Little Petra is fascinating in that it was actually a caravan rest stop. If you've driven the highways of the US, think of the Love's, Flying J, Petro truck stops. They were designed are places where the caravans could get food, shelter and water for their long journey. In fact people did not live in them. However centuries later, toward our modern time, valleys like these were occupied by Bedouin tribes. Our guide (a young man who married a Swiss woman business owner who he once guided) actually was born and lived his first couple of years here. Most of the people we saw were part of his extended family. When places like this and Petra were designated as sites the government wanted to preserve, they paid these tribes to leave the area and set up towns for them elsewhere.
First
Scenes from our dinner at the tour company owner's house
Food
Owner to the right, manager to the left
Terrible picture because the manager, Hussam, was always smiling
Look at how happy we are
After sitting on the floor for hours
Much pain killer consumed when we got back
Now on to Little Petra
Hmmm
Seen these before...
TOMBS!
A typical area for caravan folk to come in, rest and refresh
The black on the roof comes from the fires of generations of recent tribes people using the caves
How such a cave might have looked back in the day
Caravan tourism
Lots of water harvesting systems
These steps are designed so water comes down them then into channels and then into cisterns
Passageways
Some of the only Nabatean original paintings that can be found in the region
These would have been ubiquitous when these areas were actually being occupied
Shobak Castle
Big Fortified Crusader Castle that ultimately fell
Worst mosaics ever
Koranic inscriptions from time of Mameluke control
Where food was prepared
Intrepid photographer explores
Make no mistake
Jordan is mostly desert!
1 comment:
it is a testimony to the ass-tons of money that must have been made from trade along the silk road that people were willing to go those distances and stay in those deserts! Beautiful place to visit.
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