Petra.... I do not even know how to begin here.
Imagine going on a hike in one of the most beautiful geological spots in the world. Imagine seeing some of the most exquisite archeological remains of a rather astounding village, with stunning temples carved right into the face of mountains. Well, take them all together and you have Petra!
Since it was made one of the 7 wonders of the world, and with good reason, every tourist passing along Jordan will make a detour to Petra, according to the guide. You might be familiar with Petra (Greek word for 'stone') from the Indiana Jones movie.
There is structure after structure that just takes your breath away. Petra’s prime was from the second Century B.C. through about 600 A.D. It was discovered again by the Western world in 1812 by a Swiss explorer.
The guide told me that just 2% of the structures of archeological merit have been excavated at Petra. I wouldn’t bet the ranch on that estimate, but it did have the sense of a vast town, and had been covered with sand some 20+ feet over the years. I saw many partially excavated buildings where the top of the door frame was well below today’s level of the earth. Many of the houses in Petra seemed like the Flintstone's Bedrock, a place right out of history.
Much of the excitement of Petra lies in the approach. You enter the site and have a decent walk through the canyon before you get to the most astounding structures. The one hour and half walk is through a gorgeous canyon, with a fairly narrow valley walled off by vertical cliffs. What’s so interesting geologically is that, from time to time, the rock had sheared off, leaving an exposed face that was essentially a plane. The Horites, a tribe of cave-dwellers living in the region, used these exposed planes as the start point for the buildings they literally carved into the face of it.
I was just blown away by what I saw over there. The beauty of the temples and monasteries, all carved out of sandstone cliffs and mountains is impossible to describe in words, so I’m hoping my pictures carry the load.
Petra, one of the most amazing places I have ever been....
Imagine going on a hike in one of the most beautiful geological spots in the world. Imagine seeing some of the most exquisite archeological remains of a rather astounding village, with stunning temples carved right into the face of mountains. Well, take them all together and you have Petra!
Since it was made one of the 7 wonders of the world, and with good reason, every tourist passing along Jordan will make a detour to Petra, according to the guide. You might be familiar with Petra (Greek word for 'stone') from the Indiana Jones movie.
There is structure after structure that just takes your breath away. Petra’s prime was from the second Century B.C. through about 600 A.D. It was discovered again by the Western world in 1812 by a Swiss explorer.
The guide told me that just 2% of the structures of archeological merit have been excavated at Petra. I wouldn’t bet the ranch on that estimate, but it did have the sense of a vast town, and had been covered with sand some 20+ feet over the years. I saw many partially excavated buildings where the top of the door frame was well below today’s level of the earth. Many of the houses in Petra seemed like the Flintstone's Bedrock, a place right out of history.
Much of the excitement of Petra lies in the approach. You enter the site and have a decent walk through the canyon before you get to the most astounding structures. The one hour and half walk is through a gorgeous canyon, with a fairly narrow valley walled off by vertical cliffs. What’s so interesting geologically is that, from time to time, the rock had sheared off, leaving an exposed face that was essentially a plane. The Horites, a tribe of cave-dwellers living in the region, used these exposed planes as the start point for the buildings they literally carved into the face of it.
I was just blown away by what I saw over there. The beauty of the temples and monasteries, all carved out of sandstone cliffs and mountains is impossible to describe in words, so I’m hoping my pictures carry the load.
Petra, one of the most amazing places I have ever been....
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