The Ancient City Of Petra
After one walks from The Treasury and out of The Siq, the ancient city of Petra is laid out before you from The Street of Facades to Qasr al-Bint.
Our tour guide only took us as far as the Winged-Lion Temple. I honestly can’t remember anything he told me after The Treasury.
I will be quoting the Petra – Ancient City Map I purchased at the Visitor’s Center (at the start of the tour) to describe each location of this ancient city.
I thought I would start with a bit of history about Petra before describing the city.
Below is a write up about Petra, called More Than A Wonder from the map.
Petra – More Than A Wonder
It is not known precisely when Petra was built, but the city began to prosper as the capital of the Nabataean Empire from the 1st century BC, which grew rich through trade in frankincense, myrrh and spices. Petra was later annexed to the Roman Empire and continued to thrive until a large earthquake in 363 AD destroyed much of the city in the 4th century AD. The earthquake combined with changes in trade routes, eventually led to the downfall of the city which was ultimately abandoned. By the middle of the 7th century Petra appears to have been deserted and it was lost to all except local Bedouin from the area.
In 1812 a Swiss explorer named Johannes Burckhardt set out to ‘rediscover’ Petra; he dressed as an Arab and convinced his Bedouin guide to take him to the lost city. After this, Petra became increasingly known in the West as a fascinating and beautiful ancient city, and it began attracting visitors and continues to do so today.
Petra is also known as the rose-red city, a name it gets from the wonderful color of the rock from which many of the city’s structures were carved. The Nabataeans buried their dead in intricate tombs that were cut out of the mountain sides and the city also had temples, a theatre, following a Roman annexation and later Byzantine influence, a colonnaded street and churches.
In addition to the magnificent remains of the Nabataean city, human settlement and land use for over 10,000 years can be traced in Petra, where great natural, cultural, archaeological and geological features merge.
Petra is a UNESCO world heritage site since 1985, and it was announced as one of the new Seven Wonders of the World during a star-studded event held on July 7th, 2007 in Lisbon, Portugal.
Petra – Capital of the Nabataeans
More than two thousand years ago, Petra was built by the Nabataeans (Arab people who inhabited northern Arabia and the Southern Levant) in the heart of the Shara Mountains. It prospered in the first centuries BC and AD and was a vital part of a major trading route connecting ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt. Today’s intricate facades sculpted into the sandstone cliffs of the area can still be seen, along with other remarkably preserved structure and monuments of this fascinating civilization.
* Quote taken from Petra – Ancient City Map – purchased at site.
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Jerash, Jordan – The Ancient Greco-Roman City Of Gerasa/Jerash – The Oval Forum or The Oval Plaza
Jerash, Jordan – The Ancient Greco-Roman City of Gerasa/Jerash – Incredible Cardo Maximus
Jerash, Jordan – The Ancient Greco-Roman City of Gerasa/Jerash – The North Theatre
Jerash, Jordan – The Ancient Greco-Roman City of Gerasa/Jerash – Artemis Temple
Jerash, Jordan – The Ancient Greco-Roman City of Gerasa/Jerash – The South Theatre
Jerash, Jordan – The Ancient Greco-Roman City of Gerasa/Jerash – Zeus’ Temple
Jerash, Jordan – The Ancient Greco-Roman City of Gerasa/Jerash – That’s A Wrap
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Madaba, Jordan – Mount Nebo – Moses & The Holy/Promised Land – Olive Trees
Madaba, Jordan – Mount Nebo – Moses & The Holy/Promised Land – Walk To The Mount Nebo Museum
Madaba, Jordan – Mount Nebo – Moses & The Holy/Promised Land – The Jordanian Bedouin
Madaba, Jordan – Mount Nebo – Moses & The Holy/Promised Land – The Museum
Madaba, Jordan – Mount Nebo – Moses & The Holy/Promised Land – View Of The Holy Land
Madaba, Jordan – Mount Nebo – Moses & The Holy/Promised Land – The Olive Tree Of Pope John Paul II
Madaba, Jordan – Mount Nebo – Moses & The Holy/Promised Land – A Visit To Sacred Grounds
Madaba, Jordan – A Local Artisan Shop
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Dhiban, Jordan – Wadi Mujib – Jordan’s Grand Canyon – The Bedouin
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Shoubak, Jordan – The Smallest Hotel in the World
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Wadi Musa, Jordan – Hyatt Zaman Hotel & Resort – Check In
Wadi Musa, Jordan – Hyatt Zaman Hotel & Resort – Turkish Bath
Wadi Musa, Jordan – Ancient Red-Rose City Of Petra
Wadi Musa, Jordan – Ancient Red-Rose City Of Petra – Entering The Siq
Wadi Musa, Jordan – Ancient Red-Rose City Of Petra – The Siq – Indiana Jone’s Ride Through The Siq
Wadi Musa, Jordan – Ancient Red-Rose City Of Petra – The Treasury – The Moment You See It
Wadi Musa, Jordan – Ancient Red-Rose City Of Petra – The Treasury – The Corner Before The Treasury
Wadi Musa, Jordan – Ancient Red-Rose City Of Petra – The Treasury – Al-Khazneh – The Camels
Wadi Musa, Jordan – Ancient Red-Rose City Of Petra – The Treasury – Al-Khazneh – The Donkeys
Wadi Musa, Jordan – Ancient Red-Rose City Of Petra – The Treasury – Al-Khazneh – Fun Moments
Wadi Musa, Jordan – Ancient Red-Rose City Of Petra – Historic Information Before Walking The City
Wadi Musa, Jordan – Ancient Red-Rose City Of Petra – The Street of Facades
Wadi Musa, Jordan – Ancient Red-Rose City Of Petra – The Theatre
Wadi Musa, Jordan – Ancient Red-Rose City Of Petra – The Royal Tombs
Wadi Musa, Jordan – Ancient Red-Rose City Of Petra – The Nymphaeum
Wadi Musa, Jordan – Ancient Red-Rose City Of Petra – The Church
Wadi Musa, Jordan – Ancient Red-Rose City Of Petra – The Great Temple Complex
Wadi Musa, Jordan – Ancient Red-Rose City Of Petra – Winged Lion Temple
Wadi Musa, Jordan – Ancient Red-Rose City Of Petra – Qasr Al-Bint
Wadi Musa, Jordan – Ancient Red-Rose City Of Petra – Wandering Donkeys
Wadi Musa, Jordan – Ancient Red-Rose City Of Petra – Wandering Goats
Wadi Musa, Jordan – Ancient Red-Rose City Of Petra – Horses
Wadi Musa, Jordan – Ancient Red-Rose City Of Petra – Camels
Wadi Musa, Jordan – Ancient Red-Rose City Of Petra – Tomb Or Home?
Wadi Musa, Jordan – Ancient Red-Rose City Of Petra – New Friends
Wadi Musa, Jordan – Ancient Red-Rose City Of Petra – Walking Back – End Of The Tour
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Wadi Musa, Jordan – Hyatt Zaman Hotel & Resort – Morning Shisha At Sahtain Restaurant
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Aqaba, Jordan – Wadi Rum – 4×4 Tour – Michael Climbs & Alien Space Ship
Aqaba, Jordan – Wadi Rum – 4×4 Tour – Otherworldly Landscapes
Aqaba, Jordan – Wadi Rum – 4×4 Tour – Barrah Siq – Valley of the Moon Or Lawrence Of Arabia Pass
Aqaba, Jordan – Wadi Rum – 4×4 Tour – Barrah Siq – Lawrence of Arabia Memorial Camp
Aqaba, Jordan – Wadi Rum – Bedouin Barbecue – Zarb
Aqaba, Jordan – Wadi Rum – Sunrise Camel Trek
Aqaba, Jordan – Wadi Rum – Final Moments
Aqaba, Jordan – View Of Eilat, Israel & Driving Highway #65
Balqa, Jordan – Dead Sea Spa Hotel – The Dead Sea – Unforgettable First-Time Swim
Balqa, Jordan – Dead Sea Spa Hotel – The Dead Sea – The Mud
Balqa, Jordan – Dead Sea Spa Hotel – The Dead Sea – Floating
Balqa, Jordan – Dead Sea Spa Hotel – Afternoon In The Pool
Balqa, Jordan – Dead Sea Spa Hotel – Last Day
Amman, Jordan – Final Day In Jordan
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