By: Ammar Khammash
20-7-2002 |
Petra
from the back door
Or
from a secret entrance |
Adventurous, can be dangerous in winter when flash floods happen. Not
suitable for kids. Take some water and a lot of films if you like
photography. Needs strong boots and comfortable clothes. A tough hike
but definitely worth it; for you can see lesser-known parts of Petra
through a private sneak. When you finish your visit don’t forget
paying the “entrance” fees, while exiting.
On the way from Wadi Musa to Baydha, from a point just north of the
crusader castle Wu’eira is the beginning of a journey that will reveal
parts of Petra unknown to many. This trek takes you through flavors of
Petra away from the beaten tracks and modern interventions; it is of
the times of Burckhardt in the early 19th century.
From the Baydha road, at a point where a small valley descends towards
the west, you can negotiate a pathway. You should be about 200 m north
of the crusader castle. The best way to make sure you find the way is
to follow the potential flow of water (in most of this track water
flows after heavy rainfall, which macks it dangerous in such times).
After about half an hour walking downhill, the surrounding landscape
turns into darker red and slowly you will find yourself in a deep
riverbed called Wadi Urf |
Al-Deek, with pleasant shady natural garden of thick oleander. Following
the slope, keep descending till the sides of the track get higher and
the path narrower. The sandstone of the path walls keeps getting
darker until it completely deviates from the pastel tones of the
oleander blooms.
This is the beginning of a “secret” entrance to Petra, a second Siq
that leads to the hart of the city. The walking of this Siq is full of
suspense. At times the sides get so close that you think you are
reaching a dead end. The sides also perform a wonderful play on
sunlight as their upper ends open to let the sun in and close to cut
off the sky completely. This passage is infrequently visited; any
sound in it echoes strongly and draws the attention of goats that you
might see looking at you from the landscape above. At one point, a
dramatic arch spans the Siq, at monumental heights, with stones
jumping, in a stunning structure, from one side to the other. With
careful order these stones forms an arch, carrying an aqueduct across
the deep Siq below. It is a great feeling to pass underneath this
marvel of a remaining part of the Nabatean water harvesting
techniques.
At many parts, unlike the famous Siq, this Siq has no loose soil
filling its bottom. You will find yourself walking in a V-shaped
cavity sometimes as narrow as to allow only one person passing at a
time, with width at the base barely enough for the feet, it gives a
great feeling of passing through monolithic rock. In few locations, be
prepared to jump a couple of rock pools (till late spring) but make
sure you don’t step into them as their depths and contents are not
safe. |
Suddenly a T-junctions appears on your left, this is the end of
another Siq called Wadi Muthlim (some call it Wadi Thalma) meaning the
“dark valley”. If you take this passage you will walk a bit more than
one kilometer and find yourself passing through a tunnel and joining
the masses of noisy tourists, at the dam of Bab al Siq. Walking in
Wadi Muthlim is only advisable if you explore its first 700 or 800
meters, without joining the usual traffic to the Treasury. Better keep
walking in the “secret” Siq, prolonging your adventure and tranquil
mind for more to see. The winding passage reaches its climax at a
point where it forms an oval space, beautifully decorated with
numerous niches carves in the rock. This is one of Jordan’s most
impressive locations, a space that nature carved so beautifully and
the Nabateans enhanced so masterfully, reaching a perfect harmony with
impact that will stay in your memory for life.
This Siq will eventually let you out in the middle of Petra, at the
wide open space past the theater, and close to “Dorotheos’ House” just
north-east of “Mughur al Nasara”.
This secret northern Siq provides an experience so special that it
makes you feel overpowered and bewildered. It also makes you think
what else one is missing in this overwhelmingly rich city of the
Nabateans. |
