Ammon News - AMMONNEWS - Unrest in the Middle East means far fewer travellers are visiting Petra, the ancient Jordanian city carved into sandstone cliffs. But those who do venture forth are rewarded with near-private moments of magnificence.

The Siq was quiet this windswept morning. Standing at the narrow, red rift opening to the ancient city of Petra, I knew there was a dust storm on the distant horizon, but at that precise moment gazing skyward, all I could see was the outline of a solitary tree clinging from a crevice high above. Only the clattering of occasional horse carts driven by men in long grey robes and red-checkered scarves, and the footsteps of a handful of tourists interrupted the silent, sandstone corridor leading into the columned main street of Petra’s city centre.

Until recently, large crowds and a carnivalesque atmosphere were an unavoidable part of the Petra experience, even for those who veered off the ancient Nabatean city’s beaten paths to explore more obscure sites strewn over its 1,068 hectares of mountains and valleys. Lost to the Western world since the time of the Crusades, Petra was rediscovered by Swiss explorer Johann Burckhardt in 1812. International interest piqued gradually through the 20th century. The introduction of a formal park development plan in the late 1960s, and designation as UNESCO World Heritage site in 1985 increased visitors from a trickle of 15,000 in 1964 to 80,000 in 1987. Acclaim as one of the new Seven Wonders of the World in 2007 spiked tourist traffic; a starring role in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade in 1989 brought Hollywood fandom.

In 2010, visitors peaked at more than 975,000 as bus and cruise-ship tourists jostled to pose for selfies with donkeys and camels in front of the storied Treasury, the towering tomb of Nabatean King Aretas III fabled to have been later used by an Egyptian pharaoh to harbour treasure.

While fame revealed Petra’s majesty to the world, it also dramatically changed the ability for visitors to imagine it as it once was: a mysterious, impenetrable city on the wild frontiers of the Arabian desert.

In recent years, turmoil in the Middle East has slowed tourism to Jordan. In 2014, fewer than 600,000 people visited Petra; a further slowdown in 2015 has made it easier for intrepid travellers to capture its most popular landmarks as near-private experiences, even in the traditional high seasons of spring and fall.

Arrive early in the morning and the square in front of the Treasury’s rose-gold, sandstone façade is serene, save for a few travellers and the friendly greetings of donkey and camel handlers offering rides.

Walk along the floor of Wadi Musa (also called the Valley of Moses – past the austere tombs of the Street of Facades and a Roman influenced stone amphitheatre, past the Royal Tombs carved into the mountainside on the other – and you are more likely to see empty horse carts along the once bustling main street than ones carrying weary tourists.

That morning, I was headed for Al-Deir. Originally a triclinium, or dining area, it was carved into a distant hillside during the first century AD to honour a deified king and was later reused during the Byzantine period as a church. Known as the Monastery, the site was not only a popular pilgrimage destination in centuries past, but remains heavily traversed in the 21st century as visitors trudge up the steep, 800-step route from the valley basin to admire its Hellinistic façade, the largest in Petra.


Following the footsteps of pilgrims past, I clambered by otherworldly rock faces, bypassing side-trails to smaller shrines. Occasionally, there was a glimpse of another person far above me on the trail, or a donkey carrying a traveller would pass me at a steady clip-clop. Sometimes a dusty hiker would smile encouragingly on their descent. But for long stretches, I had the ancient, rock-hewn steps to myself. As the views began to open up, a young woman tending a small table laden with stone and silver necklaces, beckoned from her stall, “Come have tea.” Over the small sweet, cardamom-smelling brew, she confided, “Few tourists now – no high season. Just look. Not buy.”

When I finally reached the wide plateau in front of the Monastery, the sun had peaked but the crowds had not. Only a handful of other tourists were in sight, dwarfed by the scale of the monument and the silence of the surroundings.

It’s easy to think of Petra as an archeological graveyard – after all, 500 of the more than 800 registered sites strewn across its expansive valleys and mountains are tombs. Inhabited as early as 7,000 BC, most of what can be seen of Petra today was built by the Nabataeans, a nomadic, pastoral people from Arabia, who began to settle the area during the sixth century BC. By the second century BC, Petra was the thriving capital of the kingdom and a central hub for trade routes travelled by caravans bearing silks, spices and incense between China and Rome. With the expansion of the Roman empire came the influence, and eventually, the annexation of Petra. In time, however, the city was abandoned, its sandstone-hewn tombs and natural rock caves used by the pastoral B’doul Bedouin people as homes and shelters, until their relocation to a more permanent, modern settlement in the nearby hamlet of Umm Sayhoun in the mid-1980s.

But Bedouin culture is still vibrant in Petra and a few dozen families are said to maintain traditional cave and woven goat-hair tent dwellings amongst the ruins. One place to glimpse a hint of this life is from the trail to the High Place of Sacrifice, once used for rituals and animal sacrifice, found at the summit of Jabal al-Madhbah.

It was midafternoon when I dismounted the donkey that had returned me to the trailhead, located in the outer Siq. During busier times, tourist traffic would be at its peak at this time of day, with people arriving on cue from the nearby resort town of Aqaba. Today, there were few people in sight as I embarked on my second trail, so I was grateful to meet two Dutch women who joined me on the trek.

Our destination may have been the massive obelisks and sacrificial platform at the summit, but it was the vast panoramas below that took our breath away. Austere caves that from a distance appeared abandoned flickered with signs of activity. Goat herds grazed untended in the wide valley against the dramatic backof mountains that glowed golden in the afternoon light. A dog barked in the distance.

“Are people really living down there, or is it just our imagination?” my trail companion wondered as she gazed at the distant scene below.

Not wanting to disturb the peace surrounding us, we finished the last leg of our descent in silence.

Near the bottom of the trail, a young Bedouin man invited us to join him to watch the light change dreamily across the carved Royal Tombs, which rose multihued and monumental in the dying light. We watched barefoot local boys race camels along the near-empty road below.

In this quiet moment, it was easy to imagine a distant civilization and a different life.

IF YOU GO

While there are no direct flights to Jordan’s capital of Amman from Canada, several international carriers, including Air Canada, Royal Jordanian, Lufthansa, Air France and Delta Airlines offer flights with connections.

Petra is located about 240 kilometres south of Amman, just more than a three-hour drive along the modern Desert Highway, or five hours on the more scenic Kings Highway. Both routes are well marked. Taxis from Amman to Petra may be hired for approximately $97 (50 JD), however, the fare should be clearly agreed to before setting off. The most popular public transportation is operated by JETT (jett.com.jo). The bus departs at 6:30 a.m. from Abdali Station in Amman to Petra daily. One-way fares are $18.50 (9.50 JD).

WHERE TO SLEEP

Petra’s tourist accommodations are concentrated in Lower Wadi Musa within walking distance to the archeological park, a crucial consideration given the long distances you’ll be trekking during the day.

Arabian antiques, rich fabrics, marble fountains and intricate inlaid wood furniture set the tone for an opulent stay at the Movenpick Resort Petra, located just 100 metres from Petra’s entrance. The hotel’s 183 rooms and suites are newly renovated with complimentary WiFi and mini-bar. Double rooms start at $305 (157 JD) and include breakfast. movenpick.com

Petra Guest House is a simple, modern hotel adjacent to the entrance of the archeological site, as well as its ancient, sandstone-hewn Cave Bar. The charm of this hotel lies in its warm welcome; its 41 guestrooms are standard but clean and neat, while its 31 stone chalets are more spacious with several offering views of the valley. Double rooms start at $214 (110 JD), and include breakfast.

*The Globe and Mail