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We all have in the retina the image of the great monument of Petra , in reality, the tomb of an important Nabatean king, the cuyal is known as the Treasure .
But to get to Petra from Wadi Musa , town from where you can access the lost city , you have to make a kilometer and a half walk that will become the first surprise you will have in your visit to Petra .
When I started the trip to Jordan, I knew that to get to Petra we had to take a walk, but I did not know it would become a wonderful walk.
Indeed, once you access the tourist site of Petra , after a small section that enters you between mountains, you reach a point where high rocky crags rise.
From there the road becomes a very narrow gorge, known as the Siq .
It is an opening that a great earthquake produced thousands of years ago in this area of rocky mountains, which has a certain resemblance to those you can see in Cappadocia , in Turkey.
Touring the Siq of Petra
This earthquake separated the tectonic plates, although in some sections the gorge is really narrow, and you can still imagine where both sides of it were joined.
Before entering, on the right you will see a large tunnel that the Nabateansused to divert the waters from the torrents produced in the rainy season and thus protect the buildings that were being raised.
Built in the 1st century BC, the 88-meter-long tunnel diverts the waters to the valleys of Wadi Al Mudhlim and Wadi Al Mataha , before being used by the inhabitants of the lost city .
Your walk through the Siq you will share it with many tourists who walk, or who walk around riding in carriages, or even camels or donkeys.
As you advance you will find archaeological remains of different altars carved into the rock, places where the Nabataeans placed their different pagan gods.
You will also see side gorges enclosed by adobe walls, which were erected relatively recently to protect the numerous tourists that cross the Siq from the torrents .
In days of heavy rain, the Siq floods, and in fact, when there are great storms, the tourists pass through the gorge until it is sure that it does not flood.
In the different sections of the Siq, it widens or narrows to almost unsuspected limits.
You will also find whimsical rock formations, like the one you see laterally as a Nemo fish , and if you see it straight ahead, it will remind you of an elephant.
To highlight also the archaeological remains of sculptural reliefs in the rock that represent a caravan of Nabataeans with their camels.
Made between 100 and 50 BC, these reliefs represent the endless procession of people and goods entering and leaving the hidden city of Petra .
On one side of the gorge you will see a canal where the Nabataeans carried unsafe water, and on the floor of the gorge you will find several sections of the original Nabatean road, which followed the guidelines of the Greek roads.
Finally, this slightly sloping walk down will take you to a very narrow stretch from where you will see the famous image of the Treasury of Petra .
Stop for a moment and enjoy the view, as well as make the relevant souvenir photos.
Of course, the great narrowness of this final stretch can even cause a jam of carriages.
I’ll tell you that it’s worth visiting Petra just for touring the Siq .
