Petra is a beautiful city in southern Jordan

Petra

The stunning pink Petra is an ancient beautiful city in southern Jordan The stunningly beautiful ancient city in southern Jordan, Petra is a pink beauty, it is considered a world treasure like none other on the globe. The ancient rock city is built into the dramatic pink-coloured stone of Jabal Al-Madbah mountain, facing outward to a valley.

The ruins of Petra, dating back as far as 9,000 B.C., provide invaluable insight into the lives of all who have lived there. The city’s population was once large enough that in the fourth century B.C. it became the capital city of the Kingdom of Nabataea. The ruins indicate a strong influence of Greek architecture in the construction of Petra. Built around the time of the Hellenistic and Roman Empires by the Nabatean Arabs, the architecture of Petra as well as other cities in the region often reflected the work of Greek architects. In fact, the name of the ancient city itself is the word for “stone” in Greek. As recently as December 1993, archaeologists were still making important archaeological discoveries there, including many scrolls in Greek that dated back to the Byzantine period. The most recent scrolls were found in a church near the Winged Lion Temple in Petra.

The tomb called the “Khazneh” in Arabic, or “Treasury” in English, is one of the most recognised structures in Petra and shows the strong influence of classic Greek architecture. Its stunning Corinthian-styled columns create a dramatic entrance to the tomb. Legend has it that the locals always believed that this tomb was the location of a hidden treasure. However, modern archaeological excavations from the site have revealed that it is just a two-story high tomb, but built exquisitely! Built into the side of the mountain and carved in one piece from its bedrock, it is believed to have been constructed in the first century A.D. for the Nabataean King Aretas IV.

At that time, Petra was a flourishing city, having an estimated twenty thousand inhabitants. The Nabataeans decorated their structures with elaborate carvings and statues. They worshipped Arabic gods and goddesses during pre-Islamic times and also deified several of their kings, all of whom are among the figures carved into the rocks at the ancient site. Known to many as the Rose City, due to the pink-hued rock from which it is carved, the city has become the symbol of Jordan, attracting as many as one million tourists in 2010.

In 2007, the breathtaking city was named one of the “New Seven Wonders of the World.” This magical, ancient city amazingly was hidden from the eyes of the rest of the world for many years. In fact, the site remained unknown in the West until 1812, when the Swiss explorer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt “discovered” it in his travels. In 1985, the site was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the organization declaring it “one of the most precious cultural properties of man’s cultural heritage.”