Petra in brief
Petra lies in a rocky valley in southern Jordan, between the Dead Sea and the Gulf of Aqaba. The Nabataeans settled the area from about the 4th century BC, and Petra grew into the capital of a trading kingdom. They carved temples, tombs and houses into the cliffs, and built a city in the valley. UNESCO listed Petra as a World Heritage Site in 1985.
The Nabataeans
The Nabataeans were originally nomads from northern Arabia. They became very rich by controlling caravan routes that carried frankincense and myrrh from southern Arabia, and spices from India, to the Mediterranean. They also learned to survive in the desert by collecting water, in dams, channels and cisterns, so that Petra could have gardens and pools, and supported tens of thousands of people at its height. The kingdom was annexed by Rome in 106 CE.
What there is to see
- The Siq. A narrow canyon of about 1.2 kilometres that leads into the city, with walls up to 80 metres high. It was the processional way, and has carved niches and water channels.
- Al-Khazneh, the “Treasury”. The famous facade at the end of the Siq, about 39 metres high, carved in the first century BC or AD, probably as a royal tomb or a temple. It was named by Bedouin who believed that a pharaoh’s treasure was hidden inside the urn at the top.
- The Royal Tombs, the Theatre and the Colonnaded Street. A theatre cut into the rock, which could hold about 4,000 people, and a paved street with shops.
- Ad Deir, the Monastery. A giant facade, about 50 metres wide, on a hilltop reached by 800 steps.
- Houses and sanctuaries. The “high places” where rituals were held.
Many of the buildings reflect Greek and Roman styles, mixed with Nabataean, Egyptian and Assyrian ones.
Decline and rediscovery
Trade shifted to sea routes, and earthquakes, especially in 363 CE, damaged the city. Petra was a small town in the Byzantine period, and then was largely forgotten by the outside world. In 1812 the Swiss explorer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt, who was disguised as a Muslim scholar, persuaded his guides to take him there, and made it known in Europe. The poet John William Burgon described it in 1845 as a “rose-red city half as old as time”.
Why it matters
Petra is one of the most spectacular ancient sites in the world, and shows how a desert people could build a rich city, with the help of trade and water engineering. Only a small part of the city has been excavated.
Visiting
Petra is one of Jordan’s main attractions, about 230 km south of Amman. A day or two is needed to see the main parts, with a lot of walking. The best light on the Treasury is in the morning. See also Mohenjo-daro.
Sources
- Taylor, J. (2001). Petra and the Lost Kingdom of the Nabataeans. I. B. Tauris.
- Burckhardt, J. L. (1822). Travels in Syria and the Holy Land. John Murray.
- UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Petra.