#Al Khazneh

[azvolrien]

It seems no work of Man's creative hand, by labour wrought as wavering fancy planned; But from the rock as if by magic grown, eternal, silent, beautiful, alone! Not virgin-white like that old Doric shrine, where erst Athena held her rites divine; Not saintly-grey, like many a minster fane, that crowns the hill and consecrates the plain; But rose-red as if the blush of dawn, that first beheld them were not yet withdrawn; The hues of youth upon a brow of woe, which Man deemed old two thousand years ago, Match me such marvel save in Eastern clime, a rose-red city half as old as time.

- John William Burgon, 1845

Is fuckin huge, man

- Azvolrien, 2023

[loneviatoris]

From another era, I will return

- loneviatoris

[rabbitcruiser]

Johann Ludwig Burckhardt became the first modern European to lay eyes on the ancient Nabataean city of Petra on August 22, 1812.  

[miles-xanthous]

The hidden gem, Petra / Jordan

[dansmilth]

The hidden gem, Petra / Jordan

[blackandwhitehepburnmonroe]

The hidden gem, Petra / Jordan

[heavenskiriot]

The Treasury الخزنة | Petra, Jordan

Tumblr | Instagram | Society6

[bingwallpaper]

Petra, Jordan

Al-Khazneh, one of the ancient temples in Petra, Jordan, in Arabic translates to 'The Treasury'. For ages, Petra was hidden from the world, with only the Bedouin people aware of it because they lived in the surrounding desert. The Treasury was carved out of a single sandstone rock approximately 2,000 years ago by the Nabatean people, the original inhabitants of Petra. They were skilled architects who constructed an impressive network of cisterns, water channels and other amenities. Al-Khazneh is the epitome of Nabatean architecture, standing over 40 metres tall and boasting a mesmerisingly beautiful doorway with two towering columns and carvings that represent mythological creatures like sphinxes. It is believed that Nabatean King Aretas IV was laid to rest here.

[countriesgame]

Please reblog for a bigger sample size!

If you have any fun fact about Jordan, please tell us and I'll reblog it!

Be respectful in your comments. You can criticize a government without offending its people.

[salantami]

Urn Tomb, Petra, Jordan

The Urn Tomb is one of the most popular spots in the Petra Archeological Park. Like the other Royal Tombs right next to it, the Urn Tomb holds ancient Nabatean nobility, whose exact identity is still a matter of academic argument; most scientists think this one belongs to King Malchus II or King Aretas IV. What makes this tomb special? 

History of the Urn Tomb in Petra

The Urn Tomb was carved into the rock around 70 AD, long after the Nabateans were influenced by Hellenistic culture. Most of this site's archeology is from the second half of the 1st century, including the most famous piece - The Treasury of Petra (Al-Khazneh). 

This tomb is a good example of the combination of local and Greek designs: The tomb has an impressive 26 by 16.49-meter facade, and you'll have to climb a flight of stairs to reach the entrance. Inside you'll find a row of columns and a square, leading to the primary chamber

This square is known by the bedouins as Al-Mahkamah - the courtyard - and it is believed the place was used for trials in ancient times. The name Urn Tomb comes from a Jar crowning its pediment. The court's rear wall exposes another page in the tomb's history: an inscription etched in stone around 447 AD declares the place as a Byzantine church. During these times, the Urn Tombs were expanded with round niches. 

[jordanianroyals]

Prince Ali bin Al Hussein of Jordan welcomes British celebrity chef, Gordon Ramsay in Petra, Jordan on 7 July 2023. The chef receives a tour from the prince, singer Omar Abdallat & other local tourism officials. He’s also seem cooking up a meal for a dining table set in front of the Treasury (Al-Khazneh), the most iconic spot.

[first-and-last-neocount]

Thank you @coldestcaress for the tag!

Relationship status: ...it's complicated? But actually though. XD He's very cute and very shy, I asked him out and he wants to hang out as friends for now and see how it goes... We're kind of inhabiting a nebulous grey area now, but it's fine, I love spending time with him either way so I'm just rolling with it lol.

Favorite color: purple and blue. To the surprise of no one who's looked at my blog. Purple wins by a veeeery slim margin if I'm forced to pick.

Three favorite foods: pepperoni pizza, chicken quesadillas, and Nanaimo bars (desserts are food, don't @ me XD)

Song stuck in my head: Song Of Fire by Nickelback

Dream trip: I want so, so badly to see Petra in person. I've been fascinated with it since I was a kid, and I really hope that someday I'm able to afford a trip to Jordan to actually stand in front of Al-Khazneh.

Time: 11:07

Anything I really want rn: $500k. Nothing else. Pretty much everything wrong with my life would be fixed by that one lump sum, because all of my problems (other than, y'know, trauma) are direct results of me and my mom trying and failing to climb our way out of the financial hole someone else dug us into.

Last song: Silent Majority by Nickelback (can you tell I have been listening to Feed The Machine on a loop all morning? ROFL)

Last movie: went to a retro supper club that has a dine-in theatre with the Not-Boyfriend and saw Labyrinth two weeks ago. It was my... seventh? time seeing it, but his first, so I got to watch his reactions to that fabulous film in real time. :D

Currently watching: The Dragon Prince (I haven't forgotten, I've just been busy, lol) and Golden Kamuy (I know it's been like five months Potato but I swear I'm still going to pick it up again, I haven't abandoned it I've just been very distracted XD)

Currently reading: The Subtle Knife (starting it today on my lunch break in fact), Caliban's War (god The Expanse is so goooood), and since I finished my last non-fiction read last week I'll also be starting something in that category (considering They Fight Like Soldiers, They Die Like Children, even though reading Shake Hands With The Devil fucked me up for weeks, because I'm a glutton for punishment).

Currently craving: well, now that I've mentioned them, a Nanaimo bar!

Tagging @theobscurepotato @straysinfiltrator @peregrinealpha and anyone else who feels like jumping in!

[massabios]

Al Khazneh (el Tesoro), el edificio más conocido de Petra, visto desde el aire. Abajo se observa también El Siq, el estrecho desfiladero (3 metros en algunos puntos) que serpentea a lo largo de 1,2 km para desembocar en El Tesoro.

[rabbitcruiser]

In the United States and Canada, Raiders of the Lost Ark was released on June 12, 1981.  

[azvolrien]

Trail’s end up at the Monastery. Not quite as famous as Al Khazneh/The Treasury - likely because it takes much more time and effort to reach! - but even more impressive IMO.

[superwings-cultural]

Architecture and Monuments: The City of Petra - Jordan

Petra , originally known to its inhabitants as Raqmu or Raqēmō  is a historic and archaeological city in southern Jordan. It is adjacent to the mountain of Jabal Al-Madbah, in a basin surrounded by mountains forming the eastern flank of the Arabah valley running from the Dead Sea to the Gulf of Aqaba. The area around Petra has been inhabited from as early as 7000 BC, and the Nabataeans might have settled in what would become the capital city of their kingdom as early as the 4th century BC.

The trading business gained the Nabataeans considerable revenue and Petra became the focus of their wealth. The Nabataeans were accustomed to living in the barren deserts, unlike their enemies, and were able to repel attacks by taking advantage of the area's mountainous terrain. They were particularly skillful in harvesting rainwater, agriculture and stone carving. Petra flourished in the 1st century AD, when its famous Al-Khazneh structure – believed to be the mausoleum of Nabataean king Aretas IV – was constructed, and its population peaked at an estimated 20,000 inhabitants. Although the Nabataean kingdom became a client state of the Roman Empire in the first century BC, it was only in 106 AD that it lost its independence. Petra fell to the Romans, who annexed Nabataea and renamed it as Arabia Petraea. Petra's importance declined as sea trade routes emerged, and after an earthquake in 363 destroyed many structures. In the Byzantine era several Christian churches were built, but the city continued to decline, and by the early Islamic era it was abandoned except for a handful of nomads. It remained unknown until it was rediscovered in 1812 by Johann Ludwig Burckhardt.

Petra is a site located in a rocky cirque structured by several faults dug by wadis, which constitute the main communication routes. The main axis is the wadi Mousa, which crosses the site from east to west, first in the Sîq gorge ("the ditch") located to the east, whose entrance, preceded by the "Djinn tombs", was surmounted by a large arch, now collapsed. This gorge, crossing the Khubtha massif, was the main access route to Petra, and was paved in antiquity.

From its exit, where the Khazneh is located, the space widens. At this point there are many tombs as well as the theater. The course of Wadi Mousa changes its orientation to head north for a few hundred meters, before resuming its course on an east-west axis, where the center of Petra is located, with its main monumental complexes. This area is defended by walls on its more exposed northern and southern flanks, while the defense of the eastern and western sides does not pose any difficulties due to the narrowness of the access routes.

Since springs are scarce in this semi-desert region, rainwater, about 150 mm per year (today 50 to 250 mm), provided most of the needs. The local springs alone could only provide water for a few families. The Nabataeans built a system of water collection and redistribution, with rules for distribution to the inhabitants.

Petra, located in a basin, could collect rainwater from a 92 km basin thanks to the relative impermeability of the rocks. This low permeability of the soil nevertheless posed many problems, such as the triggering of seasonal floods of the wadis (winter and spring) that were very powerful and therefore destructive (especially the Wadi Moussa). Indeed, until it was diverted in the twentieth century, the watercourse of Wadi Moussa ("stream of Moses"), which flows from the source of Ain Moussa ("source of Moses") in the Sîq to the village of Gaia, was the source of deadly floods, as in 1963 when 24 French tourists drowned, surprised by the arrival of a monstrous wave. However, the danger of floods is not entirely removed: in November 2018 twelve people died in bad weather around Petra and 4,000 tourists had to be evacuated from the tourist site. There is also a "small Sîq" that joins the main Sîq near the royal tombs.

When the city was booming, water was used mainly for the consumption of the inhabitants and their livestock and, in a later phase, for watering the gardens. Cereals, such as barley and wheat, fruit trees and vines were probably cultivated in Petra. Presses carved into the rock have been found, probably dating from the period of Roman rule, which gave wine great importance.

Petra has a long history and its valley is particularly prized for its ease of defense. The first inhabitants were prehistoric. There are some material traces of dwellings used by them not far from Petra. It is from around 1200 BC that the place begins to be inhabited. Then, a few centuries before our era, during the Nabatean period, a city was developed, mostly dug in the rock. The Nabatean civilization settled there for several centuries, until the Roman period. After the Byzantine period, the site was practically abandoned. The scarcity of sources for this last period makes it difficult to reconstruct the history of the city. There are still a few written traces dating from the Middle Ages, after which the city is forgotten.

Originally, the Nabataeans being a nomadic people, their buildings were simple goatskin tents established along the Wadi Musa around the 4th century BC.

These temporary camps were replaced over the next two centuries by very simple dwellings carved out of the rock: with smooth facades, they had a doorway excavated in the lower part with one or two staircase-shaped cut-outs. This Nabataean sedentarization is expressed in buildings that are an adaptation of the Syrian tombs; being in constant contact with the surrounding civilizations, they were inspired by the style of several of them, in particular Alexandria.