#KingdomOfNabatea

[whencyclopedia]

20 Images of Petra

This gallery showcases 20 photos of Petra (Jordan), the former capital of the Nabataean kingdom, which thrived as a trading centre from the 4th century BCE to the 3rd century CE.

Petra is an ancient city carved into a canyon by the Nabataeans, a tribe from Western Arabia skilled in trade and engineering. The ruins of Petra cover an area of 264 square kilometres and include sacred sculptures, monuments, and around 800 tombs, the most famous of which is known as the Treasury. The Treasury is believed to have been the mausoleum of Nabataean King Aretas III and dates back to the 1st century CE.

In 106 CE, the city of Petra was at its peak when the Roman emperor Trajan (r. 98-117 CE) annexed the Kingdom of Nabataea and transformed it into a Roman province named Arabia Petraea. The Romans adopted their city planning, and many new structures were built, including the Roman Soldier Tomb, the Sextius Florentinus Tomb, and the colonnaded street. Petra remained prosperous for over 250 years until the middle of the 4th century CE when an earthquake destroyed many of the city's buildings.

Petra remained hidden for centuries until its rediscovery in 1812. Today, it is Jordan's most renowned tourist attraction and continues to fascinate and inspire visitors from all over the world. It is known as the "Rose City" because of the colour of its stones, and it was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985. Its worldwide recognition was further amplified when it was declared one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in 2007.

Continue reading...

[decadentcoffeegladiator]

Passing through the atmospheric Siq as I entered the lost city of Petra, Jordan, early one morning last January before the crowds arrived, my friend the amazing National Geographic photographer Nevada Wier captured the awesome experience. The Siq is a narrow, high-walled gorge (really more of a crack) cutting through the eastern sandstone massif that provides one of the natural defenses to the Petra city center. The Siq was the formal entrance to Petra, the capital of the Kingdom of Nabataea, a trading kingdom that flourished in the Near East about 2000 years ago; however, it was no mere thoroughfare but actually a sacred way, a via sacra; and as one passes along this mysterious path, there is a sense that it is indeed the realm of the spirits from millennia past, perhaps the djinn of Arabian folklore. No ancient site in the world has a more dramatic approach. Petra is just one of the many remarkable stops on National Geographic Expeditions' Around-the-World jet trip, a trip that I have been privileged to do three times this year as an expert on art and architecture. http://www.nationalgeographicexpeditions.com/expeditions/around-the-world-jet-tour/detail www.nevadawier.com #nationalgeographicexpeditions #natgeo #nationalgeographic #aroundtheworld #nevadawier #jackdaulton #petra #jordan #travel #travelphotography #tcs #tcsexpeditions #privatejet #ancientworld #siq #nabataea #nabataeans #kingdomofnabataea #nabatea #nabateans #kingdomofnabatea #photography #archaeology #archeology #ancientneareast #ancienthistory #jordantravel #middleeasttravel #tourism #worldtravel @natgeo @natgeoexpeditions @natgeotravel @nevadawier