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David Roberts-El Deir, Petra (March 8 1839) - Wikimedia Commons
Petra, the ancient city carved into the rose-red cliffs of Jordan, has captivated the world for centuries. Here are some of the key moments and figures in its fascinating history:
Johannes Burckhardt
In 1812, Swiss explorer Johannes Burckhardt, disguised as an Arab, rediscovered Petra. His daring journey and subsequent accounts brought the forgotten city back into the world’s consciousness, revealing its stunning architecture and historical significance.
John William Burgon
In 1845, British poet John William Burgon won Oxford University's Newdigate Prize for his poem "Petra." His famous description of Petra as "...a rose-red city half as old as time" immortalized its beauty and mystery, capturing the imagination of many.
It seems no work of Man's creative hand,
By labor wrought as wavering fancy planned;
But from the rock as if by magic grown,
Eternal—silent—beautiful—alone!
Not virgin-white like that old Doric shrine,
Where once Athena held her rites divine;
Not saintly-grey, like many a minster fane,
That crowns the hill and consecrates the plain;
But rose-red as if the blush of dawn,
That first beheld them were not yet withdrawn;
The hues of youth upon a brow of woe,
Which Man deemed old two thousand years ago.
Match me such marvel save in Eastern clime,
A rose-red city—half as old as time!
Burgon’s words still ring true for everyone who passes through the narrow winding Siq, a twisting corridor of yellow, brown, and rose-red rock that seems to have no end. Through the narrow tear in the rock is revealed the elegant facade of the Treasury, protected for centuries from cruel erosion by the desert winds !
Like Percey Shelley in Ozymandias, Burgon was very taken by the beauty of a place despite never actually casting an eye upon it. Burgon entered the Newdigate Prize competition three times and won on his third time in 1845. Other winners of the prize include Oliver Wilde and John Buchan of ‘The Thirty-Nine Steps’.
The theme that year was the up and coming destination of Petra, famed for its hugely rewarding destination- albeit after an immensely tricky journey. Petra had been gaining popularity after the more adventurous western tourists who had undertaken the journey wrote about their treks after arriving home.
Buron did actually visit Petra in 1862, seventeen years later as a guest of Miss Elizabeth Frances Webb. The group of seven set off from England on 10 September 1861. After a cruise down the Nile and sightseeing in Suez and Mt. Sinai, the group reached Aqaba on 5 April. Their trip to Jordan involved a taxing, month-long camel trek.
Burgon spent four days in Petra over the Easter weekend 16-21 April. He made sketches of Petra; sadly, it is unknown if these survived. He commented in a letter that Petra was ‘the most astonishing and interesting place I ever visited, and may well stand alone.’ The sandstone cliffs … in colour unrivalled’ but goes on to say: ‘… there is nothing rosy in Petra, by any means’.
After departing from Petra, Burgon’s group traversed through Wadi Araba to Hebron before reaching Jerusalem on 29 April 1862. Their journey by camel had totalled 50 days. Upon arrival, Burgon fell ill and as a result missed the rest of the trip to eastern Jordan. He was carried by mules and then lifted onto a boat that took him to Beirut. Deathly ill, he spent more than a month recovering before catching a steamer to Marseilles, France in June and arriving home in July 1862.
He is buried in Oxford along with many notable others including Kenneth Graeme of The Wind in the Willows fame.
The last couplet of Petra has become one of the most famous in poetry, and the poem is 370 lines in its entirety.
David Roberts
Scottish painter David Roberts visited Petra in 1839. He returned to Britain with detailed sketches and stories of his encounters with local tribes. These were published in "The Holy Land, Syria, Idumea, Arabia, Egypt, and Nubia," bringing Petra's landscapes and culture to the Western world.
Follow the steps of David Roberts (1796-1864) in his discovery of the site of Petra and the Holy Land. His drawings have preserved intact the charm of a lost world, in which a journey through the Orient was still an adventure and such marvels as the temples of the Valley of Kings or the Holy Sepulchre were known to the public at large only through the mediation of art.
David Robert's journey: Suez, the Sinai Peninsula, Aqaba, Petra, Hebron, Gaza, Askelon, Ashdod, Jaffa, Jericho, Bethlehem, Nablus, Nazareth, Akko, Tyre (Sur), Sidon, Baalbek.
"Married to a Bedouin", by Marguerite van Geldermalsen
In 1979, New Zealander Marguerite van Geldermalsen married Mohammed Abdullah, a Bedouin from Petra. They lived in a cave in Petra until his death. Her book, "Married to a Bedouin," offers a rare glimpse into the life and culture of Petra’s Bedouin community.
Quotes from Marguerite van Geldermalsen :
" The Bdoul Bedouin no longer live inside Petra, that ancient city in the south of Jordan. They no longer set up their tents of woven hair on the long, wind-catching ridges and invite passing tourists to share a cup of tea in the shade, an evening meal, or even a place to sleep as they did when I met my husband there in the summer of 1978.
I was from New Zealand; Mohammad had been born in one of the caves.
Married to a Bedouin is the story of how I fell in love with Mohammad Abdallah and married him; how I settled into his cave, and slept with him on the ledge in front under a sheet of stars; how I learned to fetch water by donkey, bake bread daily and how I ran the local clinic.
Seven years later, in 1985, when the Bedouin were resettled to the Umm Sayhoon village on a hillside overlooking Petra, I was a part of the tribe. And since then I have been a part of the story of Petra. I worked alongside Mohammad selling sand bottles, t-shirts and later silver jewellery and people always asked how come I was there. As I answered their questions about the life here, married to my Bedouin and living in the valley of Petra, I realised that time was moving quickly and the life I was describing was difficult to see. That’s when I started thinking of all the stories I had to tell.
Through these stories, my own and the stories of the people I shared the valley with, I offer the recent history of Petra."
Englishwoman Joan Ward documented her nine years living with the Petra Bedouin in Umm Sayhoun in her book, "Living With Arabs: Nine Years with the Petra Bedouin." Her work provides an insightful look into Bedouin life and their relationship with Petra.
"Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" Film in 1988
Petra has also made its mark in popular culture. The site famously appeared in the film "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade," showcasing its dramatic landscapes and adding to its global allure.
1-The playwright John Yarbrough's tragicomedy, Petra, debuted at the Manhattan Repertory Theatre in 2014 and was followed by award-winning performances at the Hudson Guild in New York in 2015. It was selected for the Best American Short Plays 2014-2015 anthology.
2-Petra was the focus of an American PBS Nova special, "Petra: Lost City of Stone", which premiered in the US and Europe in February 2015.
3-In 1977, the Lebanese Rahbani brothers wrote the musical Petra as a response to the Lebanese Civil War.
4-The playwright John Yarbrough's tragicomedy, Petra, debuted at the Manhattan Repertory Theatre in 2014 and was followed by award-winning performances at the Hudson Guild in New York in 2015. It was selected for the Best American Short Plays 2014-2015 anthology.
5- Petra appeared in the novels Bartleby";"Left Behind Series; Appointment with Death; The Eagle in the Sand; The Red Sea Sharks, the nineteenth book in The Adventures of Tintin series; and in Kingsbury's The Moon Goddess and the Son. It played a prominent role in the Marcus Didius Falco mystery novel Last Act in Palmyra, and is the setting for Agatha Christie's Appointment With Death. In Blue Balliett's novel, Chasing Vermeer, the character Petra Andalee is named after the site.
6-The playwright John Yarbrough's tragicomedy, Petra, debuted at the Manhattan Repertory Theatre in 2014 and was followed by award-winning performances at the Hudson Guild in New York in 2015. It was selected for the Best American Short Plays 2014-2015 anthology.
7-Petra was the focus of an American PBS Nova special, "Petra: Lost City of Stone", which premiered in the US and Europe in February 2015.
8-Petra appeared in the novels Bartleby";"Left Behind Series; Appointment with Death; The Eagle in the Sand; The Red Sea Sharks, the nineteenth book in The Adventures of Tintin series; and in Kingsbury's The Moon Goddess and the Son. It played a prominent role in the Marcus Didius Falco mystery novel Last Act in Palmyra, and is the setting for Agatha Christie's Appointment With Death. In Blue Balliett's novel, Chasing Vermeer, the character Petra Andalee is named after the site.
Petra's allure lies not only in its ancient ruins but also in the stories of those who discovered, depicted, and lived within its sandstone walls. From explorers and poets to painters and modern-day residents, Petra continues to captivate and inspire people from around the world. Join us at Jordan Horizons Tours & Travel to explore the timeless wonders of Petra and create your own unforgettable stories.
