Little Petra, Jordan

Written By: Gail Clifford | Published By: Weekend Notes | October 17, 2022

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Travel north in Jordan from the Petra archeological site in Wadi Musa (the Valley of Moses) to the smaller slot canyon area of Siq al-Barid, known as “Little Petra.” Enter from the parking area into Siq al-Barid, “cold canyon,” which, like Petra’s Siq provides shade from the Middle East’s frequent sun rays. Little Petra, open during daylight hours, does not require an admission ticket. Local vendors sell souvenirs in the entry area and single vendors set up along the route.

Little Petra, like Petra, contains buildings carved into the sandstone canyon walls by the Nabateans during the 1st century AD. The area was a way station for caravans along the Silk Route south of the Arabic Peninsula where ships from India and China arrived at the Port of Aden in modern-day Yemen, and transported goods via camel caravans towards the Mediterranean Sea, crossing the desert through the Nabatean Kingdom.

During the passage, they stopped to rest, obtain services like water and food for themselves and their animals, and pay the necessary taxes. While Little Petra was only one-way station, they kept many water cisterns that collected water via channels from the top of the mountain into deep wells.

Today, walk from the parking lot into a narrow high rock wall façade which widens after about 400 meters. Here, the walls have been carved into both artwork and dwelling places.

A colonnade triclinium, thought to have been used as a temple, awaits further archeological discovery.

Continue to walk another 50 meters through the narrow canyon that leads to the area with triclinia thought to have welcomed visiting caravans.

The Painted Biclinium or Painted Room flows from the rock-cut stairs to a platform before the main entrance. It leads to two consecutive chambers, one with benches carved from the rock on either side of the door thought to be a dining room. The frescoes in this room are thought to prove the importance of Dionysus in Nabataea and continue under archeological investigation, hopeful that they’ll represent foods cultivated in the area during that time.

Opposite is a large cistern, one of many in the area built by the original inhabitants to allow quick watering of the multiple caravan participants.

There were many large houses, like guest houses, with three long chairs indicative of King Triclinium’s Palace for the area ruler, not the king. Petra, an administrative center, may have been considered the city of Kings, and Little Petra remained a service city.

At the end of the path is a staircase. If you’re not allergic to cats, walk up it and see the view over more rocked terrains. If you’re allergic to cats, have your epi-pen ready or forego the walk.