Where is Petra?
The ruins of the ancient city of Petra are in Southwest Jordan. Petra
was built on the terrace, pierced from east to west by Wadi Mūsā (Valley of
Moses). Petra was called Baṭrā in Arabic, and it was once the center of the
Arab kingdom in the Hellenistic and Roman times.
When was Petra Created?
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| By Bernard Gagnon - Source: Wikimedia Commons |
Petra is believed to have been created in 312 BC, making it one of the
oldest cities in the world. It was the capital of the Nabateans, who were
former South Arabs who arrived in Jordan around the 6th century BC.
They were basically the makers of one of the most extraordinary prehistoric
civilizations.
Interesting Facts
Petra is listed as New Seven Wonders of the World.
Petra was listed as one of the New Seven
Wonders of the World in 2007 and fully deserves its place in this prestigious
list. It shares its distinction with other stunning historical sites such as
The Great Wall of China, The Taj Mahal, The Colosseum, Machu Pichu, Chichen
Itza and the Statue of Christ the Redeemer in Brazil.
Among the other ancient
cities in the world, Petra is one of them.
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| By Leon petrosyan - Source: Wikimedia Commons |
Petra was founded in 312 BC as the capital of
the Nabatean Empire. This made it more than 2300 years old, and one of the
ancient cities in the world.
There are more tombs in
Petra than the Valley of the Kings in Luxor.
The Valley of the Kings in Luxor, Egypt, is
arguably one of the most famous ancient sites in the world, which is known for
the 63 tombs and mausoleums. However, one of the most interesting facts about
Petra is that it is one of the largest royal tomb complexes in the world, with
around 1,000 individual tombs identified till now.
Even the Treasury is a
mausoleum.
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| By Kirk K - Source: Flickr |
The Treasury is actually also Mausoleum!
Treasury, also known as Al-Khazneh, is one of the most photographed sites
throughout the complex, with extraordinary complicated carvings arranged into
steep stone faces.
However, apart from its name, this is actually
the last resting place of King Aretas IV Nabatean, who died in the first
century AD. It was nicknamed ‘Treasury’ by local Bedouin who believed that it
was full of wealth.
The meaning of the
name ‘Petra’ is ‘rocks’.
To be precise, for cities carved from stone,
the name Petra actually means ‘rocks’. It is estimated that it comes from the
Greek word ‘Petros’, which means rocks, and is named by Greek visitors because
of the distinctive carved sandstone.
Petra was known as ‘Rekeme’.
According to the former historian Josephus,
Petra was really known by a different name among his Nebatean inhabitants. Inscriptions
carved on the city walls shows that it was known as Raqemo or Rekeme, after the
royal founder.
Petra often called ‘Rose
City’.
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| By Mustafa Waad Saeed - Source: Wikimedia Commons |
Petra’s beautiful sandstone earns itself the
nickname ‘Rose City’. When you visit the Petra in around the sunset, the last
sunlight throws an extraordinary pink hue on the rocks.
A third of the city
was destroyed by earthquakes.
Petra may be a strong fortress city, but its
natural defense does not stop it from being affected by natural disasters. In
363 AD, the devastating earthquake hit the city, destroying about one third of
the site.
Petra was once famous
for its gardens.
Located in the dry and dusty desert of Jordan,
it is difficult to imagine Petra as a fertile paradise. However, the new
excavation has discovered that complex irrigation systems provide water for the
thirsty residents of the city, as well as triggering a spectacular garden and
fountain complex. This monumental park makes Petra Oasis true in the desert.
The people living in the city even have their own swimming pool!
Petra was the center
of the ancient spice trade.
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| By Bernard Gagnon - Source: Wikimedia Commons |
Petra's increase to ancient world is partly
due to its important role as a center for the Middle East spice trading.
Incense from Arabic, silk from China, and spices from India all passed through
this beautiful Rose City on the way to destinations throughout Africa, the
Middle East and Western Europe.
Petra is a World
Heritage Site.
Petra is one of the five World Heritage Sites
in the Jordan. Petra was declared as the UNESCO World Heritage Site on December
6, 1985.
It is the most
popular place in Jordan.
In 2019, approximately 1,135,300 tourists
visited Petra. It is the most famous tourist attraction in the country Jordan.
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