Petra is a mysterious city in the rock. History of the city of Petra in Jordan

A mysterious and unusual rock city, about which the sages of antiquity found time to write, and which was even mentioned in the Bible. It was here that Moses extracted water from the rock, and the local river is still called Wadi Musa, which means “river of Moses.” It's about about the ancient city of Petra in Jordan. Let's take a closer look at this attraction, included in the list of new wonders of the world.

History of the city of Petra in Jordan

Petra is located in a rocky area on the road to the resort of Aqaba from the Dead Sea. In the old days, the route of the “road of incense” ran here. Later, with the formation of the state of Edom, the biblical enemy of Israel, the first settlement appeared here. In the local language it was called Sela, which means stone. Later, the Greeks translated “stone” into “Petra”, and in this form the name of the city has survived to this day.

On the border of the 4th -3rd millennium BC, the Nabataean Arab nomads decided to settle in this area, hard to reach place built their capital - the city of Petra. It was indeed difficult to get into the city, since there was only one entrance through a narrow gorge. Even the famous Roman generals who decided to conquer the Nabateans had to lift the siege due to constant failures. But still, from the 1st century AD, the Nabateans voluntarily joined the Roman Empire, which generally had a positive effect on the development of the city.

Due to the rocky location of the city, the inhabitants of the ancient city of Petra in Jordan had to contrive to erect residential and other buildings. These ancient craftsmen could build them right in the rock, while in decoration and architecture they were not inferior to the great Greek and Roman architects. The earthquake that occurred in 363 severely damaged Petra, the inhabitants left this city, and only nomads became its inhabitants.

The laurels of the discovery of the forgotten ancient Nabatean capital belong to Johann Ludwig Burckhardt. Pretending to be a merchant, in 1812 he learns from local Bedouins that the legendary ancient city of Petra exists and is located nearby. Later, accompanied by a guide, he finally reaches the Wadi Musa valley and finds the Nabataean ruins of Petra in Jordan.

City of Petra. Short description

The road to the rock city of Petra begins with a narrow gorge, along which rocks rise hundreds of meters on both sides. The movement takes place in the dark, the sun cannot get here. Then it gradually begins to get lighter, and niches for statues carved into the rock become noticeable.

Entrance to Petra

At the exit from the tunnel the sun hits unaccustomed eyes bright light, and a huge and beautiful building appears before them. The building is called El Khazneh or the Pharaoh's Treasury. This temple and mausoleum was probably built here in the 2nd century AD. The exact purpose of the building is now difficult to establish, and researchers have many guesses on this matter, so all that remains is to enjoy its beauty and the skill of the ancient stonemasons.

Al Khazneh

It remains a mystery how the builders carved out the building in the temple. As a rule, in such cases it is necessary to construct scaffolding, but there were no trees in the area. All that was left was to use the ruins in the rock to climb up and start working from there. At the same time, it is unknown how the workers managed to work at high altitudes “on weight”; it is also unknown how they assessed the size and scale of the future construction.

Behind this mausoleum, the tunnel widens, and the view of the spectators reveals a view of Old city in the rock with many ordinary stone houses, markets, administrative and entertainment establishments. There are also traces of Roman influence - a street runs through the city, decorated with a traditional colonnade.

Petra Street with Colonnade

But here, too, the facades of buildings can be seen in the red-pink rocks. For example, Ed-Deir is a huge monastery located on the top of a cliff. The walls of this monumental structure, 50 meters high and wide, have cutouts of crosses. Probably in the past the monastery housed a Christian church.

Ed-Deir

Not far from here you can see another famous building- a three-story Roman palace called the Palace Tomb. Nearby there is another building that stands out from the general background - the Urn Tomb.

Palace tomb

Of course, not all rock structures were created for important rituals. Ordinary living quarters and even burial grounds were also built here. On the contrary, among the buildings on the land, not all were classified as economic. So among them stands out the temple of Qasr el-Bint, dating back to the 1st century BC, erected in honor of the Arab goddess Al-Uzza - the Great Mother Goddess.

Qasr el-Bint

Total in stone Petra Several hundred rock chambers have been preserved. Their facades reflect the entire history of the city's construction - from the roughest to the most skillfully made with borrowed ancient construction traditions.

In any case, the buildings of Petra by the Nabataean masters are distinguished by their originality, but it is also worth remembering that before their great construction the Nabataeans were just nomads. Currently, this place attracts thousands of tourists who want to immerse themselves in the atmosphere of ancient rock architecture and witness great works of art.

Petra is an ancient city, the pearl of Jordan. Located one kilometer from the city of Eilat.

The city of Petra was the capital of the ancient Nabatean state, which arose in the 7th century BC. A significant part of the architectural objects of Petra are carved directly into the red sandstone rocks.

In ancient times, the city was located at the crossroads of important trade routes, which ensured its prosperity. But after the opening of sea trade routes, the city fell into decline. Gradually, the sands hid the amazing architecture of Petra from view. Forgotten for centuries, it was discovered only in the 19th century.

Now the majestic buildings of the ancient capital attract about half a million tourists annually.

Byzantine church

Petra is an impressive Nabatean ancient city in Western Jordan. With its magnificent massive facades carved from red sandstone and the surrounding rugged landscape dotted with historical monuments, it is a traveler's paradise. Petra was and is a great religious city. There are many tombs, temples, sanctuaries and altars here.

One of these pearls is Byzantine church. It was built on Roman ruins around 450 AD. The church was a three-nave basilica with total area about 400 square meters. All the passages of the temple are paved with amazingly preserved mosaics depicting local and mythical animals. The cruciform font was surrounded by four columns, possibly supporting a dome. Around 600 AD, the church suffered a major fire and was abandoned until it was finally destroyed by earthquakes.

Its excavations began in 1992, archaeologists discovered 152 papyrus scrolls. The Byzantine church is a unique historical monument ancient civilization and is of great interest to tourists.

What sights of Petra did you like? Next to the photo there are icons, by clicking on which you can rate a particular place.

Canyon Siq

The Siq Canyon is located in Jordan, its length is one and a half kilometers, and it ends with the ruins of Al Khazneh. Previously, this gorge served as the main entrance to the ancient city and was used by royal caravans.

At the very beginning of the canyon you can see the remains of a stone arch. Here stood the massive gates of the Roman legion, which made it possible to tightly block the passage and hold the defense with minimal forces.

Karak has been known since ancient times. The castle is a huge labyrinth with gloomy arches and endless passages. It is so high that you can see the Dead Sea from its windows.

Karak is located on the so-called “Royal Road” (or “Road of the Kings”), the caravan route between Syria and Egypt. It is not for nothing that bloody wars were fought over this territory for many centuries.

The castle was built by the Crusaders in 1136. The fortress of Karak became at that time the main center of the Crusaders in the area. Later it became a fortified point of the Mamluks and Ayyubids.

The main thing in Karak is its numerous tunnels, underground passages, labyrinths, and rooms. It is very easy to get lost in them and, moreover, interesting. Some places are simply pitch dark, so a flashlight will come in handy.

Tomb with urn

The urn tomb is one of the many unique structures in Petra. This is one of the five so-called Royal Tombs, which were used for the burial of kings and high-ranking persons. It gets its name from the urn that tops the central pediment.

The tomb is built on a high mountain and dominates the neighboring facades. To get here, you need to climb several flights of stairs. Presumably this is the tomb of King Malchus II, who died in 70 AD. The impressive façade has stood the test of time. The tomb stands on an open platform, with several pairs of columns along the northern terrace. The inner chamber is quite impressive, its area is about 400 square meters.

In 477, the tomb was converted into a church, as evidenced by the dedication record on the back wall of the hall. This impressive structure is very popular among tourists. There is a café here for visitors wide choice refreshments and a cozy hotel located a few kilometers away.

Aneisho Tomb

The Aneisho Tomb is one of the many attractions in Petra. It was created around 50 AD. The monument is located on a hill, so it immediately attracts attention.

This majestic structure is named after the brother of the Nabatean queen Shagilat. It has beautiful facade with double cornice. Its structure intertwines Greek, Egyptian and Nabatean architectural styles. The tomb was a two-tier room with a total area of ​​about 400 square meters. A room with a massive table and two benches was equipped here, in which sacred holidays were held in honor of the dead.

This place is of great interest to visitors. Near the tomb is small cafe with a wide selection of soft drinks. A cozy hotel is located a few kilometers away; you can stay here during an excursion tour.

The most popular attractions in Petra with descriptions and photographs for every taste. Choose best places for visiting famous places Petra on our website.

Individual and group

More attractions of Petra

The ancient city of Petra is rightfully considered the main attraction of Jordan, glorifying this eastern country for the whole Earth, and one of the 7 new wonders of the world!

Maybe someone remembers the old film about Indiana Jones, in which he was looking for the Grail - there was a huge temple carved into the rock =) It turns out that this was not scenery, but such a miracle really exists - in Petra!

The ancient Nabatean city was founded in these rocks about 4 thousand years ago (according to other sources - 2 millennia), back in the era of the Edomites - then a small but well-defended fortress was built in the rocks. Later, these lands came into the possession of the Nabatean kingdom, which was just at that time experiencing its heyday. Petra, which served as the capital of the kingdom, gradually acquired enormous influence and unprecedented popularity. The emergence of a city in such an inaccessible place became possible thanks to the ability of the Nabateans to control the flow of water, because in essence Petra is nothing more than an artificial oasis! Flash floods are common in this area, and the Nabataeans successfully controlled them using dams, cisterns and aqueducts, which allowed them not only to survive long periods of drought, but also to successfully trade water

In addition to the fact that the Nabateans knew how to skillfully collect water, they also learned how to skillfully process stone. The name “Petra” literally translates as “Rock”, and it is not surprising - after all, the entire ancient city consists entirely of stone!

However, the Nabatean kingdom fell under the onslaught of the Roman emperor Trajan, and then the Roman Empire itself disappeared into oblivion... Since the 16th century AD, only the wind has “walked” here, and then infrequently. This pearl among the rocks was forgotten for more than 2 centuries - until the moment in 1812, the Swiss traveler-adventurer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt decided to find in these lands a lost city, about which there were many legends, but which, despite this, no one never saw. As a result, the Swiss finally found the legendary lost city, carefully protected by sands and rocks!

All the buildings of Petra were built mainly in three periods: under the Edomites (XVIII-II centuries BC), the Nabataeans (II century BC - 106 BC) and the Romans (106-395 AD). .). In the 12th century, the ancient city was ruled by the crusading knights of the Teutonic Order. Monuments built here after the 6th century AD have practically not reached us. Therefore, the appearance of Petra, which is revealed to the eyes of tourists today, is the ancient capital of the Nabataean kingdom

An interesting fact is that the territory of Petra is currently only 15% studied, so it is possible that soon the mysteries of the ancient city may amaze the whole world! Now imagine that this 15% is about 800 (!) different historical sites on the territory of Petra!

Due to such a huge number of centuries-old attractions, even tickets here are sold for a three-day period - after all, in a day you can only briefly examine all the famous this moment“treasures” of Petra, but even a month is not enough to get acquainted with all its architectural elements in detail!

Petra makes an impression on all tourists who come here - even the most sophisticated ones, and I think this is connected to a greater extent not so much with the ancient city itself, but with the road that leads to it - after all, the city is “hidden” in the very center of the rock! In order to get to Petra, you need to go down into a deep gorge called “Sik” (“Mine”), formed as a result of a prehistoric shift earth's crust, and it takes quite a long time to walk along a narrow path (in some places only 3-4 meters wide) at its bottom, between steep 80-meter cliffs, on which here and there you can find ancient inscriptions carved in stone and even entire niches carved into limestone for recreation. At some point, it begins to seem that you will have to walk along this gorge forever, but suddenly it ends abruptly and the enormous Treasury of Pharaoh (the Arabic name is El-Khazneh, from which the word “Treasury” later came) opens to your eyes - one of the most famous monuments ancient Petra, in front of which the ant-people froze in surprise...

Gradually, the state of numbness recedes and is replaced by surprise and disbelief that such a huge thing can be carved into the rock. The purpose of Al-Khazneh, carved into the rock around the 2nd century AD, is still unclear, but many historians and archaeologists believe that it was originally a temple to the goddess Isis

In any case, the Treasury is an example of the greatest skill of ancient architects. After all, even today such a structure would be very difficult to create, not to mention how accurate the calculations must be and how it was hollowed out of stone in the first place, if there is not a single tree for hundreds of kilometers around. scaffolding!

It is also surprising that after thousands of years, the facade of the Treasury turned out to be practically untouched - see for yourself!

Monument to the Pyramids at the entrance to the Siq gorge

Before entering Petra you can purchase detailed map city ​​and decide for yourself whether to wander through the most mysterious nooks and crannies in splendid isolation or hire a guide

Map of the ancient city

The map shows: 1 - Entrance; 2 - Al-Wuheira; 3 - Beginning of the Siq gorge; 4 — “Treasury of the Pharaohs”; 5 - Place of sacrifices; 6 - Theater; 7 – Urn Tomb or “Cathedral”; 8 - Tomb of Sextus Florentinus; 9 — “Nymphaeum”; 10 - Church; 11 – Temple Winged Lions; 12 - Great Temple; 13 – Temple of Uzza; 14 - Archaeological Museum; 15 - Lion Triclinium (Roman dining room); 16 – El Deir Monastery

The ancient city extends for several kilometers. The main street is laid from east to west, decorated on the sides with a colonnade. At its eastern end there is a three-span triumphal arch, and at the western end there is a large temple

Early necropolis of the Nabateans

One of the main architectural elements Petra, along with the Treasury, is an ancient theater for 6,000 spectators, entirely carved out of the rock and located so that from there one can see the most important tombs, among which are the “Cathedral”, the Palace Tomb, the Corinthian Tomb, the Urn Tomb and the Silk Tomb

The theater was built in Petra at the beginning of the 1st century AD, almost at the same time with the majestic bulk of the El Deir monastery carved into the rock at the top of the cliff - a huge building about 50 m wide and more than 45 m high, which, judging by the carvings on the walls crosses, for some time served as a Christian church. It may seem familiar to many - most likely this is due to the fact that one of the scenes of the second Transformers film was filmed here =)

Maybe it’s more recognizable this way)

From the slope next to El Deir you can see Mount Jebel Harun with a white mosque on top - this relatively small and modestly decorated tomb of Aaron, the brother of Moses, was built by the Mamluk Sultan in the 13th century. According to Arab legends, this is exactly the place where Moses hit the stone with his staff and water flowed from it.

To the right of the Theater is the entrance to the “Cathedral”. The inscription indicates that Bishop Jason converted the Doric Tomb into a Eucharistic Hall. The same inscription dates this transformation to 447 AD

Plan of the Church of Papyrus in the western part of the city

1 - Atrium; 2 - Baptistery; 3 - Basilica; 4 - Department; 5 - Altar; 6 - Papyrus's room

View of the church from the altar

In the 90s during excavations. carried out by the American Center for Oriental Research, a vast building was discovered, decorated beautiful mosaics. A number of administrative records written on papyrus and dating back to the sixth century AD were also discovered. The papyri are part of a private archive including contracts, leases, exchanges, wills, and various kinds of agreements. In the photo there is a medallion with an image of Neptune

The floors of the nave and chancel are made of multi-colored marble tiles. Both passages are decorated with mosaics. The mosaic style belongs to the Gaza School, which is very different from the school of the Madaba School, mosaic examples of which were found in previous days. The photo shows the atrium of the church. The basilica was divided into three parts by two rows of columns

The Baptistery is located in a room adjacent to the atrium of the Church

Interior of the Temple of the Winged Lions

A Roman inscription from 114 AD on this monumental gate praises Emperor Trajan. The gate leads to the large courtyard of the Temple of Uzza (Qazr al-Bint)

Inner courtyard of the Great Temple of Petra. The floor is made of hexagonal marble slabs

Panoramic view of Qazr al-Bint and Umm al-Biyara peak. The Temple of Uzza was built at the beginning of the 2nd century AD

Arch in the facade of Qazr al-Bint

The Lion Triclinium got its name thanks to the lions “guarding” the entrance

It is also worth paying attention to the monumental tombstone structure in the Roman style, which received the simple name of the Tombstone Palace. One more interesting place is the Archaeological Museum of Petra, which contains the shadow of the history of the development, formation and decline of these lands. In the photo there are a couple of exhibits from the museum - a fragment of a capital carved in the shape of an elephant found in the Great Temple, and the head of an eagle

And this is one of the reddish rocks with many shades, because of which Petra was often called the “Red City” or “City of Roses”

On December 6, 1985, it was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List - the ancient city was called “one of the most precious elements cultural heritage of humanity,” and on July 7, 2007, Petra was named one of the “Seven New Wonders of the World”

The Jordanian city of Petra is the main attraction
Jordan and is located in the Wadi Musa valley. It is included in the list of World
UNESCO heritage, and on July 7, 2007 this ancient city was named one of
"Seven New Wonders of the World". The word "Petra" means "Rock"
after all, the city is entirely hewn out of stone.

Petra is a Nabatean rock city, historians find it difficult to name it
age, it ranges from 2 to 4 thousand years. It is assumed that he was
created back in the era of the Edomites - it was then that a small,
but a reliably defended fortress.

However, later these lands became part of the Nabataean kingdom, when
was flourishing. State formed by the Nabateans (group
Semitic tribes), existed from the 3rd century BC until 106
AD in the territory of modern Jordan, Syria, Israel and
Saudi Arabia. Petra became the capital of the kingdom, gradually acquiring
a huge impact. Building a city in such a difficult, inaccessible place
succeeded thanks to the engineering knowledge of the Nabataeans and the intelligent system
sewerage and water supply. Surprisingly, Petra is artificial
oasis! This part of the planet often experiences sudden downpours and
floods, but the Nabateans knew how to control them with
the use of dams, cisterns and aqueducts. Not only did they not need water,
but they also traded it! Another one amazing ability Nabataeans, without
which the city of Petra would not have is the ability to work with stone.

The Nabataean kingdom fell at the hands of the Romans under the leadership of
Emperor Trajan, and then the Roman Empire itself fell. Thus,
this rock pearl was lost in the deserts until known
traveler Johann Burckhardt did not intend to find
lost city. He was fascinated by legends about mysterious rocks
structures that no one has ever seen. As a result of persistent
the Swiss still managed to do it.

Royal Tombs, Petra, Jordan

It is assumed that all the premises of Petra were erected within three
periods: under the Edomites (XVIII-II centuries BC), Nabataeans (II century BC
era - 106 BC) and the Romans (106-395 AD). There is an opinion that
in the 12th century AD Petra was owned by the knights of the Teutonic Order. However,
monuments built in this city after the 6th century AD are already before us
didn't arrive. The appearance of Petra that we see today is almost identical
the ancient capital of the Nabataean kingdom.

At the moment, only 15% of the territory of Petra has been studied. It means,
that the mysteries of the ancient city may soon shake the whole world! What
available in Petra now - these are no less than 800 historical objects,
It’s simply impossible to get around and look at them all in one day! That's why
tickets here are sold for three days at once, although in fact, to
truly become familiar with all the architectural elements of Petra,
perhaps even a month is not enough.

To get here, you need to go down into a deep gorge, and then
walk along it for a long time, between high steep cliffs, on which at times
there are inscriptions carved in limestone, and even entire niches,
carefully carved for rest for tired travelers. At some point
it may seem that you will have to walk along this mountain gorge forever, but
suddenly it ends abruptly, and the tourist’s eyes open like this
called “Treasury of the Pharaoh (in Arabic “El-Khazneh”) - one of
the most famous monuments of secret Petra. Many historians believe that
originally it was a temple to the goddess Isis. Such a structure would be very
it’s difficult to create even today, so it’s hard for people to understand
ancient times managed to accomplish so much exact calculations and how in general
it is possible to chisel out of stone a structure of such height when all around
hundreds and hundreds of kilometers there is no suitable material
for the construction of scaffolding! The degree of durability is also surprising.
structures - after thousands of years, the façade of the Treasury remains
practically untouched.

Before entering Petra you can purchase a detailed map of the city and, if
If desired, hire a guide. The ancient city extends deep into the rocks for
several kilometers, from east to west there is a main street with
colonnade on the sides. On its eastern side there is a triumphal arch for three
span, on the western - a huge temple. One of the most important architectural
parts of Petra is an ancient theater designed for 6 thousand spectators,
which is entirely cut out of the rock. It is known that it was built in
beginning of the 1st century AD e., simultaneously with the majestic bulk of the monastery
El Deir is a huge structure 50 m wide and more than 45 m high.
Fans of science fiction cinema will be interested in the fact that
One of the scenes from the movie "Transformers 2" was filmed here.

Maybe someone remembers the old movie about Indiana Jones, in which he was looking for the Grail - there was a huge temple carved into the rock? It turns out that these were not decorations, but such a miracle really exists - in Petra!

Ancient Nabataean city Petra was founded in these rocks about 4 thousand years ago (according to other sources - 2 millennia), back in the era of the Edomites - then a small but well-defended fortress was built in the rocks. Later, these lands came into the possession of the Nabatean kingdom, which was just at that time experiencing its heyday.

Petra, which served as the capital of the kingdom, gradually acquired enormous influence and unusually wide fame. The emergence of a city in such an inaccessible place became possible thanks to the ability of the Nabateans to control the flow of water, because in essence Petra is nothing more than an artificial oasis! Flash floods are common in this area, and the Nabataeans successfully controlled them using dams, cisterns and aqueducts, which allowed them not only to survive long periods of drought, but also to successfully trade water

In addition to the fact that the Nabateans knew how to skillfully collect water, they also learned how to skillfully process stone. The name “Petra” literally translates as “Rock”, and it is not surprising - after all, the entire ancient city consists entirely of stone!

However, the Nabatean kingdom fell under the onslaught of the Roman emperor Trajan, and then the Roman Empire itself disappeared into oblivion... Since the 16th century AD, only the wind has “walked” here, and then infrequently. This pearl among the rocks was forgotten for more than 2 centuries - until the moment in 1812, the Swiss traveler-adventurer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt decided to find in these lands a lost city, about which there were many legends, but which, despite this, no one never saw. As a result, the Swiss finally found the legendary lost city, carefully protected by sands and rocks!

All the buildings of Petra were built mainly in three periods: under the Edomites (XVIII-II centuries BC), the Nabataeans (II century BC - 106 BC) and the Romans (106-395 AD). .). In the 12th century, the ancient city was ruled by the crusading knights of the Teutonic Order. Monuments built here after the 6th century AD have practically not reached us. Therefore, the appearance of Petra, which is revealed to the eyes of tourists today, is the ancient capital of the Nabataean kingdom

An interesting fact is that the territory of Petra is currently only 15% studied, so it is possible that soon the mysteries of the ancient city may amaze the whole world! Now imagine that this 15% is about 800 (!) different historical sites on the territory of Petra!

Due to such a huge number of centuries-old attractions, even tickets here are sold for a three-day period - after all, in a day you can only briefly examine all the currently known “treasures” of Petra, but to get acquainted in detail with all its architectural elements, not even a month is enough!

Petra makes an impression on all tourists who come here - even the most sophisticated ones, and I think this is connected to a greater extent not so much with the ancient city itself, but with the road that leads to it - after all, the city is “hidden” in the very center of the rock! In order to get to Petra, you need to go down into a deep gorge called “Sik” (“Mine”), formed as a result of a prehistoric shift of the earth’s crust, and walk for quite a long time along a narrow path (in some places only 3-4 meters wide) on at its bottom, between steep 80-meter cliffs, on which here and there ancient inscriptions carved in stone and even entire niches carved into the limestone for rest are found.

At some point, it begins to seem that you will have to walk along this gorge forever, but suddenly it ends abruptly and the enormous Treasury of Pharaoh (the Arabic name is El-Khazneh, from which the word “Treasury” later came) opens to your eyes - one of the most famous monuments of ancient Petra, in front of which the ant-people froze in surprise...

Gradually, the state of numbness recedes and is replaced by surprise and disbelief that such a huge thing can be carved into the rock. The purpose of Al Khazneh, carved into the rock around the 2nd century AD, is still unclear, but many historians and archaeologists believe that it was originally a temple to the goddess Isis.

In any case, the Treasury is an example of the greatest skill of ancient architects. After all, even today such a structure would be very difficult to create, not to mention how accurate the calculations must be and how it was hollowed out of stone in the first place, if there is not a single tree for scaffolding around for hundreds of kilometers!

It is also surprising that after thousands of years, the facade of the Treasury turned out to be practically untouched - see for yourself!

Monument to the Pyramids at the entrance to the Siq gorge

Before entering Petra, you can purchase a detailed map of the city and decide for yourself whether to wander through the most mysterious nooks and crannies in splendid isolation or hire a guide.

Map of the ancient city

The map shows: 1 - Entrance; 2 - Al-Wuheira; 3 - Beginning of the Siq gorge; 4 — “Treasury of the Pharaohs”; 5 - Place of sacrifices; 6 - Theater; 7 – Urn Tomb or “Cathedral”; 8 - Tomb of Sextus Florentinus; 9 — “Nymphaeum”; 10 - Church; 11 – Temple of Winged Lions; 12 - Great Temple; 13 – Temple of Uzza; 14 - Archaeological Museum; 15 - Lion Triclinium (Roman dining room); 16 – El Deir Monastery

Sasha Mitrakhovich 11.12.2015 09:50

The ancient city extends for several kilometers. The main street is laid from east to west, decorated on the sides with a colonnade. At its eastern end there is a three-span triumphal arch, and at the western end there is a large temple

Early necropolis of the Nabateans

One of the main architectural elements of Petra, along with the Treasury, is an ancient theater for 6000 spectators, entirely carved out of the rock and located so that from there one can see the most important tombs, including the “Cathedral”, the Palace Tomb, the Corinthian Tomb, the Urn Tomb and Silk Tomb

The theater was built in Petra at the beginning of the 1st century AD, almost at the same time with the majestic bulk of the El Deir monastery carved into the rock at the top of the cliff - a huge building about 50 m wide and more than 45 m high, which, judging by the carvings on the walls crosses, for some time served as a Christian church. It may seem familiar to many - most likely this is due to the fact that one of the scenes of the second Transformers film was filmed here =)

Maybe it’s more recognizable this way)

From the slope next to El Deir you can see Mount Jebel Harun with a white mosque on top - this relatively small and modestly decorated tomb of Aaron, the brother of Moses, was built by the Mamluk Sultan in the 13th century. According to Arabic legends, Petra- exactly the place where Moses struck the stone with his staff and water flowed from it

To the right of the Theater is the entrance to the “Cathedral”. The inscription indicates that Bishop Jason converted the Doric Tomb into a Eucharistic Hall. The same inscription dates this transformation to 447 AD

Plan of the Church of Papyrus in the western part of the city

1 - Atrium; 2 - Baptistery; 3 - Basilica; 4 - Department; 5 - Altar; 6 - Papyrus's room

Sasha Mitrakhovich 11.12.2015 09:52

View of the church from the altar

In the 90s during excavations. carried out by the American Center for Oriental Research, a vast building was discovered, decorated with beautiful mosaics. A number of administrative records written on papyrus and dating back to the sixth century AD were also discovered. The papyri are part of a private archive including contracts, leases, exchanges, wills, and various kinds of agreements. In the photo there is a medallion with an image of Neptune

The floors of the nave and chancel are made of multi-colored marble tiles. Both passages are decorated with mosaics. The mosaic style belongs to the Gaza School, which is very different from the school of the Madaba School, mosaic examples of which were found in previous days. The photo shows the atrium of the church. The basilica was divided into three parts by two rows of columns

The Baptistery is located in a room adjacent to the atrium of the Church

Interior of the Temple of the Winged Lions

A Roman inscription from 114 AD on this monumental gate praises Emperor Trajan. The gate leads to the large courtyard of the Temple of Uzza (Qazr al-Bint)

Inner courtyard of the Great Temple of Petra. The floor is made of hexagonal marble slabs

Panoramic view of Qazr al-Bint and Umm al-Biyara peak. The Temple of Uzza was built at the beginning of the 2nd century AD

Arch in the facade of Qazr al-Bint

The Lion Triclinium got its name thanks to the lions “guarding” the entrance

It is also worth paying attention to the monumental tombstone structure in the Roman style, which received the simple name of the Tombstone Palace. Another interesting place is the Archaeological Museum of Petra, which contains the shadow of the history of the development, formation and decline of these lands. In the photo there are a couple of exhibits from the museum - a fragment of a capital carved in the shape of an elephant found in the Great Temple, and the head of an eagle

And this is one of the reddish rocks with many shades, because of which Petra was often called the “Red City” or “City of Roses”

December 6, 1985 Petra was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List - the ancient city was called “one of the most precious elements of the cultural heritage of mankind”, and on July 7, 2007, Petra was named among the “Seven New Wonders of the World”

Sasha Mitrakhovich 11.12.2015 09:54