srettig24 View of Colonnaded Street from above
Petra was the capital of the Nabateans, an ancient Arabian people who formed an independent kingdom from 312 BC in Jordan today.
Petra to me felt like equal parts: Disney World/amusement park, Nature Park Reserve, and Museum. I try not to have high expectations for things, but I’ll be honest I had quite high expectations for one of the worlds most famous and popular tourist attractions. Which also happens to be one the the seven wonders of the world… and a UNESCO. I’m happy to report that I was not disappointed. While Im disappointed I didn’t have the time to explore everything, that can only be expected as it took over 500 years to construct.
When you first enter the park you walk through the siq, which means shaft. This amazing 1 mile (2 km) walk through the canyon is beautiful with amazing rock formations as you can see above. As you can see on the left, the siq opens up right to a view of the Treasury in Petra.
The Famous Treasury of Petra
The Al-Khazneh or the treasury of Petra, was in the internationally know film Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade making it one of the most recognizable sights in Petra. The structure is also 40 meters tall and is decorated with corinthian motifs, including eagles believed to take the soul into the afterlife. The treasury is littered with bullet holes from Bedouins shooting at it, according to legend.
The Great Temple of Petra you can see from afar in the picture above. If you look closely you can see how small the people are demonstrating how huge the temple is- over 700 meters. The temple was created in the early century CE. This religious temple was created in the middle of Petra and from it, you can see what remains of the city. You can also see Colonnaded Street which was the center road to the city. The street was the primary shopping area and was refinished by the Romans during the period of occupation.
Amphitheater
One of the best-preserved creations is the Amphitheater, and like everything else has been caved into the stone. The amphitheater was created to fit about 8,500 people. Built at the height of the Nabateans political and cultural power when Aretas IV was the leader. While the structure is similar to the Roman style, the Nabataeans merely adopted some elements and maintained their style, carving it from the rock and adding natural inspired carvings.
Rock formations
One of the reasons that Petra is famous is because of the marble of; yellow, purple, brown, red and pink stone The color of the rock changes throughout the day as the light changes. Different structures can look completely different throughout the day.
Outside Influence
The Urn Tomb was probably created in 70 AD which is in the top photo. The name is derived from the jar that crowns the pediment. As you can see with the block terraces, this structure was changed and reimagined over time and saw significant changes from the Byzantines. The second photo (directly above) is a photo of the remains of the tile floor of the church. The church was created in 450 AD by Christians living in the area. The church burned down in 600 AD and many papyrus scrolls with it. Archeologists have found remains from some scrolls and provided valuable insight into the life and culture during this later period in Nabataeans history.
The Monastery
The Monastery is one of the most famous sights in Petra in part because it is so well preserved and also because it is the tallest, being 47 meters wide and 48 meters tall. Built-in the early 2nd century AD during the reign of King Rabel II. The space was used as a biclinium (think intellectual salon) for the meetings of religious associations.
One of the most unbelieved things that the Nabataeans accomplished, allowed them to build this amazing city. But you won’t see it any of the tombs or ruins. Located in the Desert, the Nabateans learned how to conserve water and store it deep underground. This allowed them to create this beautiful city and maintain a powerful standing in the world during its heyday. What gave the Nabataeans their power was the geographical location, connecting trading routes from Mesopotamia and Egypt this was a trading hub. Which saw the exchange of goods traveling across the known world.
If You Want to Learn More
Maybe this has sparked your interest to learn more about the Nabataeans and how they disappeared in the shifting sand. I listened to this podcast, which is quite long but comprehensive, digging into society and the life of its people. As the podcast’s name promises, it explains the fall of this once-grand civilization.
