Richard And Jo Demeester's photos with the keyword: huge

Jo in front of the Monastery at Petra.

On our second day at Petra, we climbed to one of the lookouts high above the Treasury. Over the edge, this was the view. I sent a “coo-eee” down, but my voice cracked part way and we just laughed so much that I was unable to do a proper one.

No crouching, no kneeling, no tricks. This is looking up at the carved entry. Yes, the whole building is effectively carved from a single block of stone.

This time, it's Jo in there for scale. The Monastery, not quite as ornate as the Treasury, but larger. Although carved as a tomb, it was used in the first millennium as a church. The amount of stone that needed to be removed to create this is truly phenomenal. You can see on the sides how far recessed in to the mountain this is.

Rounding a bend in the Siq, suddenly you encounter Petra's signature facade, The Treasury. I'm in there for scale. Tucked into a nook, it is an amazing piece of craftmanship. Just note that none of this is “built”, the entire facade is carved out of the sandstone. Actually created as a tomb, the name “Treasury” came from a legend that Pharaoh had hidden treasure in the urn at the top when he was in pursuit of the Israelites. Bullet holes riddle the urn, from vain attempts at shattering the urn and causing said treasure to spill out.

A side aisle of the cathedral in Reims. These cathedrals really make you feel so incredibly small.