Destination Jordan
In the summer of 1812, Sheikh Ibrahim emerged from the great slit in the mountain of Jebel al Khubtha, known as the Siq, and came upon the most incredible sight. Before him rose the royal tomb of Al Khazneh with its tall Hellenistic façade, the so-called Treasury. He had stumbled on the rose-red city of Petra, having crossed deserts to find a suitable mountain-top to sacrifice his goat – or so he said.
Disguised as an Arab, the good sheikh was in fact the Swiss explorer, Johann Ludwig Burckhardt. He was intent on secretly visiting this remote spot in the Ottoman Empire after hearing of this extraordinary place amidst wild mountain scenery. Burckhardt was acutely aware that he might not survive this trip if his true identity were discovered, even by his guide. He was the first European for many centuries to visit Petra, and although he could not take notes or sketch as he observed the ancient monuments, he did record much afterwards from memory.
