Note: The Canadian government advises travellers to exercise a high degree of caution in Jordan due to “the threat of terrorism, civil unrest and demonstrations” and to avoid all travel in certain areas of the country. More details at travel.gc.ca/destinations/jordan.
Our Jordanian guide took the wand he held aloft for our group and drew a circle in the sand beneath our feet.
“Stand in the middle of that and look ahead,” he advised each of us as we gathered in the narrow Siq or gorge leading into the valley of Petra in Jordan.
One by one, we stepped into the circle and each of us looked ahead, our eyes widening at the view. On one side of the sheer walls, the exquisitely carved facade of the Treasury emerged in the distance, as if appearing from behind a curtain.
Petra, like the entire country of Jordan, is full of surprises like that. In the four kilometres we explored, the rocky walls expanded and contracted, revealing ancient carvings, caves and tombs, and exquisite ruins reflecting thousands of years of human occupancy.
While the distinctive Treasury (actually a tomb) is Petra’s most recognizable feature, those willing to venture further into the valley can explore other carved facades hewn from the sandstone cliffs. The rocks can vary in colour from charcoal and russet to rose and gold depending on the time of day and whether sunlight reaches its surfaces.
The Nabataeans, a nomadic Bedouin tribe, settled in Petra between 400 and 200 BCE, establishing it as a major regional trading hub. Commerce still reigns throughout Petra.
While some Bedouins still occupy caves, most live in a nearby settlement established by the Jordanian government and operate Petra’s tented shops and cafés alongside a new trade route catering to tourists whose sometimes overwhelming presence can threaten the very ancient sights they came to see.
Our small tour group visited after the start of the Gaza conflict. Once hostilities began in Israel, tourist bookings in Jordan fell by 30 to 40 per cent, according to our guide. That’s bad news for the Jordanian economy but, sadly, a benefit for determined visitors who have fewer crowds to navigate. Petra’s expansive setting also means tourists have lots of room to roam.
Most visitors enter Petra from its modern visitors centre in Wadi Musa, the gateway town to this UNESCO World Heritage Site. A terraced plaza flanked by a museum and a small bazaar of shops gives way to a dusty road providing few hints to the wonders ahead. Those not able to manage the initial walk to the Treasury can hire a golf cart to cover the distance. More adventurous visitors can hire camels or horses but whether on your own or with a guide, walking provides the best perspective and, in some cases, most comfortable way for Petra to reveal itself.
Before entering the Siq, the cliffs and sculpted rocks are pockmarked with caves and tombs before the gorge narrows and the surrounding walls rise. At their base is a snaking, carved trough — evidence of the Nabataeans’ ingenious method of water delivery to Petra’s early population.
Stepping out of the Siq into the open area in front of the Treasury is an awe-inspiring experience, despite the cacophony of braying camels, snorting horses, shouting Bedouins, and the parade of global visitors each vying for a prime selfie vantage point in front of the exquisite facade.
Beyond this highlight is a series of other jaw-dropping sights as the gorge opens up into valley and the road leads past an open air theatre carved out of rock — the only one of its kind in the world. Trails climb up to a series of Royal Tombs offering views of the valley. One, the Silk Tomb, has a facade and soaring interior ceiling resembling an abstract painting — its sandstone swirling like rippled ice cream in colours ranging from pink and white to yellow and blue.
Further along, the main road passes the sprawling Great Temple complex, some of its many columns still standing, a tribute to the Nabataeans who constructed it in the 1st century BCE. Facing the temple, paths head up to more ruins with a view. The Ridge Church is under cover to protect its 1,500-year-old elaborate mosaic floor. The Blue Church is named after the soft eggshell colour of its Egyptian granite columns, re-erected after being toppled in an 8th century earthquake. Signage in front of the partially excavated Winged Lion Temple explains how only a small portion of its nearly 2,000-year-old columns and arches have been revealed since excavation started nearly 50 years ago.
Antiquity meets modern convenience at the point on the road where most visitors stop and where two shaded restaurants are ready to offer hot and thirsty travellers food and drink. For those who want to push further, a secondary trail heads up into the rocky mountains that includes 800 steps to Ad Deir (The Monastery). Bigger than the Treasury, it too is imposingly carved out of a red rock face and is the second most visited site in Petra.
As alluring as Petra is, Jordan offers many other jaw-dropping sites, including Wadi Rum. Located in the country’s southeast corner, this protected area of red sand, narrow rocky gorges and stark, craggy mountains and outcroppings is familiar to anyone who saw Dune, The Martian and Lawrence of Arabia.
The Bedouins who have settled in the village of Wadi Rum offer accommodation both in the town and in the desert along with off-road tours where visitors take in the other-worldly surroundings from padded benches in the back of canopied pickup trucks.
Our driver drove across sand ranging from russet to burnt sienna. It lapped against sandstone and granite cliffs and serrated rocky ranges begging to be climbed. The windswept views from the modest summits provided 360-degree views of the valley. A short walk from another stop led to a narrow siq with a slick ledge. Those venturing in discovered petroglyphs indicating 12,000 years of valley habitation and a hidden desert spring.
Nestled up against the bases of the cliffs are various Bedouin camps for guests who want to experience more than a short visit to Wadi Rum. Fabric and canvas tents offer hostel-like or more luxurious accommodation for those who want to spend the night in the desert and gaze at a star-filled sky. In some camps, guests stay in orbs that offer views without leaving the comfort of your bed.
At the north end of the country, just an hour from Amman airport is a cluster of resorts fronting the Dead Sea. The trip from Wadi Rum at 5,000 feet to the lowest place on Earth (more than 400 feet below sea level) reveals the diverse landscape of Jordan. The desert eventually gives way to the rising hills near Karak, with its Crusader era castle, before opening up to form the Wadi Mujib gorge. Descending this nearly mile-deep canyon along a switchback road with few guardrails is an exhilarating drive!
A soak in the buoyant Dead Sea is a strange and unnerving experience that turns adults into goofy, grinning kids. The resorts that line the main road all have private access to the shoreline and boast multiple swimming pools for a more conventional bathing experience. Alas, just as glaciers are retreating, so too is the Dead Sea. Without some sort of intervention, the body of water between Jordan and Israel could disappear by 2050.
But now it provides a two-pronged source of entertainment for guests who visit the shoreline. Our hotel provided a beach-side tub of Dead Sea mud for visitors to scoop up and liberally smear all over their face and bodies. The hot sun dries it in minutes providing an excuse (as if one were needed) for people to walk into the sea, flop on their backs and experience the freakish buoyancy of the warm water while washing off the mud.
Our hotel’s roped-off swimming area was filled with beaming adults posing for photos while floating on their backs with their hands and feet in the air. The high salt content of the water makes any face-down movement hazardous to eyes and shaving your legs prior to a dip is not advised!
With ancient ruins, stunning scenery, Crusader castles, Biblical sites and modern cities (Amman is less than an hour from the Dead Sea) Jordan is a welcoming and exhilarating country. In the evening, looking across the Dead Sea at the lights of Israel from our lush, peaceful Jordanian resort, it’s hard to comprehend the awful conflict occurring not that far away. While the situation in Gaza might dissuade some from visiting, Jordan rewards those who do come, with once-in-a-lifetime memories.
