The Monastery or Little Petra in Jordan

It seems that the best monuments in the world are tombs. The Pyramids of Egypt, The Taj Mahal in India, The Terracota Warriors in Xian, China, St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome and Westminster Abbey in England are all famous sites that honor the dead: Kings, Queens, Emperors, Royals, Pharaohs and Saints.

Petra in Jordan is no different. The Treasury, the most recognized architecture, was built to bury a Nabatean King. Exploring the whole Petra in circuitous climb and hike, visitors will be awed at the number of caves on the rocky mountains that meant to bury the dead in peace. Many are of small sizes that resemble like capsule hotels in Japan where I once stayed. Few are huge and some are unfinished carvings which are patterned after The Treasury.

They also have donkeys but they’re tiny. I can’t even look at them when an adult is riding on them.

This is THE MONASTERY or also known as LITTLE PETRA. 

The Monastery or Little Petra in Jordan..

To reach [easyazon_link asin=”0760720223″ locale=”US” new_window=”yes” nofollow=”default” tag=”pridecostume-20″ add_to_cart=”default” cloaking=”default” localization=”default” popups=”yes”]Petra[/easyazon_link], you have to hike on these gorgeous rocks that glow in sunset. 

The Monastery or Little Petra in Jordan.

Or pass this breathtaking contrast of hues. 

The Monastery or Little Petra in Jordan.

Here’s an example of an unfinished carvings on the rock. 

The Monastery or Little Petra in Jordan.

Unfinished but they show unequalled craftsmanship and human ingenuity. 

The Monastery or Little Petra in Jordan.

These tombs are towering, grand and marvelous!

And guess what, in each of these doorways and arches, there’s only one, two or three people buried in there. It’s definitely not a mass grave.

And here’s a peek of what it looks inside. 

The Monastery or Little Petra in Jordan

These ones aren’t that grand so I can only surmise these were tombs for the ordinary people

In some caves / tombs, you’ll be amazed at the beauty of these rocks. 

This part of the hiking trail up is my favorite. 

When you’re up there, you’ll be treated to a sweeping magnificent panorama of barren hills…..

….. towering mountains, deep gorges, rough sandstones that took millions of years to form…..

…and ancient Roman ruins that stood the test of time. 

The Roman Ampitheater

Would you take one of these as a souvenir…

Or this?

The vendor tried hard to sell this antique to me for 30JD (almost like 30 British Pounds). Ridiculous, right? But he said it’s ancient and he’s the only one who has it in the whole of Petra. Every time women passed by his makeshift stool, he’d cover it with his palm so not to be obvious. He was only showing it to male customers, I suppose. I bargained it for 5JD (I know I’m a cheapskate) but he showed me another item worth the price I offered—and it’s not pornorgraphic. So, I politely declined and left. LOL…

Related: Things to do in Jordan 

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Travel Guide for Jordan
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Hostels in Jordan

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