Get Sleepy: Sleep meditation and stories
Get Sleepy: Sleep meditation and stories

A Starry Night in Ancient Petra

August 11, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

A Starry Night in Ancient Petra

The entrance to the ancient city of Rakmu—known today as Petra in Jordan—is hidden, accessed through a narrow, dusty canyon path that winds for nearly a mile between sandstone walls towering up to six hundred feet. As you walk through this canyon, called the Siq, the only sounds are the crunch of sandals on stone and the trickle of water from an irrigation channel built by the Nabataean people, who engineered this city out of the desert rock itself.

This episode of Get Sleepy takes the listener on a guided relaxation journey into the Nabataean world as it existed over a thousand years ago. The story follows a visitor arriving at the hidden city, encountering a silk trader named Manu and his camel Kisma, and exploring the architectural marvels, markets, and daily life of a civilization that controlled trade along the Silk Road.

A City Carved from Stone

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What you'll learn

  • 1 Timestamped Outline
  • 2 (02:22) **Welcome and Episode Introduction** - Host Thomas sets the scene for a sleepy journey to the ancient city of Rakmu (Petra) in Jordan
  • 3 (06:21) **Entering the Siq Canyon** - The listener is transported to the narrow canyon entrance of the hidden city
  • 4 (09:55) **First View of the Treasury** - The canyon opens to reveal the magnificent Al-Khazneh (the Treasury), the most impressive building in the city
  • 5 (11:46) **Meeting Manu and Learning About the Treasury** - The trader explains the local name and legends surrounding the building
  • 6 (14:00) **Exploring the City Streets** - Manu and the listener enter the city proper, leaving Kisma to rest
  • 7 (15:32) **The Grand Marketplace** - A huge open-air market surrounded by fluted columns and a public fountain comes into view

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Show Notes

Narrator: Jessika Downes-Gössl 🇬🇧

Writer: Angela Wood ✍️

Sound effects: port ambience ⚓️🛥️ 

Welcome back, sleepyheads. Tonight, we’ll travel back over a thousand years to discover the ancient city of Raqmu, known today as Petra. We'll learn about the architectural sites, cuisine and culture before settling down to sleep. 😴

Includes mentions of: Time Travel, Travel, History, Architecture, Walking, Animals, Food. 


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Get Sleepy: Sleep meditation and stories