Layers of Time - Amman & Petra - 12/22-12/23/25 - JESSICA

Word of the Day: Stratified

Definition: Arranged or organized in layers.

The Experience: Day two and three in Jordan took us through layers of time. Sanad became our guide and, ultimately, our friend. Introduced to us through Ms. Dalal, (Shukran, Ms. Dalal), he met us at the airport the previous day, and he stayed with us through the layers of Jordan’s past and present. He was a passionate storyteller who was committed to distinguishing between what history can prove and what remains conjecture. 

We began at the Citadel in Amman, where civilizations have literally risen one atop another. To be honest, I had a hard time keeping them all straight. I vaguely remember learning pieces of this history in school (sorry, Mr. Zach), but it was unreal to see evidence of it all in one place. Ammonite, Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, and early Islamic artifacts all right before our eyes! Sanad explained that what we see today is not a single era preserved, but rather a vertical history, built and rebuilt by those who came after. 

One image captured this better than any explanation. A mosaic floor, still intact after centuries, lay exposed to the sky. Mosaics like these survived because later builders layered over them, unintentionally protecting them. This is also why we are so lucky to see King Tutankhamen’s tomb. It was buried beneath debris from later construction, shielding it from tomb robbers (more about that in a later post).

From the Citadel, we went down into the city to the Amman Theater. Often labeled the Roman Theater, many locals, including Sanad, refer to it instead as the Amman Theater, a name that favors place over empire. It is so interesting that even the language we use reveals which layers we center and which we overlook. I so appreciated Sanad’s gentle reminder of this! 

Together, the four of us traveled three hours south to Petra, and I have no words to describe the natural and human-made beauty that exists there! 

By day, Petra revealed its own stratification. Sanad pointed out the nearly six meters of sand that once buried Petra, layers deposited over centuries before excavation. He showed us the Nabataean water systems carved directly into the rock, including dams and reservoirs engineered to control flash floods in this desert environment. Tombs were carved directly into the mountainsides, their squared corners and precise angles astonishing when you remember this was all done by hand. Having just built our own cabin, I know how difficult that kind of precision is, even with modern tools. 

The stone itself had layers. Swirls of red, pink, cream, and gold twisted through the rock. Sanad explained how the Nabataeans worshiped multiple gods, while also honoring the gods of traveling merchants. Altars were carved in the rock along trade routes so travelers could pray before trading. Faith, commerce, and engineering were layered together. 

Sanad told us a story I won’t forget. Once, while guiding a group inside the Treasury, a sudden flash flood surged through the Siq. Water rose to their knees, trapping them inside until rescue arrived. It was a stark reminder that nature is still in charge. 

This was also where we first felt the tension, quiet, but unmistakable. Armed guards approached Sanad several times throughout the day. We never felt unsafe, but we were unsettled. Later, Sanad explained the delicate balance at Petra: local Bedouin communities want to be the sole guides, while professional guides and researchers work to preserve historical accuracy and regulate tourism. The tension often goes unspoken, but it is there. It made me think about my own country, where the push and pull over who belongs, who decides, and who tells the story is often just as present, if less visible.

That night, Petra revealed yet another layer. Petra by Candlelight transformed the space entirely. Small, foldable, fabric stools and carpets were laid out in front of the Treasury, and we sat together drinking tea as a Bedouin flute player filled the canyon with music that echoed off the rock. It was hauntingly beautiful. A light projection was superimposed onto the Treasury, showing how historians believe it may have changed over time, one layer dissolving into another.

There were subtle nods to films shot here, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Transformers, The Mummy Returns, among others, reminders that Petra continues to be reimagined by each generation. Oliver immediately began planning a movie night for when we get home. Another layer added. 

The tension surfaced again as we entered that night. We were required to show both our daytime ticket and our Petra by Night ticket. We learned that Petra by Night is an independent organization that rents the space. Locals worry that visitors might only come at night, directing money away from the surrounding Bedouin communities. Even here, beneath candlelight, the present pressed up against the past.

The following day, we entered Petra through the back side, called Little Petra, and hiked the Monastery trail. The path was nearly empty and so, so quiet! We wound through switchbacks high in the mountains until the Monastery finally revealed itself at the top. Breathtaking. Unimaginable. Ancient. 

From there, we descended through Bedouin souks, past Roman columns and roads, through the Royal Tombs, the Treasury, and back through the Siq, retracing layers in reverse.

When we returned to our hotel, we said goodbye to Sanad. He had done things no guide had to do. His mother had sent us homemade cookies. He had bought us all a Christmas gift as a memory of our time in Jordan. He helped Oliver wrap a traditional Jordanian headscarf, a keffiyeh, adjusting it carefully and proudly many times. These small gestures added another layer on top of all the history we had learned. Oliver did not want Sanad to leave, nor did we. 

Reflection: I used to think history was something we learned in order. Now I think history exists in layers, some visible, some buried, some quietly shaping everything above them. One thing I still wonder is how many extraordinary civilizations have shaped the world, only to have their stories partially erased, waiting for someone to notice the layers, and ask what lies beneath. 

The Layers Beneath Our Feet

Ammonite (Iron Age): foundations of the city

Nabataean (Petra): master engineers, traders, and architects of Petra; astonishingly sophisticated, but we know so little about them. These are the people Sanad would invite to dinner if he could.

Hellenistic (Greek influence): architectural and cultural influence through trade and exchange

Roman: theaters, roads, and infrastructure layered atop earlier foundations

Byzantine: traces of Christian religious and civic life

Umayyad (Islamic): continued use and adaptation of ancient spaces

Ottoman (Turkish): governance layered over centuries

Modern Jordan: tourism, preservation, and daily life intersecting with the ancient world