Last Updated on December 5, 2019 by asoulwindow
It was pitch dark! Me and my co travelers walked towards the Al Khazneh Treasury guided by the thousands of lamps lit in the pathway. I had yet not seen Petra in the daylight so it was even more exciting for me to see a Petra, veiled by darkness. The huge boulders and mountains seemed like monsters who would swallow you alive at the slightest of provocation. I imagined the life in 4th century B.C. when it became the capital of the Nabataeans. I imagined the caravans of camels which plied on these ‘roads’, bereft of fancy lamps. I imagined the sounds and smells of those times. I imagined what would it be like to walk the uneven path in the daylight the next day? The lamps gave a magical touch to the sometimes narrow, sometimes broad siq (passage). The natural gorges or siq lend a mysterious aura to the place.
When the siq finally ended at the treasury, the most recognizable feature of Petra, it made for an awe inspiring sight! Hundreds of lamps were lit in front of the treasury. The collective glow from the lamps bathed the treasury in yellow. We were made to sit on the mats on ground. Hot Jordanian tea warmed our palms as we sit with bated breath anticipating the next event.
Suddenly for me the novelty of the moment wore off. I decided to lie down on the mat for few minutes admiring the dark sky and the gorgeous head of the Treasury. The whispers of other tourists filled my ear. In the crowd, I found my ‘me time’. A soft feathery touch on my arm made me jolt out of my stupor. A cat had decided to make friends with me. I am not too fond of cats and have hardly touched any cats. But I liked the touch, soft as a fur ball, lighter than air, the cat won’t leave me. For me that moment was even more precious than viewing Petra by the night.
As soon as everybody settled on the mat, a man started playing Arabic music from behind a rock. He would do that for few minutes, sending the crowd in deep meditative silence. Then he emerged dramatically and continued playing the tunes, this time negotiating the narrow passages between the lamps. The act lasted for few more minutes and ended with the man narrating in imperfect English. It was followed by selfie sessions.
During the night, visitors are not allowed to move beyond this point. I spent some more time and decided to leave alone for my hotel, walking distance from Treasury. It was eerie and at times scary to walk in those dark pathways alone. I started to replay the ‘Petra by Night’ in my mind to distract myself from imagining the monsters who would eat me alive.
IS PETRA BY NIGHT WORTH IT?
It is no doubt that Petra By Night is a touristy frill. However, it might appeal to some and might not appeal to others. I would suggest if you have the money and time, do give a chance to Petra by Night. In case you have to choose (due to money or time issues) between Petra by Night and Petra in Day, go for the latter. Daylight gives you a better understanding of the famous UNESCO World Heritage Site. Also, you can walk to the famous monastery and explore other tombs and ruins in the day time. Personally, I preferred Petra in daytime but if I had not seen Petra by night, it would have bothered me for a long time.
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This is the perfect website for anyone who hopes to understand this Petra.
You know so much its almost hard to argue with
you (not that I personally would want to…HaHa). You certainly put a fresh spin on a subject that has been written about for a long time.
Excellent stuff, just great!
That’s a lovely compliment. Thanks a lot Abby!
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I think i would still like to see Petra by day but Petra by night looks pretty amazing. I guess it is worth seeing both. I’m sure the pictures don’t do it justice.
Yup. The real thing is something else. That’s why we travel. 😊
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I’ve wanted to go to Petra ever since seeing Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade, haha. But I would definitely want to see it by daylight, you can actually explore then! The lamps look pretty, but if you’re just sitting there… kinda feels a waste.
Yup. Exploring in day gives you a better understanding of all the monuments of the place. I strongly recommend you hire a guide for all the places of interest in Petra.
I had never thought to go here at night! Petra has been so high on my list of places to go for such a long time. Your photos make me realise I need to see it both day and night.
Yup if you have time and money you must visit Petra in both day and night.
Petra looks as stunning by the night as it does in the day. Those lights are so beautiful. Equally beautiful is the story behind them. I wish I could spend a similar night here in front of the treasury
I agree. Wishing you lots of travel in 2017. I hope you make it to Petra this year.
To be honest I had not heard of Petra, but the way you detailed the article made me feel relal close. You clearly wrote with a lot of passion. Nice post.
Thanks so much. Now that you know about Petra, you must add it in your bucket list. You will not forget it in a lifetime.
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I’ve never seen photos of Petra at night. Is it really lit with multi-colored lights? Like blue and purple? I prefer it in the warm yellowish glow of all the small lights on the ground. It’s interesting to note that you would recommend seeing it by day if that’s someone’s only option, but it would be really neat to see it at night as well.
Yup. It is lit with multi colored lights. I think a facade of treasury will not be clearly visible if only the lamps were used to illuminate it.
I had no idea you could see Petra at night! This is absolutely amazing! I feel like most 7 wonders of the world would be super cool at night! I would love to see it both day and night!
Whoa. This thought didn’t cross my mind. That’s a great idea to travel see other 7 wonders of the world in night.
Well, Petra by day is something that’s on my ‘must see’ list; it never occurred to me to think what it might be like at night. I can see that it is definitely worth a look from your amazing photos, but from what you’re saying a day time visit might be the more rewarding of the two if you only have time to do one of them. It seems tourists swarm the site no matter what time of day it is you go; guess that’s something we all have to deal with when visiting wonders in this day and age…
Yup. In day you get to see more monuments beyond treasury. The number of tourists who came to see Petra by night were much less.
Some places just give a completely different experience when visited at night time. Usually it is a worse experience due to not seeing much, but some places are even better at night. Your photos of Petra really points to the latter. 🙂
I agree. That is why I try to visit a single place in both night and day. The aura is different at both times. Glad to know that you too do that.