Free wallpaper

These photos are available as a free wallpaper for up to 24" screens. Just click on the links to download from an external site. And don't say I never give you anything! I'll add some more later.

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Paralimni church, Cyprus.

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Cape Greco, Cyprus

Petra: The High Place of Sacrifice

To reach the High Place of Sacrifice takes a steep 400 step climb. Hard going when it's 45c. As you climb you can look back on the valley below until the path starts to wind between the rocks.

The locals don't miss a trick to set up a stall even on the climb up.

At the top of the climb is the place of sacrifice where animals were sacrificed to the gods. Even the sacrificial alter has become a display shelf for bangles and fridge magnets.

From the back of the plateau you can see down into the Faras valley. This facade is the 'Tomb of the Roman Soldier'

I liked the Tomb of the Roman Soldier. Because it shows how assimilated they were when they occupied the area (I think) under Emperor Trajan. Their memorials were in the local style. No-one knows who the soldier was but the remains of his statue are in a niche in the facade. The Romans used a lot of the temples for their own purposes.

Petra: Dust to Dust

It seems no work of Man's creative hand,

by labour wrought as wavering fancy planned;

But from the rock as if by magic grown,

eternal, silent, beautiful, alone!

Petra by John William Burgon

I particularly like the way the city is fading back into the rock from where it came.  

This first facade is one of my favourites. The rock seems almost alive and breathing.

Petra: The Monastery

Right at the far end of Petra, high up the mountainside is The Monastery or Al Dier. To reach it takes a long hike up a rocky gorge.

On the way you pass by the Lion Tomb. 

The long walk is worth it when you reach the Monastery which in some ways is more impressive (and probably bigger) than the Treasury. It's location also means you find very few other people there. 

This is Karl Pilkington's take on the Monastery. Viewed from the 'hole' that I took some of my photos from.

Petra: Rocks

Petra means 'rock' in Greek. Here are some abstract photos of rock formations around Petra. I will make them available as wallpapers sometime later.

Petra: The Treasury

As you exit the Siq, directly in front of you is the most well known building in Petra, the Treasury. It stands about 40 metres high and is carved from rose coloured sandstone. To me the most impressive feature was that it had no natural faults in the stone. It was carved to be impressive as the first building travelers would see but luckily as it was carved out there were no cracks or layers of different coloured rock to spoil its features.

The Treasury (or Al Khazneh).

It wasn't actually a treasury, it's believed to be a tomb. My dad told me that the Bedouins thought it held gold and that they would take pot shots with their rifles at the central carving believing that if they hit the right spot it would cleave open and spill all of it's gold. The bullet holes are still there to this day.

The Bedouin's bullet holes can still be seen on the central statue.

The 'postcard shot'.

The footholds carved out on the side of the facade by the stone masons can be seen all the way up the building. I wouldn't fancy it.

The upper level with footholds.

Here's The Sisters of Mercy featuring the rather lovely Mrs. Dave Vanian performing 'Dominion' which was filmed at Petra.

Petra: The Siq

My late father visited Petra 60 years ago when he was on shore leave with the Royal Navy. In those days foreign tours even to the Med, lasted up to two years. Living in Saudi Arabia allowed me the luxury of a short two hour flight to spend a long weekend in Jordan which at a push gave me time to see Petra and a few other sights.

Dad often told me about his visit to Petra. In those days there were no hotels there for visitors, him and his mates gratefully accepted the famed bedouin hospitality and slept among the ruins. I took this trip with him.

Dad at Petra in 1952. Let's hope the Temple family photography
skills and dress sense have improved in the past 60 years.

Petra is a city built by the Nabateaen people in about 1500 BC. The path down to the city starts at the top of a wide valley near the modern day town. On the way you pass several early tombs built in a simpler style than the main city.

An early 'block tomb'

The 'obelisk tomb'

As you continue downwards the valley narrows into what is known as 'The Siq'.

A niche in the Siq wall

A local catching up on his emails

When you get to the bottom of The Siq it is only about ten feet wide. You then have your first view of one of the worlds most iconic buildings. The Treasury.

The Treasury