Petra

• Petra, meaning ‘rock’ in Greek, is a well preserved ancient Lost city of Antiquity located in modern Jordan, which controlled the Incense Road. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• Petra was described by Pliny the Elder as the former capital of the Nabataean Kingdom (312 BCE-106 CE). In 106 CE it became part of the Roman Province of Arabia Petraea.

History

• Location:
  • Petra is surrounded by high rocky mountains, cliffs and gorges.
  • From the east Petra is only accessible through a narrow pass called the ‘Siq’ (the shaft) which is only 10-13 feet (3-4 m) wide in parts, allowing only two camels to pass each other. This is the route most tourists take to enter Petra.
  • To obtain water, apart from a mountain stream, the Nabateans built dams and conduits to control flash floods and store the water.
• Nabataean Kingdom:
  • Petra was founded c.312 BCE, although it had been a Sanctuary for centuries. In its heyday, Petra had a population of 30,000.
  • Unusually, the buildings in Petra were cut from the rock.
  • Petra is also known as the ‘Rose city’ because of the pink colour of the Rock it is carved from.
  • Petra was a Lost city to the West until its rediscovery in 1812 by the Swiss explorer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt.
• Acquisition by the Roman Empire:
  • Petra was annexed by the Roman Empire under Trajan in 106 CE. It was then included in the Province of Arabia Petraea giving the Romans control of the Incense Road.
  • In 363 CE Petra experienced an earthquake that started its decline.
  • In 663 CE the Arab Empire conquered Petra, and it was left uninhabited.
  • During the First Crusade up until 1189 CE it was part of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. Two Crusader castles were built close to Petra to defend it.
• Rediscovery in 1812 CE:
  • Petra was rediscovered by the Swiss Explorer John Lewis Burckhardt on 22nd August 1812 CE.
• The Incense Road
  • Petra was a city that controlled the Incense Road and the Camel Caravans from its fortified position, where entire caravans could be accommodated. The Routes were:
  • North: towards Bostra and Damascus
  • West: towards Gaza and Egypt
  • South: towards Aqaba on the Red Sea and the Yemen.
  • East: across the desert to the Persian Gulf.
• Wadi Faynan
  • Located in southern Jordan, this contains a huge copper mining site. It is thought to have been the location of King Solomon's Mines.
  • It was extensively mined throughout history, but particularly during the Roman Empire.
  • Petra was 30 miles (48km) to the south of these Mines and controlled the Copper trade.

Pre-Roman Monuments

• Hydraulic Buildings:
  • Diversion Dam
  • Mithlim tunnel
  • Water Channels
  • Aqueducts
  • Reservoirs
• The Rock cut Temple-Tombs: these are ‘The Royal Tombs’, a mix of Greek and Eastern Styles.
  • Khasneh or Treasury is in the Greek Style. (the most striking pf Petra’s monuments)
  • Urn Tomb
  • Palace Tomb
  • Corinthian Tomb
  • The ‘Deir’ or Monastery.
• The Copper Mines
• Bab Al Siq Gateway
• Triclinium Banqueting Hall with the Obelisk Tomb on top.
• Qasr el Bint Temple (Palace of the Pharoah’s Daughter)

Roman Monuments

• Nymphaeum (public Fountain)
• Temple of the Winged Lions
• Colonnaded Street
• Triple Arched Gate

Museums

• New Museum of Petra
  • Located beside the Visitor Centre in Petra.
  • It holds all the Artefacts from the Old Petra Museum and the Collection covers the Nabataean, Roman and Byzantine Periods.

Roman Roads

• Via Traiana Nova
  • Palmyra-Petra-Heliopolis (Egypt)

Films featuring Petra

• • Samsala (2011) IMDb
  • Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009) IMDb
  • The Mummy Returns (2001) IMDb
  • Passion in the Desert (1997) IMDb
  • Mortal Combat: Annihilation (1997) IMDb
  • Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) IMDb
  • Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger (1977) IMDb
  • Arabian Nights (1942) IMDb

Petra, Jordan