PETRA · Jordan

Gallery

Sandstone reads differently every hour

Al-Khazneh framed by the last turn of the Siq, shortly after sunrise.
Al-Khazneh framed by the last turn of the Siq, shortly after sunrise.
Ad Deir, the Monastery, 50 metres wide and cut from a single face.
Ad Deir, the Monastery, 50 metres wide and cut from a single face.
The Siq narrows to a shoulder-width slot of reflected red light.
The Siq narrows to a shoulder-width slot of reflected red light.
Candles laid in the sand for Petra by Night.
Candles laid in the sand for Petra by Night.

Events & activities

What actually happens here, day and night

Music nights, feasts, hikes, rides, stargazing, balloon flights and the excavation seasons that keep uncovering the city.

Bedouin music around the fire at a desert camp after the site closes.
Bedouin music around the fire at a desert camp after the site closes.
Guided morning hikes on the rock-cut stairways above the main trail.
Guided morning hikes on the rock-cut stairways above the main trail.
Zarb — lamb and vegetables slow-cooked in a sand oven, served with tea.
Zarb — lamb and vegetables slow-cooked in a sand oven, served with tea.
Bedouin stalls along the trail: silver, sand bottles and woven textiles.
Bedouin stalls along the trail: silver, sand bottles and woven textiles.
Camel rides waiting on the Treasury plaza through the middle of the day.
Camel rides waiting on the Treasury plaza through the middle of the day.
Stargazing from camp — almost no light pollution once the fires die down.
Stargazing from camp — almost no light pollution once the fires die down.
Sunrise balloon flights over the ridges just outside the park boundary.
Sunrise balloon flights over the ridges just outside the park boundary.
Seasonal excavation work — most of Petra is still under the sand.
Seasonal excavation work — most of Petra is still under the sand.