HOLY LAND - WALKING IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF JESUS

I made a pilgrimage to Holy Land from 16 - 24 Oct 17. Holy Land is defined as the area comprising the modern state of Israel, the Palestinian territories, W Jordan, parts of S Lebanon, S W Syria and the Sinai Peninsula of Eygpt. It is holy to the Christians, Jews and Muslims. One of the highlights of the pilgrimage was to visit the Red Rose City of Petra in Jordan. Today, the remains of what was a great and thriving civilisation under the Nabateans, nomads of Arabian descent who settled there and became thriving merchants capitalising on the strategic location of the place where many trade routes converged, can be seen. The Nabateans for their trade and business acumen probably settled in places like Rome and Greek cities and became absorbed there and are hardly known now. The Nabateans are mentioned in 1 Maccabees 5:25 for being friendly to Judas Maccabeus who led the Maccabean Revolt against the Seleucid Empire of Antiochus Epiphanes. It is also probable that Moses who when wandering in the desert for 40 years had some dealings with them too. Shown in the pic is the Treasury, also known as El Khazneh in local lingo, which comes into partial view before emerging from the siq (canyon) leading to it.

From the entrance to the Treasury, one has to walk roughly five km, four in the sun and the last in the siq which is cool all year round. Horse-drawn carriages like the one shown are available for rent at about US$ 40 for a round trip. Expect a bumpy ride though.

The Tomb of the Obelisks before one enters the siq (canyon). It's so named for the four obelisks at the top of the tomb.

Walking along the siq or canyon which leads to the Treasury. The walls are adorned with many colours at places along the way. At narrow stretches, people have to compete with animals or horse-drawn carts for space. The siq itself is about one km long. 

Those who want to venture beyond the Colonnaded Street of the "urban area" of Petra can hire camels or donkeys.

Donkies for hire for exploration of the outlying areas of Petra. Be sure to settle the price with the animal owner or risk getting fleeced at the end of a ride.

The remnants of a Roman theatre.

This is a part of the Royal Tombs consisting of the Tomb of the Urn, Silk Tomb, Corinthian Tomb, Palace Tomb and Tomb of Sextius Florentine.

The Treasury in full view of the midday sun. I'm enthralled by the beauty of this magnificent structure carved out of pink limestone and mystified by the original purpose for it. It has been epitomised in the the 1989 movie "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade". Petra has been chosen as one of the New Wonders of the World, alongside others like Jeju Island, S Korea.