Above: I spent five hours Friday exploring the many things that I’ve already shown you. There are still more images to go from that remarkable afternoon, but this is an exhausted me seeing a beautiful image as I walked away from what you can see below, on my way back to dinner at the hotel. (Remember I’d awoken super early in Suli that morning, flown to Amman and had the long drive down to Wadi Musa, then walked up and down for five hours!) Below is the start of my Saturday morning, looking in to the building called “The Treasury,” quite early so there weren’t very many people around yet. I was on my way to a hilltop perch from which I then waited and enjoyed peace and still as the sun slowly but steadily rose high enough shine directly on this building. This is the most famous and photographed single building in Petra. Discovering it for the first time, with this image as you end your mysterious and atmospheric walk through the canyon of the Siq, is quite inspiring. There are more images of this building to come in future posts. But I figured you were owed at least one early – if partial – glimpse of Petra’s most famous building. 🙂 And for fairness, below that is the image I took just before the image above: one last glimpse of the Treasury before beginning the walk back up the Siq towards town, a meal, a bed.
Today it’s all photos taken on the way up to High Place of Sacrifice, coming from the small side trail just before the Amphitheater, and photos taken from way up high at the High Place of Sacrifice and the other overlooks nearby or partway down along Wadi al Farasa path (where we took the photos of the painted triclinium, which you’ve seen in earlier posts). The photos all have names that try to say what they are, in case you’re following along. We’re still on my first afternoon there, and I apologize if these are all too many photos. But…I mean…really.
This shot was taken from Painted Triclinium, looking at Roman Soldier’s tomb: both on the Wadi al Farasa side trail, below the Garden Tomb of which I posted many photos in Petra.4. Your first view of Painted Triclinium came with Petra.7 — and I believe the colors are all natural rock, not actual paint. But I didn’t scratch to see :-). There will be more of Painted Triclinium ahead – it’s off the main path, so less noticed, but truly remarkable. As I sort and set up this post, it’s a week since I flew out of Jordan back to A’dam, and two weeks already since my full day inside Petra. I’m so grateful for the many kind comments and emails you’ve sent! I’m doing precisely what I recommended to you, my readers: looking at the map, checking the time stamp on the photos themselves, and reminding myself what I did when. I have to finish sorting and naming all of these before I forget! And there are so many! It’s an endlessly amazing place! And I barely showed you one photo of Amman, a week ago…and have not yet even given you a glimpse of Jerash!
Ok, ok, fine: there’s a lot more in store, if you stay tuned. For today, we’ll focus on the Painted Triclinium, and all that can be seen both within, without it, and from within it looking out. Enjoy 🙂
(so much world, so little time....) 