The Beduin

While visiting Jordan, I was naturally drawn south to visit Petra, once a metropolis in the 4th century B.C. A thriving city carved in relief in the red canyon walls with gardens, temples, theatres, tombs, villas, markets and camel caravans that linked the east and the west. By the 7th century what remained of Petra was mostly a ghost town, except for a small tribe of Beduin peoples who took up residence in some of the caves on their nomadic routes through the dessert. And many remain, trying to survive off of the benefits of tourism, agrarian practices, and various forms of development funding. As awestruck as I was by the intact and extravagant architecture of Petra, my heart was captured by the Beduin, in somewhat of a struggle under these modern day development constructs which has eroded their traditional way of life and economic well-being. [These were photographed with HP5 film on a 1978 Rollie35, 2017]