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Petra: A fabled city in the rock
The ancient city of Petra in Jordan is a
stunning place. This 2000 year old wonder deserves its overused description of 'a
rose-red city half as old as time', taken from a poem by John William Burgon.
Petra was established by the pre-Roman Nabateans. A remarkable feature is that
many of the elaborate temples, tombs and other monuments were cut into solid,
richly-colored rock. |
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| The Deir is the largest
monument at Petra. Misleadingly named The Monastery, it was probably a mausoleum for a dead
king. Like The Khazneh, this awesome edifice was carved out of the rock face. |
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| The Khazneh (Treasury) bathed
in candlelight at night |
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The rise and fall of Petra
The wealth of Petra grew because of the city's
strategic position as a commercial crossroads on important trade routes. As the city flourished from
the second century BCE, its buildings became increasingly imposing. Petra fell to the Romans in 106
CE and, although the city continued to thrive for a time, its importance later declined along with the
caravan routes on which it depended. Petra was eventually abandoned and fell into centuries of
obscurity. |
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