Ancient Petra: history, set in stone
Photo: skrytebane https://www.flickr.com/photos/johsgrd/5498383248/ (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/)
Thousands of tourists visit Jordan every year to see one of the seven new wonders of the world — ancient city of Petra.
It was founded some hundreds years before the Christ era at the crossroad of two most important trade routes of that time. One of them connected the Red Sea with Damascus, and the second — the Persian Gulf with Gaza. At different times the city had different owners. Among them were the Edomites, Nabataeans, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs and Crusaders. And every nation brought something of its own into its appearance.
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The city is located in a mountainous are at an altitude of 900 meters above the sea level. You can get there only by the narrow and gloomy canyon Siq. The walls of the gorge are so high and narrow that the sun rays do not needle inside.
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Photo: Maureen https://www.flickr.com/photos/amerune/167670797/ (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/)
Having walked a kilometer along a dark tunnel, a traveler enters a sunlit natural amphitheater. The first thing he meets on his way is the grand building of the Al-Khazneh temple. Its facade is carved from a huge rock. How such a construction was completed at the very beginning of our era, no one can say. All the unnecessary things were taken off the rock without any machinery! There is a suggestion that the facade was cut out gradually, from the top down, using the figure itself as steps.
Photo: Chris Yunker https://www.flickr.com/photos/chris-yunker/2071146769/ (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/)
Photo: Chris Yunker https://www.flickr.com/photos/chris-yunker/2543438901/ (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/)
Photo: Andrew Kippen https://www.flickr.com/photos/academik/2551672680/ (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/)
Gradually the gorge becomes wider and the stunning view of the ancient city opens.
Photo: Edgardo W. Olivera, https://www.flickr.com/photos/ewolivera/27575068732 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/)
Photo: pxhere.com (CC0 Public Domain)
The ancient dwellers carved houses, temples and crypts from stone blocks with amazing patience.
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Photo: Chris Yunker https://www.flickr.com/photos/chris-yunker/2543462355/ (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/)
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At the top of the cliff there is a huge building also carved in the rock. It is the monastery — El Deir.
Photo: Diego Delso [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Judging by the crosses carved on its walls, there used to be a Christian church. Nearby is the Palace Tomb — a three-story palace, proof of the Roman presence in Petra.
Photo: By Berthold Werner (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Ian McKellar https://www.flickr.com/photos/ianloic/6160711298/ (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/)
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Photo: Ian McKellar https://www.flickr.com/photos/ianloic/6160632384/ (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/)
It is quite interesting that despite the city is situated in a dry place, it has never suffered from the shortage of water. There were special reservoirs all around that collected rain water. They were connected by terracotta tubes. The same tubes collected water from all the sources located within 25 kilometers from the city.
Photo: Andrew Kippen https://www.flickr.com/photos/academik/2531812116/ (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/)
Photo: Andrew Kippen https://www.flickr.com/photos/academik/2551769734/ (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/)
Photo: Andrew Kippen https://www.flickr.com/photos/academik/2550894369/ (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/)
In the city there are hundreds of monuments of ancient culture. Temples, residential buildings, baths, tombs is a great evidence of skills and diligence of ancient people.
Photo: pixabay.com (CC0 Creative Commons)
