Hiking through Petra

This morning, Petra, Kevin and I were undertaking the Place of High Sacrifice hike. This popular trial is named after the high location on top of the Jebel Madbah Mountain. We started climbing steps through a valley crack in the mountain near the main Siq. These Nabatean steps were quite steep and some people paid to be on mules to help carry them up. As we followed the path higher, we got some great views of the canyon below.

The further we went up,the windier it got. I had to keep holding onto my hat in case it flew away. In less then 30mins we arrived at a view point. Here we experienced an awesome panoramic view of the Petra region spread out. I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised at how mountainous this region was. Before coming here, I thought it was all desert with one valley that took you to the Treasury.

From the viewpoint, we went further up to the sacrifice plateau, 1072m high. Also known as al-Madhbah in Arabic, it was mainly used for the sacrifice of animals to the Nabatean god Dushara.

After taking a few photos and admiring the vastness of the surrounding landscape, we walked along the plateau to the other side. You can then make your way down this side while other people are coming up. There seems to be two paths to get to the plateau and the one we took was the more popular to see the amazing views.

The 3 of us now continued our hike that would eventually take us back to the Petra Great temple. Descending to and through the canyon Wadi Farasa, we continued our hike as the temperature got higher. Always remember to bring water with you! The path was less touristy, with narrow winding tracks and steps going up and down.

You get to see some fascinating rock formations throughout this area. The wave patterns on the rock looked like they were sculptured by humans, but were in fact made naturally. The colours are vivid and bright on the rock surfaces.

A number of scholars have proposed Jebel al-Madhbah as the biblical Mount Sinai – the mountain on which the Ten Commandments were given to Moses by God.

Wadi Farasa is on the eastern side of the plateau. You are walking around the foot of the plateau towards the Great Temple in Petra. Through the rocky canyon, you get to see popular sites such as the Cult chamber, Garden Triclinium, the Soldier Tomb complex, Renaissance Tomb and Pediment tomb.

Once through the canyon, you slowly descend towards Petra through the open landscape. It was really hot now and the temperature constantly rising as it had approached midday.

There was no where to take shade, but the views would take your mind off the heat. The mountainous region in the distance revealed more and more tomb facades cut in the rock. I did not realise how many tombs are in Petra, and there were probably more to be discovered.

This is a great way to see a hidden side of Petra. The combination of the unique rocky landscape and ancient tombs makes this an interesting hike. The winding trail makes for an adventurous hike. You will need to have binoculars, or like me, a telephoto lens to see or take photos of the tombs in the distance in the final stage of the hike.

Have a good pair of shoes with you as the terrain is dusty and rocky. Bring plenty of water as you won't be able to buy any on the trail. I recommend wearing a hat to keep the sun off you in the last part of the hike as it is out in the open.