild fashion. It witnessed numerous passing of kingdoms and
sustained the reigns of many kings under the Nabataeans to the Romans until its
decline during the Byzantine era.
As centuries of bygone history
still stood before us, I stared at the surrounding cave walls and the
amphitheater impressively sculpted into a solid hillside
sandstone wall. I made an attempt to imagine what it was like during the
glorious years of Petra. I closed my eyes to briefly
summon a vision of a lively city, where wives are peeking out
of their homes calling their husband workers to take a break from axing and grinding the
thick sandstone walls carving new tombs and temples. I was dwelling deeper into
my imagination when a young Bedouin boy tugged at my hand. “Two dollars for postcards,” he tells me, while showing a bundle of 10 postcards. I said, “Sure, but let’s take a selfie first.” He held my hand and dragged
me to a spot where the sun shone.
After taking a self-portrait
together, I handed a two-dollar bill to the young Bedouin when he asked me “one
dollar more for my school,” grinning. I handed another dollar to him before he happily walked away. What is one dollar more
anyway, in a place where the ancient Nabataeans gave more than they could,
their artistry, craftsmanship, courage, and a lot more, to build a city that
remains long after their kingdoms have gone forever.
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| We met the woman who authored the book "Married to a Bedouin", Marguerite van Geldermalsen who fell in love with a Bedouin when she went to Jordan for a solo backpacking trip in 1978. She now sell her book and other souvenir items inside Petra. Her Bedouoin husband died in the early 2000s |
As we conclude our jaunt to
Petra and started our walk back, I stopped along the Siq and touched the face
of the outer wall and wondered what if the walls could talk. Then I started my
walk again, through the history concealed and engraved at every corner of the
Lost City of Petra.
*This
article appeared on the Lifestyle pages of the July 24, 2016 issue of Manila Bulletin*
