SIQ AL-BARID (LITTLE PETRA)

Several reasons justify the nickname of Little Petra given to this natural site with interesting archaeological remains. First of all, it is located only a few kilometers away from the ancient Nabatean capital. Secondly, it is entered through a long and narrow canyon, just like in Petra. Finally, the caves were occupied, exploited and developed by the Nabateans in the first century BC. Little Petra is a Unesco World Heritage Site, just like its big sister. But its access is free during the day and the site is also much less crowded, which makes it a pleasant excursion.

Little Petra is entered through a narrow gorge 450 meters long, known as Siq Al-Barid, the "cold canyon", because of the high rock walls preventing the sunlight from warming it. The colors of the rocks are some of the most wonderful in the area and change hue as the day progresses. The natural corridor connects three clearings where buildings were constructed by the Nabateans. The front rock has been carved in places and the cavities created from scratch, enlarged or modified. Just as in Petra, an ingenious hydraulic system provided the occupants with water. Archaeologists have shown little interest in this site for the moment, far too busy exploring the inexhaustible wonders of Petra. Consequently, little is known about the purpose and reason for the construction of these buildings. It would seem that Little Petra was a sort of suburb of the Nabatean capital intended to serve as a place of trade and exchange between merchants travelling the Silk Road. The site was abandoned at the fall of the Nabataean empire and the Romans did not take any interest in it. Traces of smoke on the walls of the caves as well as graffiti in Arabic testify to their occupation by the Bedouin tribes of the region, just like those of the Neolithic village of Al-Beidah. However, an important rediscovery was made by archaeologists in 2010. They finally looked at the Nabatean frescoes in a cave, the one and only example of original paintings preserved in situ. These frescoes were known to archaeologists since 1906 and had been photographed by their Western discoverer, a certain Father Abel. But they had never been studied in detail, nor had they been the subject of any research or inventory.

Siq Al-Barid. It is reached by a narrow passage carved in the rock that allowed a man or a dromedary to reach the canyon. Before you enter, you can admire the classical and elegant facade of a Nabataean tomb dating from the first century BC.

The columned triclinium. Along the way, you will admire the scrolls and curves shaped by the water on the soft sandstone walls. Although the canyon is dry most of the time, be very careful in case of rain or storms. Ask locals if it is safe to venture out. As the canyon widens, you can see a series of openings and a cave carved into the rock. Upstairs, the cave entrance has been carved with a portico topped by a triangular pediment. This cave was probably used as a temple.

The 4 tricliniums. The gorge narrows for about 50 meters, before widening again. Four rooms were built into the rock, which were probably used to accommodate passing merchants. In Roman times, a triclinium was a bed that could accommodate 3 people.

The painted biclinium. It is located a little after the large triclinia, while continuing the Siq, on the left. One reaches it by a staircase. The caves that surround this room were used as a cistern, a banquet hall, and tombs. The frescoes were "discovered" and photographed in 1906 by Father Abel. However, they were only studied in depth in 2010. Preservation work has revealed new frescoes and samples sent to Yarmouk University have made it possible to date the frescoes between 40 and 25 BC. The cave consists of two rooms in a row, the first being larger than the second. The first room is decorated only with stucco on the back wall, creating reliefs reminiscent of some Pompeii frescoes. The second room is much more decorated, in a very different style: we can see Cupids armed with bows, arrows and spears, busy protecting the grapes from greedy birds, harvesting or pruning the vine. These frescoes are reminiscent of the cult of Dionysus, the god of the vine and excess in Greek mythology. The frescoes are greatly damaged by the ravages of time and the campfires of the Bedouins who occupied this cave until recently.

Viewpoint. Continuing up the Siq al-Barid to the end, you reach a staircase that leads to the top of the mountains and offers majestic views of Petra and its surroundings. You can take the path that leads to the Petra Monastery, provided you have a valid entrance ticket to the main site. The path is not well traveled and not marked, so it is best to hire a guide to avoid getting lost. The 6 kilometer hike takes between 1.5 and 2 hours.