‘Jinn': controversy and magic with Petra as the protagonist

Netflix released its first original series in Arabic in 2019. This series has caused unrest among some Jordanians and even a prosecutor who has retaliated against the series through official channels. ''Jinn'' was shot in Jordan and is a supernatural drama about magical geniuses in the ancient city of Petra.  

The controversy is over two scenes in which actress Salma Milhis kisses two different boys in separate scenes, a shocking move in the conservative country. Others complained online about the show’s rough language.

The series comes from exec producers Elan and Rajeev Dassani, who are the VFX specialists behind a raft of hit US series, such as Scandal and Justified. It is produced by Master Key Productions and Kabreet Productions.

Problems and themes

The series revolves around a teenage girl, Mira, who has not overcome the loss of her mother and finds herself involved in a love affair with Keras, the Jinn starring Hamzeh Okab. He has the mission to protect the Jinss vigilantes.  

Alkhail plays Yassin, who fights against a world that seems to be against him, and the programme will follow his coming-of-age story caused by his supernatural friendship with Vera, played by Aysha Shahaltough. 

After the show’s release last week, a top Jordanian prosecutor asked the Ministry of the Interior’s cybercrimes unit to take “immediate necessary measures to stop the broadcast”, citing its alleged”immoral scenes.”

The controversy led Jordan’s Media Commission to issue a statement saying it had no control over the production of the series. The Commission said it role as state censor only applies to TV broadcasts and theater presentations, not streaming services.

The state-run Royal Film Commission also weighed in as well, saying there was nothing it could do. Netflix Middle East characterized the uproar on Twitter as a “wave of bullying.”  It said the show deals with “universal themes” that “can be viewed as provocative.”

The magic of Petra

Leaving aside the problems that the series may have had, we cannot ignore the plans that the series of one of the Seven Wonders of the World, Petra, has given. A city literally carved into the rock. It was built in the mountainous region of Edom by the Edomites in the 8th century BC. It reached its greatest splendour under Nabataean rule from the 6th century BC as it was in the middle of a trade route. 

Its location between high rocky mountains and the construction of its inhabitants of complex networks of canals that supplied them with drinking water, made the city a very attractive place in which to rest. 

Centuries later, due to changes in the routes and several earthquakes, it became an abandoned city in the 6th century AD when the inhabitants began to abandon it. Swiss Jean Louis Burckhardt rediscovered the city in the 19th century.  

It should be noted that the city was not built but carved into the rock and up to 30,000 people lived there. This monumental complex was included in the World Heritage List in 1985. 

Only 20% of the city is known because 80% is still hidden, it is known as "the lost city" because it was buried under the sand for centuries. Due to sandstorms, earthquakes and several floods, the city gradually disappeared from the 6th century AD. Excavations today continue to unearth new buildings. 

It is believed that Petra was created for a funerary purpose, the Nabataeans called it "the city for tomorrow". Experts indicate that in its early days, the city's inhabitants lived in tents. Everything indicates that the majority of the buildings excavated in stone are tombs from the 3rd century BC with different ornamentation depending on the social position of the deceased.

As mentioned, it was perfectly located for trade routes until it became a commercial city itself from the 4th century BC. It influenced up to seven trade routes between the West and the East, between Arabia and the Mediterranean. With Nabataeans, it became a rich and prosperous city thanks to the toll that had to be paid to pass through its walls. 

Reformed by the Roman Empire, the city has a tetro, a delicate and detailed excavation in the rock. It was thought to be a Roman construction, but the Nabataeans had already sculpted it earlier. It is estimated that 5,000 spectators could sit in its perfectly carved stands.  

The sun influenced the construction of the buildings, as it was taken into account during the construction. Some important constructions are oriented under the influence of the equinoxes, solstices, among other astronomical events. 

The Monastery during the winter is illuminated by the light of the sun that enters through the door and is reflected directly on the motab, the main altar. In the Urn Tomb, its door is aligned with the sun during the equinoxes and during the solstices the sun marks the interior corners of the building. 

At the top of a mountain, the High Place of Sacrifice is one of those 'must-see' sites for tourists. For the Nabataeans it was a place of worship and consists of a circular altar, a trifinium and a six-metre-high obelisk. They were Arab polytheists, who worshipped their own gods, the main Dushara (lord of the mountain), or also some Greco-Roman ones such as Dionysus or Tique.  

The canyon that protected it and the one that kept it hidden for centuries is also important as it contains reliefs and sculptures. It gives evidence that Petra was not a coincidence, but a society like that of the Greeks and Romans.

Curiosities about Petra can be countless, but these are the most outstanding and remarkable. So Netflix may have not achieved the result it wanted, but magic has been successful with the starring location.