Petra

Remember Pavaroti in Petra

nuweiba — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 09:17:57 +0000

Jordan Hosts Pavarotti Tribute
Friday, Sep 19, 2008 11:07AM

U.K. promoter Harvey Goldsmith was in Italy Sept. 16 for the promotional launch of a Luciano Pavarotti Tribute Concert to be held in Jordan next month.
It will be Oct. 12, which would have been the opera tenor’s 73rd birthday, at the ancient red rock city of Petra, a World Heritage Site and one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.
The launch was held at the Milan HQ of TV broadcaster Mediaset, which will broadcast the concert in Italy and Spain.
Goldsmith, who promoted more than 70 Pavarotti performances, including the famous concert in London’s Hyde Park in the summer of 1991, has picked an all-star cast from among the world-famous tenor’s musical associates and friends.
The bill includes Andrea Bocelli, Jovanotti, Cynthia Lawrence, Laura Pausini, Sting, Andrea Griminelli and Zucchero.
“He mixed freely in the classical as well as the rock and pop worlds and was loved by all,” Goldsmith told Pollstar at the time of Pavarotti’s death. The promoter looks to have made a point of inviting artists that reflect the singer’s ability to work with and enjoy the company of artists from a wide range of musical backgrounds.
“A concert in Petra was a dream once shared by the late King Hussein of Jordan and Luciano,” said Nicoletta Mantovani, Pavarotti’s wife.
Along with HRH Princess Haya, the late king’s daughter and a United Nations Messenger Of Peace, she decided to try to stage a tribute concert at the historic archaeological site.
The Jordanian government very rarely gives permission for events to be held at Petra, but made an exception because of Pavarotti’s iconic status in the music world and the special relationship he had with the country’s royal family.
The concert, which comes a little more than a year after the singer died of cancer, will be preceded by a memorial ceremony at Petra a day earlier.
It’s expected to be attended by UN ambassadors, Jordanian and Italian diplomats, international artists, Pavarotti’s friends and family, and the Jordanian royals. – John Gammon

Pavarotti to be remembered at Petra by Elton John, Bono, Celine Dion, Joe Cocker and Sting

nuweiba — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 09:16:28 +0000

 Thursday 18 September 2008, by Corinne/Dead See online : blogjordan

One year after his death, a series of programs commemorating Luciano Pavarotti will be held around the world, including a concert scheduled at the historical site of Petra, Jordan on October 11 and 12, 2008. According to the Associated Press, the Petra concert will host some of the biggest names in music will take part in a charity concert “Pavarotti and Friends,” including Elton John, Bono, Celine Dion, Joe Cocker and Sting — all of whom have duetted with Pavarotti. Reuters reports: The tribute is the brainchild of Nicoletta Mantovani, Pavarotti’s widow and HRH Princess Haya, a fellow UN Messenger of Peace and daughter of Jordan’s late King Hussein. “A concert in Petra was a dream once shared by the late King Hussein of Jordan and Luciano,” said Mantovani. “I am so grateful to Her Royal Highness Princess Haya, for making it possible to turn this dream into a reality.” The proceeds of the concert will support joint projects in Afghanistan by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the UN World Food Programme (WFP). A local charity supporting disabled children in Petra will also benefit from the concert

A visit to Petra Jordan, and its ‘horse mafia’

nuweiba — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 16:45:10 +0000

Sep 14th,

“You want a horse? You wont make it five feet” – This was the advice of a young man who is part of the “horse mafia” that operates here in Petra. If you go into Petra as a group you have to pay an additional 7 JOD on top of the large sum of cash you already dished out. This money goes directly to the horse mafia in order to keep them off your tail and to allow you to ride a horse if you wish.

The above quote coming from a recent Travel Post that along with describing the once-in-a-lifetime thrill that is visiting Petra, some of the not-so-thrilling aspects of the local tourist enterprises.

In my first visit to Petra, I noted the same – where a number of soot covered boys would come right up next to me and holding strands of cheap bracelets and necklaces in my face would shout out sales pitches into my ear – often including empty flattery about the U.S.A. – which they correctly (and probably easily) guessed as my country of origin.

But that was benign and almost cute. What wasn’t was the horses running up and down the Siq – an awe-inspiring spectacle of geology almost 0.825 mile (1.3 km) long, 600 foot (182 m) story high. It is through this rose-red gorge one walks through before arriving at the Treasury – with an awe inspiring view similar to that seen in the film Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) that I captured and posted to YouTube my second visit … but I digress …

It is also through this cavern that I and others have almost gotten run over by … as another blogger describes: “Untrained horses with untrained kids racing the horses down a rocky trail …”

And it is this safety issue, along with a health issue one confronts while climbing the long set to steps up to the Monastery … avoiding the odorous ‘presents’ left by mules some tourists take to the top … and then are taken at the top by the ‘donkey mafia‘ when they discover the negotiated 2JD price for riding up is taxed with a surprise 10JD to be let off the animal!

Hopefully, the recently announced plans at Petra to regulate services & enhance visitor experience will remedy such incidents as they tend to distract somewhat from the experience … though I have my doubts if there is any truth to this snippet from another Petra blogger also commenting on the infamous horse mafia:

At Petra the horse mafia rule the roost. They’re so cunning that they hold the King to ransom and force him to include the price of their terrible horse ride into the entry price to Petra. And when the King tried to change things, they threatened to blow up Petra with dynamite… long story.

Still, with increased travel to the historic site up over the half million mark this year alone, something is going to have to change before a fatal accident and/or a health issue ruins it for everyone.

BUT please, don’t let these descriptions of the horse mafia, the donkey mafia, the bands of junk jewelry hawkers and other minor distractions deter you from visiting Petra. They are annoyances at best, usually quickly forgotten moments after experiencing fantastic and incredible sites such as:

Trust me, as time passes and one looks over the photos of Petra, you don’t think too much about them crazy kids racing them

by http://blogjordan.com/2008/09/14/a-visit-to-petra-jordan-and-its-horse-mafia/

Pavarotti to be remembered at Petra by Elton John, Bono, Celine Dion, Joe Cocker and Sting

nuweiba — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 16:26:41 +0000

According to the Associated Press, the Petra concert will host some of the biggest names in music will take part in a charity concert “Pavarotti and Friends,” including Elton John, Bono, Celine Dion, Joe Cocker and Sting — all of whom have duetted with Pavarotti.

Reuters reports:

The tribute is the brainchild of Nicoletta Mantovani, Pavarotti’s widow and HRH Princess Haya, a fellow UN Messenger of Peace and daughter of Jordan’s late King Hussein. “A concert in Petra was a dream once shared by the late King Hussein of Jordan and Luciano,” said Mantovani. “I am so grateful to Her Royal Highness Princess Haya, for making it possible to turn this dream into a reality.”

The proceeds of the concert will support joint projects in Afghanistan by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the UN World Food Programme (WFP). A local charity supporting disabled children in Petra will also benefit from the concert.

A separate Reuters’ story on the Pavarotti memorial concert for Afghan refugees reminds us that:

For over ten years, until his death in September 2007, Maestro Pavarotti actively supported UNHCR projects in Kosovo, Pakistan, Zambia, and Iraq. For his continuous commitment to refugee causes, Luciano Pavarotti received UNHCR’s Nansen Refugee Award and was named a UN Messenger of Peace.

The aforementioned AP article quotes Pavarotti’s 38-year-old widow Nicoletta Mantovanias to say the concert was:

“a dream of King Hussein’s as much as it was Luciano’s …”

The English version of Wiener Zeitung additionally states that:

The audience will be limited to 500 spectators, but given the strategies of the recording industry, you can expect a CD of the event as well as a DVD, a blu-ray disc and maybe a coffee table book.

The following ReliefWeb page provides these contacts for those seeking more information on the UNHCR-WFP Pavarotti Tribute Project.

Brenda Barton
Deputy Director of Communications
Tel. +39-06-65132602
Cell. +39-3472582217 (ISDN line available)

Bettina Luescher
WFP/New York
Tel. +1-212-9635196
Cell. +1-646-8241112

Lionello Boscardi
WFP/Rome
Tel. +39-06-65132234
Cell. +39-335-201960

Vichi DeMarchi
Tel. +39 06 6513 2058
Cell. +39 348-0517605

Natasha Scripture
WFP/Rome
Tel. +39 06 6513 3146
Cell: +39 340 466 3480

And if that’s not enough, some folks were kind enough to email me the following information:

The website for the concert is currently under construction but we hope it will go live this week, the address is http://www.thepavarottitribute.com/ you will be able to see all the details of the concert here.

Weekend Package – $7624 USD (£4250.00) per person

Concert ticket plus 1 night hotel accommodation - $5112 USD (£2850.00)

www.eventsbyappointment.com

Thanks so much David S. for that update!

New plan seeks to regulate services, enhance visitor experience in Petra

nuweiba — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 14:24:00 +0000

07 September 2008
AMMAN – Petra and tourism authorities are working on a new plan aimed at regulating the site’s services and ensuring visitors a quality experience at the ancient Nabataean city.

Suleiman Farajat, head of the Petra Archaeological Park (PAP), said the plan was developed to keep up with and sustain the growth in visitor traffic to the site.

“We’ve been working on these plans for some time now. They are going to be important in helping improve the visitor experience on many levels,” said Farajat.

“They include introducing regulations and standards for those operating services within the site as well as guidelines for visitors,” he added.

Notice boards will be posted at different sites within Petra informing visitors of the services they are entitled to, while specific areas will be marked with guidelines for trails and the requirements to undertake them. For example, signs will indicate sections that could be physically challenging and require good fitness levels as well as equipment, he noted.

Tourists will also be informed which trails they are permitted to take on their own and those that require the presence of a tour guide.

“It is important that visitors understand the nature of the site and avoid wandering off on their own where they may need assistance at some point,” said Farajat.

“We also produced brochures guiding visitors on what to wear and take with them as well as what to look out for if they are accompanied by children,” he added.

As part of the changes, focus will also be placed on local bedouins working in the site, such as horse carriage owners and vendors, the PAP official said.

For example there will be stricter regulations ranging from the welfare of animals to their attire and licensing for vendors.

Regulations will also be applied to film crews wishing to shoot in the rose-red city.

According to Farajat, such activities in the past had negatively affected the environment and visitor experience at the site and will now be managed more effectively.

“When crews come in large numbers with heavy equipment and cars, this harms not only the fragile environment in Petra but can also be disruptive for tourists,” Farajat said, adding that film crews will now need to fill in an application that states the conditions under which they can operate.

Farajat said an informative website on Petra in both Arabic and English will be launched by the end of the month providing data on tourists’ needs, including taxis, restaurants, hotels operating in the area, trails, tour guides regulations and history of the site itself.

In addition, a larger visitor centre is slated for construction in the near future, he added.

The USAID/Jordan Tourism Development Project, PAP and the Ministry of Tourism carried out a survey earlier this year to get an idea of tourists’ impressions of Petra.

A random selection of visitors were asked various questions, including their reasons for visiting the Kingdom and what they liked and disliked about Petra.

The survey also sought insight from visitors on the range and quality of services offered within the site, including facilities, food outlets, souvenir shops, as well as transport options offered by tourism service providers in the area and information offered by PAP.

By Dalya Dajani

Petra, Weather report

nuweiba — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 06:15:19 +0000

3/09/2008 09:43]

Amman, Sep.

3 (Petra) – Normal summer weather will prevail over the hilly areas and it will be relatively hot in other parts of the Kingdom with scattered clouds and northwesterly moderate winds.

A rise in temperature is expected over the next three days.

Maximum temperatures expected in Amman over the next three days will reach 36 degrees Celsius dropping down to 23 degrees at night.

//Petra// .

Petra in Jordan, the movie star

nuweiba — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 06:07:11 +0000

Movies, just like a successful business, often depend on the location, location, location.

Every once in a while, a location becomes an integral part of the story and structure of a movie. In those instances, place becomes as important as persona, and a physical location becomes as compelling as any star.

PETRA, JORDAN: Speaking of Mr. Spielberg, the mysterious marble palace that his hero gallops up to at the conclusion of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade is no matte painting nor carefully constructed model; it’s a building known as the Treasury, part of the ancient city of Petra in Jordan. Like many of the buildings in the Middle Eastern city, the Treasury is carved out of the side of a mountain. It’s an astonishing piece or architecture that was recently named one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.

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nuweiba — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 16:06:32 +0000

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