Petra: Part 2 — Photography and Art Portfolio by Michal Huniewicz

Here's the second gallery from the ancient city of Petra, Jordan.

You can also check out my Petra: Part 1 gallery.

Uploaded on: 2012-06-30. Updated on: 2026-02-23.

Cowgirl

Cowgirl — Girl posing for a picture.

Majestic cat

Majestic cat — Cat posing for a picture.

Renaissance Tomb

Renaissance Tomb — This is the Renaissance Tomb. The name was apparently inspired by its elegance. The capitals of all the pilasters are of the simple Nabataean type. It is thought to have been carved in the early 2nd century AD.

Palace Tomb

Palace Tomb — This is the Palace Tomb. Supposedly, it is similar to the Roman palace design of the Golden House of Nero. It is composed of three levels; the lower one was cut from the rock, while the others above were partially erected with blocks of rock to compensate the insufficient height of the original rock face.

Roman Soldier Tomb

Roman Soldier Tomb — If you look carefully at the statue in the centre, you'll see a Roman cuirass worn by high-ranking Roman officers. On the other hand, the friezes and floral capitals appear more typical of Nabataean architecture before the Roman annexation.

Triclinium

Triclinium — This picture was taken from the Roman Soldier Tomb. It shows the opposite triclinium, which is a formal dining room in a Roman building. Both the Roman Soldier Tomb relate to each other; there probably once was a colonnaded courtyard connecting the two edifices.

Sacrifice Palace

Sacrifice Palace — Taken from the High Palace of Sacrifice, where the Nabataeans performed ritual killings of animals in their most sacred open-air altar.

View from the palace

View from the palace — Another view from the High Palace of Sacrifice.

On my way down

On my way down — On my way down I found these Jordanian flags.

Long live King Abdullah II!

Long live King Abdullah II! — This is a stall with souvenirs to buy. You can see a picture of the beloved King Abdullah II. It reminded me of Tunisia, which I had visited a few years ago, where photos of their beloved president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali were everywhere as well... Nevertheless, I highly recommend looking up the King's wife, Queen Rania of Jordan.

Petra from above

Petra from above — Petra, a rose-red city half as old as time (John William Burgon), from above.

Facades Street

Facades Street — The Facades Street in Petra.

Playing flute

Playing flute — Here's a man playing flute during a Petra night concert.

Petra night tour

Petra night tour — If you go to Petra, you should go on the night tour, where these candles are the only source of light, and you're offered tea, and listen to traditional music.

Tombs

Tombs — Tombs.

Colonnade Street

Colonnade Street — Colonnade Street, running through the heart of Petra, has many unexcavated sites on both sides. The columns were destroyed by an earthquake in 363 AD.

Columns

Columns — What remains of the columns.

Relax

Relax — Girl posing.

Hue

Hue — I was wondering how old this paint could be. Online I found suggestions it could be original.

Museum

Museum — The Petra museum and a tourist police stall.

Great Temple

Great Temple — The Great Temple measures 35 metres east-west, and is some 42.5 metres in length, making it the largest freestanding structure in Petra. It was built in the 1st century BCE. The Temple was covered in colourful plaster, and a system of channels carried water through the site. Some archaeologists have suggested that this was not a temple at all, but rather a government or administrative centre.

Donkeys

Donkeys — Poor donkeys unable to hide from the sun.

Camel

Camel — Riding a camel.

Bored donkey

Bored donkey — Bored donkey, standing on the way to the monastery.

Another donkey

Another donkey — Another donkey on the way to the monastery.

Ad Deir

Ad Deir — Ad Deir, the monastery, is from the 1st century BC. Just like treasury, monastery is not really an accurate name. It was probably a temple. The plaza in front of it was probably to accommodate crowds during ceremonies.

Scale

Scale — To help you realise the scale, these are people in front of the monastery. The monastery is 50m high.

Monastery

Monastery — The interior of the Monastery consists of a single room with double staircases leading up to a niche.

Mountain

Mountain — The mountain left of the monastery, where tourists are usually not allowed.

From a hill

From a hill — The monastery seen from a hill.

Oh, a goat

Oh, a goat — This goat with ears as veiny as Keira Knightley's feet didn't even say hello.

Hello!

Hello! — More goats. Fact: goats and sheep look different but are almost identical on the inside.

View

View — View.

Israel

Israel — The Israeli border is not too far from this place.

Dry mountains

Dry mountains — This is where I sat down, relaxed, had some sweets, and prepared to listen to some music and meditate - and then my iPod battery died. So much for relax and meditation!

Treasury from above

Treasury from above — The treasury seen from above.

On my way back

On my way back — One final look at Petra and then it was time to go home.

Sources