Day 11. Petra

PETRA!!!!! What more can I say. It was an amazing day. I knew of the Treasury, but had no idea how large of an area it was. Amazing day. The Rose City has been around some 7000 years. It had been completely under water. The tectonic plates caused the sandstone mountains to rise up. The Napataean (Arab) people known as Bedouins first settled in 4BC. It was a popular trade route for incense and spices. The Napataean’s fell to the Roman’s in 104 AD. They had been expert stone carvers.
We walked the main road, passed through the slot caverns( created by the flash floods that occur). Reminds me of the Narrows in Zion National Park. This area is a cemetery. Thousands of tombs are in these mountains. The more ornate were for royalty. We have an Indiana Jones nerd in our group and as we approached the Treasury, we played the music as we entered.
The theatre seats 6000, it was a ceremonial site with sacrifices and then taken to a tomb in the caves. Unlike the Egyptians, they did not utilize mummification. So only bones were found. No treasures were buried with them and the inside was not decorated. The Bedouin’s lived here til 1983 when King Hussein requested they leave because it was to become an UNESCO site. Now they have their own community and come each day to work.
Steve made it up to the Monastery with the girls. I am having a knee issue and decided to not chance it. On the way back, we stopped and had our eyes done. See if you notice anything different about Steve!
Today I’m grateful for the ability to see one of the wonders of the world, grateful for our tour guide, Ensa, and grateful for a hot shower. Steve decided to have a Turkish bath and massage. Will let you know how that wentLæs mere