A map of the past

Wednesday, April 27, 2016
Petra, Jordan
The morning air is cool and bed feels great. I finish a chapter of 'Portuguese Irregular Verbs' (the novel, not the grammar) before I get up. What a luxury.

During the night Richard has come home and over breakfast we update each other and discuss our travel plans .

We like to go south today and reach Petra. But along the way, I'd love to stop at Madaba to see the famous mosaic depicting the oldest map of the Holy Land. It's located on the floor of a small Greek Orthodox church and Richard graciously offers to drive down with us, so he can help us locate it.

It's hard to refuse the offer, so after getting supplies and money organized, Richard and Sisi drive ahead, and I follow them through the barren yellow hills of Jordan. The soil definitely looks calcareous.I presume these are old sea bottoms, where the shells of centuries have accumulated into a rich soft rock.

A short hour brings us to Madaba, where Richard weaves through a maze of narrow streets, lined with small shops and boutiques. It is obvious that a significant part of the economy here consists of tourism, but the town has not lost its character.

After parking our cars in the hot and crowded streets, we find a site where remnants of the Roman and Byzantine influence have been preserved . Some very nice mosaics displaying both texts and pictorials are displayedd. A collection from various buildings in the city, now placed in a semi open air museum.

Next to it are remnants from an early church and pieces of an old road. Later, at the Church of the Apostles, we see a similar architecture which combines roman remains as a foundation of early Byzantine reconstruction. 
 
In this church, the caretaker is very friendly. Sisi points at our camera and the man walks inside the enclosure to take numerous pictures of a very clear mosaic, depicting the personification of the sea. It's represented as a woman, surrounded by sea animals. As with all mosaics, a roof has been constructed to protect the area.

Our highlight is the little Greek Orthodox church. I ask the lady at the entrance if she speaks greek, but she does not. "But our priest speaks Greek and often does prayer in Greek." She proudly adds that the church is open for everyone . Muslims also attend sometimes. "Only in Jordan. Only in Jordan all religions respect each other."

The map is on the floor of the little church and occupies a large part of it. During worhip mats are rolled over it as protection. Amazing to behold. It's estimated to date back to the 6th century and shows in mosaic an area from roughly the Nile delta to Beirouth. Can you imagine the degree of geographical knowledge required - without any ability to study the area from above? All based on travelers' account?

Icons look down on us from all walls. Impressed we leave the building. We walk through the town, have a fresh orange juice at a small store that opened three days ago (so the owner tells us). Then we have a quick lunch in the streets, because Richanrd has to return home, and we have to make it to Petra.

The road south is long and, generally speaking, of reasonabe quality - an occasional hole and rough surface, but mostly we can drive about 100km/h (65 m/h). What I still have to get used to is speed bumps in the highway at every hamlet we pass through.

The land becomes drier. We pass several mines.From afar they seem to be open mines. And I can only guess that they mine calcitic liestone or some such product.

As we approach Petra, the land becomes less arid. We see olive groves and more goat herds, accompanied by a loney shepherd. Finally we enter the town of Petra, which is bigger than I thought. The location of our B&B is not on Google Maps, so I have to rely on my memory (of a map) which is always a dangerous thing to do. We follow the steep roads downhill - lined by many small stores, and am happy with the quiet and patient driving style of the Jordanians. They always make room for you, they don't honk, they alow pedestrians to cross, and allow this Dutchman to reach the wadi below, where the Visitors Center is.

From there we go steeply uphill. Frankly, you get used to everything, but the first time I stand at the bottom of, what seems to be, the Great Wall, and I am expected to go vertically towards the blue sky, I doubt my own faculties. But the third time you have done it, it feels like a trifle.

Jolanda Koopman - a Dutch lady - welcomes us and advices to try if we can stil get into the site. It is already about 18:00 and the site may close soon.

We quickly go back down to the visitor center and are able to enter with our Jordan Pass. It is a single path slowly descending into a gorge, which becomes the famous narrow canyon. It's longer that we think and I am afraid of being chased out soon. But the mountain walls are fascinating, smooth with severe eolian weathering. Bright colored layers between the white-yellow stone create an unreal appearance, and as the walls rise more and more sheer around us, you feel as if the world is far away indeed.

Many boys ask us if we want to ride donkeys or horses, but we are to busy taking it all in. And finally... yes, finally, we reach the "treasury" the famous rock-carved temple front. In my humble opinion it is a tomb, but everybody calls it the treasury.

It is impressive.

I am always weary when approaching something that means so much to me - something I have yearned to see since I was a boy. Because it may simply disappoint. But this Petra does not disappoint. We enter as Indiana Jones enters, and witness, past the familiar last canyon wall, the fantastic sculpture.

We are lucky, because it is so late. Almost no tourists. We take pictures without any people. We take our time and let the environment do its magic with our mind. The old times return. This Hellenistic rock carving, by the somewhat mysterious Nabataeans, leaves an impression. Not just on me. But on the world.

We are still not chased out, so we gradually move further, where a settlement is showing many more rock carvings, including a complete theater, carve out of the solid rock.

My yearning for peace is cut short by a bedouin boy who wants me to use his donkeys. I manage to keep him off. But 10 minutes later I hear him call me: "Robert!" 
Sisi has been talking to him and wants to use the donkey to go Little Petra and the "monastery" (another tomb). We discuss, haggle, and finally make a deal. Tomorrow we will drive to the bedouin village, leave our car there, and go by donkey into the hills.

As we return to the main gate, candles have been lit in brown paper bags all along the canyon - for 'Petra by Night.' We enjoy the romantic path, and finally return home in the dark night. Jolanda has prepared supper and the three of us talk until I am too tired to keep my eyes open.

I sleep like a carved rock...
 

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Comments

Angelito
2016-04-28

What a nice journey !

2025-02-10

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