PRETTY PRETTY PETRA

THIS IS THE ROAD DOWN FROM MOSES' SPRING AT THE TOP OF THE VALLEY.WADI MUSA (MOSES' RIVER)FORMED THE VALLEY AND CANYON THROUGH TO PETRA ITSELF.THERE IS LITTLE DELINEATION BETWEEN RURAL AND URBAN WITH THE NOMADIC GRAZING, SCENES LIKE THIS COMMON IN THE TOWNS.

DOWN WADI MUSA.PETRA SITED AMONG A NETWORK OF CANYONS (SIQS)AMONG THE HILLS IN THE DISTANCE WELL LOCATED FOR DEFENCE.

HORSES CAN BE RIDDEN UP TO THE ENTRANCE OF WADI MUSA CANYON.

PETRA WAS AFLOURISHING CITY AS WELL AS A NECROPOLIS AND COMPLEX OF PLACES OF WORSHIP.IT IS AN ASSEMBLAGE OF WORSHIP AND ARCHITECTURAL STYLES EMBRACING PRE JUDAO,GREEK,EGYPTIAN,ROMAN,SYRIAN ,CHRISTIAN AND THE UNIQUE INTERPRETATION OF THEM ALL BY THE NABATEANS THEMSELVES.PETRA FLOURISHED UNTIL BEING CONSUMED BY ISLAM IN THE LATE 7TH CENTURY.CENTRAL TO THEIR RELIGION WAS GOD(S) INHABITED ROCK.THESE ARE THE ORIGIN OF A LOT OF CHRISTIAN SYMBOLISM E.G. PETER THE ROCK (PETRA IS ROCK).A LOT OF THE BLOCKS HAVE BEEN CARVED OUT TO HOUSE TOMBS AND THEY ARE THE PRECURSOR OF AN ALTAR THE INTERFACE BETWEEN DIVINE AND MATERIAL.

EARLY SIMPLE CAVE TOMBS.

MORE SOPHISTCATED WITH OBELISKS REPRESENTING DEITIES.THE TOMBS ALSO HAVE A CENTRAL CHAMBER FOR WORSHIPPING THE DEAD.NOT JUST DEAD,BURIED AND FORGOTTEN.GREEK AND NABATEAN INSCRIPTIONS ON THE TOMBS.

THE WADI MUSA SIQ (CANYON).ABOUT A KM LONG IT WAS TILED WITH LIMESTONE BLOCKS AND THE WATER FLOW DIVERTED ALONG ITS LENGTH IN AN OPEN GUTTER CUT INTO THE ROCK WALL.

GUTTER.

PART OF ORIGINAL FLOOR.

PHOTOGRAPHERS PARADISE.HARD TO NOT HAVE PEOPLE IN THEM.

THE ROCK WALLS ARE LINED WITH CARVED MURALS AND GROTTOES OF WORSHIP THAT WOULD HAVE HAD DEITY IMAGES IN THEM.MOSTLY ERODED AWAY NOW.

WOW!!

A TORRENT OF CARRIAGES CONVEY THE OBESE AND FAMOUS TO THE TREASURY.

GIVEN THE FREQUENCY OF HERBIVOROUS TRAFFIC,SAADI THE CLEANING LADDIE HAS THE ULTIMATE IN SHIT JOBS!!

THE TREASURY APPEARS AS THE SIQ OPENS OUT INTO ANOTHER LARGER CANYON.IT IS A TOMB AND JUST A FACADE.A MYTH THAT PHAROAH PURSUING THE ESCAPED ISRAELITES FROM EGYPT STASHED HIS TREASURE IN THE URN AT THE TOP.IT IS SOLID AND IT IS GREEK IN DESIGN BUILT 1ST CENTURY BC.

EXCAVATIONS HAVE REVEALED MORE TOMBS UNDERNEATH.AN ARCHAEOLOGICAL TEAM WERE MARKING OUT QUADRATS I PRESUME TO DO MORE DIGGING.

DOING IT IN STYLE.

THE OUTER SIQ WALLS BECOME STREETS OF TOMB FACADES EMBRACING A PLETHORA OF STYLES.BECAUSE THE NABATEANS HAD SO MUCH CONTACT WITH "THE WORLD" AS TRADERS I SEE THEM AS THE ULTIMATE TREND SETTERS-LOOK A T THE LATEST TOMB FROM GREECE,ROME ETC

MANY HAVE BECOME CLUTTERED MULTIPLE USE OVER CENTURIES.

I TOOK A SHINE TO CAROLINE,HE TOOK A SHINE TO ME,OR MAYBE THE POTENTIAL OF MY WALLET!!

I TOOK THE LONG ROUTE TO THE MONASTERY OVER THE FAIRLY GRUELLING WADI FARASA TO THE ESTEEMED HIGH PLACE OF SACRIFICE.

VENDORS AT EVERY TWIST AND TURN.

TOWARDS THE SUMMIT ONE OT TWO OBELISKS VISIBLE AT TOP.

THE DEITIES DUSHARA TOP MALE AND AL UZZA TOP FEMALE IN THEIR ROCK FORM.DOES HAVE FERTILITY SIGNIFICANCE-PHALLUS.THE CRUSADERS BUILT A FORT HERE VERY STRTEGIC VIEWS.11TH CENTURY-RUINS NOW ONLY.

SACRIFICAL PLACE THIS WAS FOR WATER STORAGE NOT BLOOD.

VIEW DOWN TO THE OLD PETRA CITY.

ZOOM LENS SHOT OF SOME TOMBS ON THE OUTSKIRTS.

THIS IS THE SACRIFICIAL ALTAR COMPLEX.CHILDREN WERE SACRIFICED (NOT ROUTINELY) JUST IN EXTREME CASES LIKE LOSING THE WORLD CUP IN CHARIOT RACING,ON THE BACKALTAR. THE CAT IS SHOWING SUICIDAL TENDENCIES AS TO ITS ULTIMATE FATE.MY FINGERS TREMBLED ON MY SWISS ARMY POCKETKNIFE AS I STRUGGLED WITH THE MORAL DILEMMA OF OFFERING ASSISTANCE.BAD KARMA! AFTER RENDERING MY FOOD CONSUMEABLE FOR A WEEK THE KNIFE WAS UNCEREMONIOUSLY DISPATCHED TO A PADLOCKED RECEPTACLE AT JORDAN AIRPORT.

DOWN WADI FARSA THIS WAS THE BEVERLEY HILLS IN TOMB REAL ESTATE.

CUPPA??

DELUXE MODEL CIRCA 10BC.CAME WITH A LANDSCAPED GARDEN OUT FRONT.

INTERIOR OF THE TOMB.BEAUTIFUL MARBLED SANDSTONE.

THE ROMANS ANNEXED PETRA IN 109AD.IT MUST HAVE BEEN AN AMICABLE ARRANGEMENT.THIS IS A SOLDIERS TOMB.THERE IS A STATUE OF HIM IN FULL UNIFORM ABOVE ENTRANCE .

THE CAVE OF SEVENTEEN GRAVES-SAY NO MORE!!FAMILY PLOT??

IN APPOINTMENT WITH DEATH SET IN PETRA,AGATHA CHRITIE DESCRIBED THE SANDSTONE ROCK AS 'VERY MUCH THE COLOUR OF RAW BEEF' KOBE OR VENISON -METHINKS!

DOWN DOWN.

SOLITARY COLUMN REMAINS OF A ROMAN TEMPLE.QUITE A LANDMARK FROM A LONG WAY AWAY.KNOWN AS THE PHAROAHS ----AS IN GOOD SHIP VENUS.

VIEW ACROSS OLD PETRA.ROMAN TEMPLE RUINS.

ONE WAY UP AND ONE WAY DOWN THE HIKE UP TO THE MONASTERY.THE ULTIMATE DESTINATION OF VISITNG PETRA.

VIEW BACK TO PETRA-TIME FOR A BREATHER.

CAFE OPPOSITE THE MONASTERY.

THE MONASTERY.CROSSES WERE FOUND MARKED ON THE WALLS.NABATEAN TEMPLE THE CONGREGATION WAS IN COURTYARD OUT FRONT.BUILT IN HONOUR OF KING OBODAS 1ST CENTURY BC.THE DOOR IS HIGHER THAN A SINGLE STORY HOUSE.

OTHER VIEWS HEADING TOWARDS EDGE OF ESCARPMENT.

ESCARPMENT EDGE DOWN TO WADI ARABA-THE EDGE OF THE WORLD.BEDU PLAYING A BALALAIKA LIKE INSTRUMENT.

IN THE DISTANCE JEBEL HAROUN-MT AARON-SACRED TO MUSLIMS,JEWS AND CHRISTIANS AS THE RESTING PLACE OF MOSES' BRO.

MONASTERY IN PERSPECTIVE.

BACK DOWN.

MAIN TEMPLE PETRA.(ROMAN)

EASTERN CLIFF TOMBS-SORT OF FIFTH AVENUE!!

BYZANTINE(GREEK ORTHODOX) CHURCH PETRA.THEY REACHED THEIR ZENITH PRE ISLAM 6-7 CENTURY.BEAUTIFUL MOSAIC S ADORN THE FLOORS .DOTTED ALL OVER JORDAN-MANY BEING RESTORED.

DETAIL.