Jordan: Petra's tourism authority cracks down on Bedouin cave dwellers • FRANCE 24 English

One of the Seven Wonders of the World, the ancient city of Petra in Jordan welcomes several hundred thousand tourists each year. It dates back to 300 BC and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985. For centuries, Bedouins have inhabited its caves, but many have recently been forced to leave and relocate to government housing. Some families have chosen to remain, although they could be expelled at any moment. It's becoming increasingly difficult for them to make a living through tourism, their main source of income. Our Jordan correspondent went to meet them.
#Petra #UNESCO #tourism

[melissawong]

It's sad. Bedouins in Petra are the most friendly people I met and I absolutely love their hospitality. On my first day in Petra back in March 2023, the main entrance was flooded due to heavy rain. I was resting and drinking tea in a cave until the rain stopped. The Bedouin cave dweller offered to let me stay the night and another offered me a donkey to evacuate me using a lesser known exit. 😊

[GloryDaze]

The Bedouin is the main reason people visit here. The locals give Petra a good vibe and atmosphere. 😊

[izabelamsztuka]

Once again locals get screwed for the sake of tourism. Tourism is such a destructive force these days, one wonders if there's any ethics left in it.

[barbaralindhjem]

Compensate these people for their destroyed goods.

[luzr]

Interesting - I hadn't imagined they were still living there. I lived in Wadi Musa and worked in Petra in 1981. At that time the powers that be were building accommodation - a village - to relocate the Bedouin inhabitants. One reason was the erosion on the site being caused by the goat-herding activities... (another may have been the large satellite TV dishes bolted to the rock-face). Really surprised that this has gone on for over forty years. A difficult situation that pits conservation values against traditional practices and, as usual, the economic agendas of all parties.

[margo]

I thought Petra was like a movie set: fantastic front of the buildings and then nothing behind. I didn’t think they were real, functioning buildings.

[JBaxter-pioj]

It is both sad and difficult to balance the need to preserve Petra as the amazing site it is and to allow the Bedouin to occupy the area to give it life and soul. Perhaps there could be more communication between the government and the Bedouin to provide a better solution. Best wishes to everyone.

[MarkCosgrove-bp]

Help these people help Petra. They bring vitality to a pla e, otherwise its just a memorial to the dead. As a builder, the builders would feel shamed by kicking out the beduins.

[TheTanman]

Simple solution/comprimise, hire them to take care of the place for tourism while allowing them to still live nearby. A few can remain in the caves as watchposts/security while aiding in exhibits showcasing what it was like to live in the caves, letting atleast a spark of that communtiy remain which can be brought back temporarily for special events etc. Just no longer fulltime dwellers.

[AhJodie]

Government housing would be much worse than living here! I would think anyway....

[kellypatterson]

How long have these people been living on this site?! Did you actually give them their government housing 30 years ago?

[heyjude]

preserving the art but not the people.

Stop visiting Petra to support the grievances of Bedouins tribe.

[shane]

I wanted to visit because I saw a vlog where a bedouin gave food to the tourist for free. Genuinely nice person. If there are no bedouins I am not going anymore.

[michaelgrabianowski]

As soon as the dept. of antiquities was mentioned I knew what this was all about. We all know what happened in Egypt.

[paololuckyluke]

The Jordanian authorities doing to this autochthonous population exactly what the Israelis are blamed for doing to Palestinian people.

[LukejbButterworth]

so these ancestors helped build a collum while at the same time they shot guns at all the human representations which is why they are all so disfigured

[nonapplicable]

Imagine if Israel did this. Yet because its muslim on muslim, no one in the Arab world is saying a word.

[MarkCosgrove-bp]

Pretty sure, the Real mecca. At least that's what some scholars say.

[gw]

So what now they will hire people to play them, compensation is clearly need here

[sarielizard]

I'll never visit this place because of the way the locals are mistreated.