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Petra
Ancient city of Arabia, in
the mountains of what is now southwestern Jordan, immediately east of the village of Wadi
Musa.
Petra was once an important caravan
center as capital, stronghold and treasure-city of the Nabataeans, an Arab people. Petra (Greek, 'city of rock') is referred to as Sela
in the Bible (2 Kings 14:7). It was situated in the land of Edom, between the Dead Sea and
the Gulf of Aqabah, near the points of intersection of great caravan routes from Gaza on
the Mediterranean Sea, from Dimashq, from Elath on the Red Sea, and from the Persian Gulf.
From the 4th century BC until the 2nd century AD, Petra was the capital of the Nabataean
Kingdom. In 106 AD it was absorbed into the Roman
Empire and made part of the Roman province of Arabia Petraea. The city continued to
flourish in the 2nd and 3rd centuries, but later, when the rival city of Palmyra took away
most of Petra's trade, the importance of Petra declined.
Petra was conquered by the Muslims in
the 7th century and captured by the Crusaders
in the 12th century; gradually it fell into ruins. It was then hidden and forgotten for
hundreds of years until it was rediscovered by a Swiss adventurer and explorer, Johann
Burckhardt (1784-1817), in 1812.
Today Petra is considered a national
treasure, with its notable temples and dwellings hewn out of cliffs. The entrance of the
ancient city is at the end of a narrow chasm or ravine, known as a siq, which in some
places is only 3.7 m (12 ft) wide and has towering rocky walls. Along this ravine are the
ancient structures carved out of the walls of solid rock, the most famous of which include
the Khaznet Firaoun, a temple also known as the Treasury of the Pharaohs, and a semicircular theater capable of seating
about 3000 spectators. Because of the striking pink, salmon and rose-colored limestone
that surrounds it, and from which the impressive buildings, temples and dwellings were
carved, it is also called the Red Rose city. All along the face of the pink rocks that
overlook the valleys are rows of tombs hewn out of the solid stone. The remains of Petra
bear eloquent testimony to its former power, wealth, and culture.
Related videos:
Ancient Mysteries
- The Hidden City of Petra.
Hidden Glory of
Petra.
Related books:
Deities and
Dolphins; The Story of the Nabataeans.
Petra in History
& Prophecy.
Petra Today.
Rome and the
Arabian Frontier: From the Nabataeans to the Saracens (Collected Studies, Cs594).
The Architecture
of Petra (British Academy Monographs in Archaeology, No 1).
The Formation of
Nabatean Art: Prohibition of a Graven Image Amongthe Nabataeans (Ancient Near East).
The Nabataeans in
Historical Perspective.
The Nabataeans:
Their History, Culture & Archaeology.
The Religion of
the Nabataeans (Religions in the Graeco-Roman World).
Further info:
Ancient Wonders Are In
Petra.
Petra.
Petra, Jordan.
Petra:
the Drama of History
Petra:
The Rose-Red City.
Southern
Temple Excavations at Petra.
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