Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Nabataean
Pavements
The Siq was prob-
ably paved by
the Nabataeans
in the 1st century
AD. Substantial
stretches of this
paving can still
be seen. Next to
the most extensive
stretch is the
Niche Monument
(see below)
.
Water Channels
The water channels were part of a sophisti-
cated system of water conservation and
flood prevention devised by the Nabataeans.
The Niche
Monument
Carved into a free-
standing rock, a
quarter of the way
along the Siq, is a
small Classical
shrine. Within the
niche are two Djinn
blocks, one of which
has eyes and a nose.
The remains
of the
supports of the monu-
mental arch consist
of a carved niche
flanked by pilasters.
JOHANN LUDWIG BURCKHARDT
In 1812, after lying
hidden for more than
500 years to all except
local Arabs, Petra was
rediscovered by an
explorer called Johann
Ludwig Burckhardt.
The son of a Swiss
colonel in the
French army, he
was an outstanding
student with a
thirst for adven-
ture. In 1809 he
was contracted by
a London-based association to explore the
“interior parts of Africa”. Three years later,
after intense study of Islam and Arabic, he
disguised himself as a Muslim scholar, took
the name Ibrahim ibn Abdullah and set out
for Egypt.On his way through Jordan,
however, he was lured by tales of a lost
city in the mountains. To get there, he had
to persuade a guide to take him. Using the
pretence that he wanted to offer a
sacrifice to the Prophet Aaron, he became
the first modern Westerner to enter Petra.
W
Entrance to the Siq
In ancient times, the Siq was entered via a
monumental arch. It fell in 1896, leaving
only traces of its supporting structures.
Burckhardt in the disguise
he assumed to enter Petra
View of the
Treasury
The first breathtaking
glimpse of the
Treasury is when its
pink-hued, finely
chiselled façade
suddenly appears
through a chink in
the dark, narrow
walls of the Siq. It is
a moment filled with
powerful contrasts.
