The Tour to Petra Tour and joys of discovering the Red-Rose City of the Nabataeans
Smithsonian described it as one of the 28 places on Earth that you must visit in your lifetime. Legends state this is where Moses struck a rock and water gushed forth. The Red Rose City of Petra is one of the Seven Wonders of the World and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Tours to Greece, the Giza in Egypt, across the Grand Canyon or in the Andes, all become passé because these are roads much traveled. Petra tours, on the other hand, offer an exciting voyage of discovery to one of the most precious cultural heritage sites. So unique is the architecture and the ambience of this land forgotten by time that it has featured in some distinctive Hollywood films.
One of the easiest ways to get to Petra Tour is to fly into Eilat airport, and join one of the Petra tours that turn into a fantasy journey with rides on Camelback and horseback as you cross the Aravah Border. The entrance itself is through a narrow gorge surrounded by gorgeous red sandstones carved by time into a most lovely passageway that opens up to the Treasury, a wonderfully carved ancient building still standing intact. This is unique, with two storeys and tall carved pillars at the entrance, a tribute to the architectural skills of the Nabataeans. It is said the Treasury was built about 2000 years ago, and serves as the mausoleum of Areatas III, king of the Nabataeans.
The next most impressive monument is the grand Theater shaped in a semi circle with a platform that is ruined by the ravages of time, but gives an idea of its past grandeur. The Theater could seat 5000 people, and is modeled after the amphitheater in Rome. There is more in store to fascinate and delight. The next site is the Monastery followed by the Great Temple of Petra carved out of the mountainside. The Street of Facades is equally interesting, and you will not notice how time passes as you go on to the tomb of Aharon, Obelisk and the Triclinium. It is said the Aharon, brother of Moses, actually lies buried there. Of special interest is the arrangement to collect and distribute water, a tribute to the technical skills of the time.
Petra, the ancient city, is steeped in history going back to Biblical times. It has been home not only to the Nabataeans, but also successive conquerors from Egyptian, Syrian and Arab civilizations followed by Romans and then Byzantine rule before it declined, leaving behind a rich legacy you will discover during your Petra tours.
Petra has plenty of interesting sites, and a traveler would need to manage time at each location to visit not only the most interesting sites described above, but also equally interesting sites like the Sacrifice Palace, the Snake Monument and the Lion Triclinium. That done, you can return to Eilat in the evening where you can go sailing in a glass-bottom boat, scuba diving or snorkel to the Coral Island, and come away with memories that stay for life.
