The Al-Khazneh (building that appears in "Indiana Jones"), for example, is a work of century 1 a.C .: made like real mausoleum. Its façade, of Hellenistic inspiration, impresses by the dimensions: it is 43 meters of height by 30 of width. At the top of one of the mountains surrounding Petra is another work of art: the Ad-Deir, another mausoleum, but which was used in the 5th century AD as a Byzantine church. To visit it, you have to face 800 steps that lead to the top. Petra was a powerful city. The Nabataeans put her on the route of the caravans that crossed the Arabian peninsula towards the Mediterranean or the Red Sea. They have developed irrigation systems and built dams to store rainwater that falls from time to time into the desert. In its peak, the place had 30 thousand inhabitants.
Known locally as the Treasury, this tomb is where most visitors fall in love with Petra. The Hellenistic facade is an astonishing piece of craftsmanship. Although carved out of iron-laden sandstone to serve as a tomb for the Nabataean King Aretas III (c 100 BCE–CE 200), the Treasury derives its name from the story that an Egyptian pharaoh hid his treasure here (in the facade urn) while pursuing the Israelites.
Some locals clearly believed the tale because the 3.5m-high urn is pockmarked by rifle shots. As with all rock-hewn monuments in Petra, the interior is unadorned. The Treasury is at its most photogenic in full sunlight between about 9am and 11am.
Tags: الْأُرْدُنّ المملكة الأردنية الهاشمية The Treasury O Tesouro the al-Khazneh tomb tumba The Hellenistic facade the Nabataean King Aretas III Al-Mamlakah Al-Urdunnīyah Al-Hāshimīyah Jordan Al-'Urdunn The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan Arab country Western Asia East Bank of the Jordan River God, Country, King King Abdullah II Jordan Pass Jordan Explorer abraço hug Hiking Petra Epic trails trail path trilha paisagem landscape Historic site Rock City of Jordan Monuments in the ancient city lifetime experience The Red Rose City Petra UNESCO USAID holy city New Seven Wonders of the World ancient city the Bedouin Wadi Musa tumbas siq cânion canyon archeological site in Petra carved places talhado soft stone cliffs tectonic forces rock pedras greek-style Indiana Jones e a Última Cruzade mausoléu mausoleum Aretas IV cripta First Century The Shaft As Siq PNT ICOMOS Bab As Siq Nabataean hiking Petra - One of 7 Wonders 7 Wonders Sete Maravilhas
The Rose Pink City.
Tags: الْأُرْدُنّ المملكة الأردنية الهاشمية Al-Mamlakah Al-Urdunnīyah Al-Hāshimīyah Jordan Al-'Urdunn The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan Arab country Western Asia East Bank of the Jordan River God, Country, King King Abdullah II Jordan Pass Jordan Explorer Hiking Petra Epic trails trail path trilha paisagem landscape Historic site Rock City of Jordan Monuments in the ancient city lifetime experience The Red Rose City Petra UNESCO USAID holy city New Seven Wonders of the World ancient city the Bedouin Wadi Musa tomb tumbas siq cânion canyon archeological site in Petra carved places talhado soft stone cliffs tectonic forces rock pedras greek-style Indiana Jones e a Última Cruzade mausoléu mausoleum Aretas IV cripta First Century lagartixa gecko The Shaft As Siq PNT ICOMOS Bab As Siq Nabataean hiking Petra - One of 7 Wonders 7 Wonders Sete Maravilhas
A little of history:
'Pink City', 'Lost City', 'City of Moses'. Petra goes by various names, all suited to its more than 2,000 years of history since founding by the Nabataeans, a Bedouin people who ruled part of Jordan. It comes from the red rocks of the desert of that country the nickname of 'pink city', since its buildings were excavated in the rocks of this coloration. Bastion of caravans coming or going to the East, the place even housed 30,000 people at its peak.
One of them was Moses, the biblical character who spent part of his life in Jordan and where he also died. Because of it, the modern city where today the archaeological site of Petra is located is called Wadi Musa, or Valley of Moses. But this part of the world was always a disputed territory and Petra passed from the hands of the Nabataeans to those of the Roman Empire, which later became Byzantine, and was still a refuge for the Crusader Knights.
There are ruins of all these periods scattered by its 264 km ². With the arrival of the Arabs and the territorial changes that this entailed, Petra's position lost importance and the city declined, being completely abandoned after a strong earthquake partially destroyed it in the year 363. No one has heard of the place for hundreds of years , which gave it the name of 'lost city'. Until, in 1812, it was rediscovered by a Swiss archaeologist.
Tags: الْأُرْدُنّ المملكة الأردنية الهاشمية Al-Mamlakah Al-Urdunnīyah Al-Hāshimīyah Jordan Al-'Urdunn The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan Arab country Western Asia East Bank of the Jordan River God, Country, King King Abdullah II Royal Jordanian Airlines RJ Jordan Pass Jordan Explorer abraço hug Hiking Petra Epic trails trail path trilha paisagem landscape Historic site Rock City of Jordan Monuments in the ancient city lifetime experience The Red Rose City Petra UNESCO USAID holy city New Seven Wonders of the World ancient city the Bedouin Wadi Musa Nanataean tomb tumbas siq cânion canyon archeological site in Petra carved places talhado soft stone cliffs tectonic forces rock pedras greek-style Indiana Jones e a Última Cruzade mausoléu mausoleum Aretas IV cripta First Century The Shaft As Siq PNT ICOMOS Bab As Siq Nabataean hiking Petra - One of 7 Wonders 7 Wonders Sete Maravilhas
Tombs in the southern part of the city.
Downhill from the Theatre, the wadi widens to create a larger thoroughfare. To the right, the great massif of Jebel Al Khubtha looms over the valley. Within its west-facing cliffs are burrowed some of the most impressive burial places in Petra, known collectively as the ‘Royal Tombs’. They look particularly stunning bathed in the golden light of sunset.
The Royal Tombs are reached via a set of steps that ascends from the valley floor, near the Theatre. A worthwhile hike from the Royal Tombs leads up to the numerous places of worship on the flattened High Place of Jebel Khubtha, together with a spectacular view of the Treasury. The steps are easily visible between the Palace Tomb and the Sextius Florentinus Tomb. The Royal Tombs can also be reached via the adventurous hike through Wadi Muthlim.
Tags: الْأُرْدُنّ المملكة الأردنية الهاشمية Al-Mamlakah Al-Urdunnīyah Al-Hāshimīyah Jordan Al-'Urdunn The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan Arab country Western Asia East Bank of the Jordan River God, Country, King King Abdullah II Royal Jordanian Airlines RJ Jordan Pass Jordan Explorer Hiking Petra Epic trails trail path trilha paisagem landscape Historic site Rock City of Jordan Monuments in the ancient city lifetime experience The Red Rose City Petra UNESCO USAID holy city New Seven Wonders of the World ancient city the Bedouin Wadi Musa Nanataean tomb tumbas siq cânion canyon archeological site in Petra carved places talhado soft stone cliffs tectonic forces rock pedras greek-style Indiana Jones e a Última Cruzade mausoléu mausoleum Aretas IV cripta First Century The Shaft As Siq PNT ICOMOS Bab As Siq Nabataean hiking Petra - One of 7 Wonders 7 Wonders Sete Maravilhas