We will pick up our trip from where we left off in part 1. At the treasury or Al Khazneh.

The name, the treasury comes from the fact that it was first thought to be a treasury for the pharos of Egypt (that was before it was determined that the Nabateans built Petra). The purpose of this magnificent building which is over 40 m high and  is strategically placed at the end of the Siq remains a mystery, some think it was a royal tomb while others think it was a library. Its purpose may still be a mystery but one thing is for sure, it was built and placed  to strike awe in the hearts of the visitors of Petra and it still does 2000 years later

It is amazing to see the Khazeh at different times of day, the dance that light and shadow play across the beautifully carved rose red stone is mesmerizing

If you leave the khazneh and start walking towards the heart of the city the first monument you come across is the one in the picture below. The locals call it the thief’s palace because a famous thief hid in it for months while the search for him continued until he was finally captured. Currently there are excavations in it and you are not allowed to go in but it is said to have some of the most beautifully colored stone walls

All over the place there are donkeys, hourses and camels you can ride for a price. Donkeys in particular have been trained to climb the 800+ stairs leading up the the high place of sacrifice. Sadly because we had the kids with us and the climb takes over an hour  even with the donkeys we didn’t go. The place of sacrifice is located on a mountain top that overlooks the entire Petra area, the view from the top is said to be worth the hour climb.

If you keep walking you will come into the street of facades, some consider this the ceremonial part of the city while others think these were tombs.

We went into one of those carved buildings which was two stories  as you can see

 This is the view from inside

and this is the roof, the marbling of the sand stone is nothing short of amazing

As you enter heart of the city, the Nabataean theater is located on the left. It was built in the first century AD in the form an arc that is 95 meters in radius and 2.23 meters in height. It is carved in the rock . The Theater consisted of 45 rows of seats that were thought to accommodate 7-10 thousand spectators.

 Leaving the theater behind brings you to the court or the urn tomb, this is the first of a number of buildings that are located high up on the side of a mountain,  this one I did climb.

This beautiful building is thought to have been a tomb at the time of the Nabateans but then it was changed into a courthouse during the Roman occupation of the city and those arched rooms were turned into cells

If you walk around the clif you come to a building with the most magnificent facade , this building is called the silk tomb due to the colors in its facing

  With this we come to the end of part 2, I hope you enjoyed the pictures and the walk around Petra with me.

Coming Soon

Candied watermelon peel,  John’s Feta cheese and more of Petra , stay tuned