Petra, the Silent Wonder: between Myth, Sand and Glory

Petra, the Silent Wonder: between Myth, Sand and Glory

Visiting Petra was a dream come true. A dream that began when I was very young and growing up with Indiana Jones. Resisting to its charm was impossible. The legendary city of Petra is in the Jordanian desert, nestled among sunlit rocks that are tinged with red, orange, and gold. It is a magical place. Once there, its magnetic beauty captures you: it is unique, and describing its splendour, shrouded in the mystery of time, is difficult. To get there, you must first pass through the Siq, a narrow canyon that leads to the hidden city. Passing through the Siq is an unique experience itself: every step increases the euphoria and you can catch the traces left by its inhabitants. On the walls, you begin to glimpse steps and silhouettes engraved in the rock, making the imagination grow. The Siq slowly tells the story of its life. Caravans, merchants and travellers had to pass through this canyon to reach the ancient city of Petra. An opening between the rocks gives a glimpse of what looks like a mirage. At every step, the gorge opens and in all its beauty shows its Treasury, the Khazneh. It takes your breath away for its splendour and goes far beyond amazement, you are enchanted by such magnificence. The facade of the Treasury is there, eternal, shining with its light and testifying the golden age of its people, the Nabataeans, who made the desert their cradle of civilisation. It is perfect in every detail. But Petra is not only its Treasury but an entire intriguing city, made up of streets, houses, temples (the Monastery above the city is a must), tombs and amphitheatres, each with its own identity engraved in the rock. Walking through its dusty streets is like flipping through the pages of an ancient book, where every detail tells of revered gods, broken loves and dreams of a glory that was, and never faded. We stayed in the hidden city all day (but adding at least another half day would help to see everything more calmly), and we finished our visit in the late afternoon. It was wonderful to see the sunset from the Monastery, from where you could contemplate the beauty of the mountain valley. With twilight, Petra transforms again, the last rays of sun colour the whole hidden city in orange. In the evening, the city is wrapped in a reverential silence. Time stops again. The moon and stars illuminate the sky of Petra, and in that mystical silence you can almost feel the spirit of the ancient Nabataeans, alive and immortal among the rocks of their beloved city. Petra is first dreamed and then visited, and once the threshold of this wonder is crossed, a part of your soul remains there forever.