The Siq

mariapiquet's picture

Location

Petra
Jordan
30° 19' 22.8288" N, 35° 27' 22.266" E
JO
General info: 

The Siq a dramatic and awe-inspiring natural rock formation that works as the main entrance to the ancient Nabatean city of Petra. Also known as Siqit, the main entrance in Petra is a dim, narrow gorge (in some points no more than 3 metres wide) winds its way approximately 1.2 kilometres and ends at Petra's most elaborate ruin, Al Khazneh (the Treasury). A wide valley outside leading to the Siq is known as the Bab as-Sīq (Gateway to the Siq).

Unlike slot canyons like Antelope Canyon, which are directly shaped by water, the Siq is a natural geological fault split apart by tectonic forces; only later was it worn smooth by water. The walls that enclose the Siq stand between 91–182 metres (299–597 ft) in height.

At the beginning of the Siq, one can still view the remains of the city’s gate. On both sides of the Siq, there are channels to draw water from Wadi Musa (the Valley of Moses), from outside the city to the inside.

Getting there: 

You can take a taxi to the Petra visitor center, from where you can either walk or ride on horseback to the beginning of Siq.

Costs: 

Visitors that overnight in Jordania pay 50 JD (=70 USD) for 1 day's access to Petra.

If you are coming from Israel or Egypt for one day (without night in Jordan) the price is 90 JD (=127 USD)

You might be interested in

Valkiajärvi is popular among scuba divers due to the very good visibility and lively lake life. The visibility is typically over 10 meters and can be up to 30 meters on the best days.

Located in Hollola, Kiikunlähde is a rare sight in Finnish nature, a turquoise lake! It is 400m long and 100m wide and all of the water comes from the springs in the bottom.

Nature might not be the first thing that comes into your mind when thinking about Hong Kong. However very close to the city you can experience Hong Kong in a whole different way.

The Everglades National Park is one of the largest wilderness areas in the United States. It stretches over the area of more than 1.5 million acres and is one of the most popular destinations in Florida.

The astonishingly vertical cliffs of the Alabaster Coast are most picturesque in the small town of Etretat. The cliffs are up to 70m high and create a perfect contrast with the plateau of the Pays de Caux above the cliffs.

The Trango Towers is a group of tall granite spikes located in northern Pakistan. The Towers offer some of the largest cliffs and most challenging rock climbing in the world.

Interesting places nearby

This cave bridge waterfall ain´t a scifi movie scene. It’s a real limestone cave carved out of Jurassic limestone over millions of years by winter meltwater.

Jerash is one of the largest and most well preserved Roman sites outside Italy.

The Dead Sea is the saltiest sea in the world with 34,2% salinity. Practically this means that swimming here becomes floating.

Wadi Rum offers some of the most extraordinary desert scenery you´ll ever see and is certainly one of the highlights of any visit to Jordan.

The sandstone city of Petra is something you won’t find anywhere else in the world. It is a complete city mostly carved to the sandstone aproximately 300BC.

The Great Pyramids consist of the Great Pyramid of Giza (known as the Great Pyramid and the Pyramid of Cheops or Khufu), the somewhat smaller Pyramid of Khafre (or Chephren), and the relatively modest-sized Pyramid of Menkaure (or Mykeri