Petra

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The Treasury at Petra
The Treasury at Petra

Petra (from πέτρα "petra", rock in Greek; Arabic: البتراء, Al-Butrā) is an archaeological site in southwestern Jordan, lying on the slope of Mount Hor in a basin among the mountains which form the eastern flank of Arabah (Wadi Araba), the large valley running from the Dead Sea to the Gulf of Aqaba.

It is famous for having many stone structures carved into the rock. The long-hidden site was revealed to the Western world by the Swiss explorer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt in 1812. It was famously described as "a rose-red city half as old as time" in a Newdigate prize-winning sonnet by John William Burgon. Burgon had not actually visited Petra, which remained accessible only to Europeans accompanied by local guides with armed escorts until after World War I.

The site was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985 when it was described as "one of the most precious cultural properties of man's cultural heritage." Petra was also declared the "7th New Wonder of the World" by the NewOpenWorld Foundation on 07/07/07[1].

Contents

The Sites

The Siq

al-Siq (Arabic: السيق) translated as 'the shaft,' is a deep, natural geological fault whose 'rose red[2]' walls stand in some places 183 meters high (600 feet). Produced by tectonic forces and worn smooth by water erosion, this gateway into the ancient city of Petra.

Along the strategic protection offered by passages that are in places no wider than 3 meters (10 feet), the resident Nabateans also levaged the gorge's downward slope for water management, carving into the left side limestone wall leading into the city a channel from Wadi Musa.

The Siq was used as the grand caravan entrance into Petra. Along both walls of the fissure are a number of votive niches containing baetyli, which suggest that the Siq was sacred to the Nabatean people. The floor of the canyon later paved by the conquering Romans.

At the entrance stands the remnants of a monumental arch, of which only the two abutments and some hewn stones of the arch itself have survived[3].

The Treasury

The Treasury, or Al Khazneh (Arabic: الخزنة) is one of the most elaborate buildings in the ancient city of Petra in Jordan. As with most of the other buildings in this ancient town, the structure was carved out of a sandstone rock face. Its classical Roman-influenced architecture has made it a popular tourist attraction.

Al Khazneh was originally built as a royal tomb, probably between 100 BC and 200 AD. Its Arabic name Treasury derives from a legend that bandits or pirates hid their loot in a stone urn high on the second level. Significant damage from bullets can be seen on the urn[4].

Street of Facades

Adjacent to the Treasury are a rows of intricately carved tomb in the limestone walls.

Built by the Nabataeans this 'street of facades' is said to have once bustled with markets and houses; whose path lead to the cultural heart of ancient Petra, the Amphitheater.

It is also here that modern day visitors run into a horde of local souvenir and trinket merchants - so arrive early and learn to use the Arabic word pronounced em-shee (or sometomes im-shi) to encourage the more persistent vendors to "go away!"

The Amphitheater

Carved entirely out of stone by the Nabataeans a bit after the time of Christ (60 AD), this outdoor theater of Greco-Roman architecture could entertain as many as 6,000 patrons within the 40 rows of its theatron (seats) to view the acoustically effective orchestra area; some 40 meters (131 feet) in diameter.

True to amphitheaters of that era, the upstage portion still shows some of the eroded and worn remains of what must have been a magnificent, tunneled skene (backdrop) offering the traditional 3 entrances on to the 4 foot high proskenion (stage)[5].

Royal Tombs

Overlooking the Amphitheater are the the Royal Tombs, which are accessible via a stairway leading out from the Amphitheater.

The Royal Tombs are actually a complex of five tombs carved into the western side of the Khubtha Mountain, referred to as 'Royal' as are believed to be the final resting place of a number of Nabataean kings.

Urn Tomb
30°19'39.82"N   35°26'57.58"E
Named for the urn on top of its façade, the Urn Tomb is famous is colonnaded courtyard and has created much controversy concerning its original use and date. Most scholars, however, consider it to be the final resting place of King Aretas IV (9 B.C. - 40 A.D.) or King Malichus II (40 - 70 A.D.). In 446 A.D. the tomb’s main chamber was transformed into a Byzantine cathedral, the vaults of which can still be seen below the tomb[6].
Silk Tomb
30°19'40.63"N   35°26'56.83"E
One of the most dramatically colored tombs in Petra, its name comes from the sily rose red color of the sandstone in which it is hewn.
Corinthian Tomb
30°19'42.57"N   35°26'56.80"E
On the façade of this tomb one can see in miniature the Khazne (the Treasury) carved in capitals atop its columns.
Palace Tomb
30°19'43.33"N   35°26'58.47"E
Notably different as this 3 story structure is constructed of stone as opposed to carved into the limestone. The location gets its name from its palatial appearance, similar to Rome's the Golden House of Nero, with a 50 meter stage in that leads this structure.
Tomb of Sextius Florentinus
30°19'38.25"N   35°26'56.24"E
Resting place of Sextius Florentinus Tomb, the Roman governor of the province of Arabia 126-130 AD.
Renaissance Tomb (Nahdha Tomb)
Named for its reminiscent medieval Italian Renaissance features, the Renaissance Tomb has a beautiful arched doorway that is topped with three urns. The tomb’s façade is so similar to that of the Sextius Florentinus Tomb that it is believed they were carved at the same time in the 2nd century A.D.

High Place of Sacrifice

Atop one of the mountains within Petra is Jabal al-Madhbah, translated the High Place of Sacrifice which is reached by a 30 minute rock stair climb that concludes along the Attuf Ridge - a feature best known for two obelisks believed to be a tribute to Nabatean deities.

Once at the high place, one sees a massive square alter comprised of circular insets, all carved out of the stone and serviced by a cut canal for drainage.

After enjoying a spectacular view from high above - that includes on a sunny day reflections off the Tomb of Aaron (Maqam al-Nabi Haroun), one enjoys a descent is punctuated by pauses at various tombs carved in the downward path.

Colonnaded Streets

Damaged by flash floods and worn by weather, these colonnades represent the Roman occupation of this area dating somewhere between the 2nd and 4th centuries.

Paved by the Romans, it is thought that these roads were both a place of commercial enterprise as well as processionals for special events.

The visible stretch of the Colonnaded Street extends from the Nymphaeum (a fountain) to a gate known as the Temendos, which is embellished with carvings and busts of animals, and geometric and floral designs.

Winged Lions & Qasr al-Bint Temples

Not far from the Colonnaded Streets is a complex of temples including the Temple of the Winged Lions and the Qasr al-Bint.

Worn and weathered, the Temple of the Winged Lions (30°19'42.06"N   35°26'31.41"E) is thought to be the main temple of the Nabataean capital whose inscribed characters are a tribute of the Nebatean goddess Al-'Uzza[7].

Victim of an unfortunate the nomenclature "Pharaoh's Daughter"[8] ascribed by in 1921 by the archaeologist Bachman, the Qasr al-Bint (30°19'46.45"N   35°26'23.76"E) it is the only freestanding building in Petra to have survived centuries of earthquakes and floods. Its solid-looking silhouette dominates a large paved holy precinct (Greek:temenos), which was open to common worshipers, while the temple itself and the altar in front of it were the realm of the priests[9].

The Monastery

Up an 850+ stair climb from the restaurants in the Petra basin leads to the largest façade in Petra. Al-Deir was carved from the mountainside in the mid-first century A.D. and was an extremely important site of pilgrimage. In fact it is believed, by an inscription nearby, that this monument was a triclinium possibly used for banquets in honor of the deified King Obodas I. The monument was also re-used during the Byzantine period in the 5th century A.D. as a church, hence the name “Monastery.” Although al-Deir is less decorated and simpler in design compared to other monuments, it still remains one of Petra’s most magnificent monuments and has a breathtaking view of Wadi Arabah. The al-Deir Plateau was explored by Naturhistorische Gesellschaft Nürnberg (NHG), under the direction of Manfred Lindner in 1982 and 1983[10].

The Petra Museum

Adjoined to the Petra Forum restaurant by shared restrooms, this small museum demonstrates a modest collection of sculptural artifacts, jewelry, and pottery found at Petra.

Geography

Rekem is an ancient name for Petra and appears in Dead Sea scrolls such as 4Q462 associated with Mount Seir. Additionally, Eusebius and Jerome (Onom. sacr. 286, 71. 145, 9; 228, 55. 287, 94) assert that Rekem was the native name of Petra, supposedly on the authority of Josephus (Antiquities iv. 7, 1~ 4, 7), Pliny the Elder and other writers identify Petra as the capital of the Nabataeans, Aramaic-speaking Semites, and the centre of their caravan trade. Enclosed by towering rocks and watered by a perennial stream, Petra not only possessed the advantages of a fortress but controlled the main commercial routes which passed through it to Gaza in the west, to Bosra and Damascus in the north, to Aqaba and Leuce Come on the Red Sea, and across the desert to the Persian Gulf.

Excavations have demonstrated that it was the ability of the Nabataeans to control the water supply that led to the rise of the desert city, in effect creating an artificial oasis. The area is visited by flash floods and archaeological evidence demonstrates the Nabataeans controlled these floods by the use of dams, cisterns and water conduits. Thus, stored water could be employed even during prolonged periods of drought, and the city prospered from its sale.

Although in ancient times Petra might have been approached from the south (via Saudi Arabia on a track leading around Jabal Haroun, Aaron's Mountain, on across the plain of Petra), or possibly from the high plateau to the north, most modern visitors approach the ancient site from the east. The impressive eastern entrance leads steeply down through a dark and narrow gorge (in places only 3–4 metres wide) called the Siq (the shaft), a natural geological feature formed from a deep split in the sandstone rocks and serving as a waterway flowing into Wadi Musa. At the end of the narrow gorge stands Petra's most elaborate ruin, Al Khazneh ("the Treasury") hewn directly out of the sandstone cliff.

A little further from the Treasury, at the foot of the mountain called en-Nejr is a massive theatre, so placed as to bring the greatest number of tombs within view. At the point where the valley opens out into the plain, the site of the city is revealed with striking effect. The amphitheatre has actually been cut into the hillside and into several of the tombs during its construction. Rectangular gaps in the seating are still visible. Almost enclosing it on three sides are rose-colored mountain walls, divided into groups by deep fissures, and lined with knobs cut from the rock in the form of towers.

History

Ancient

To date, no method has successfully deterined when the history of Petra began. Evidence suggests that the city was founded relatively late, though a sanctuary may have existed there since very ancient times. This part of the country was traditionally assigned to the Horites, probably cave-dwellers, the predecessors of the Edomites. The habits of the original natives may have influenced the Nabataean custom of burying the dead and offering worship in half-excavated caves. However, the fact that Petra is mentioned by name in the Old Testament cannot be verified. Although Petra is usually identified with Sela which also means a rock, the Biblical references are not clear. 2 Kings xiv. 7 seems to be more specific. In the parallel passage, however, Sela is understood to mean simply "the rock" (2 Chr. xxv. 12, see LXX). As a result, many authorities doubt whether any town named Sela is mentioned in the Old Testament.

It is unclear exactly what Semitic inhabitants called their city. Apparently on the authority of Josephus (Antiquities of the Jews iv. 7, 1~ 4, 7), Eusebius and Jerome (Onom. sacr. 286, 71. 145, 9; 228, 55. 287, 94), assert that Rekem was the native name and Rekem appears in the Dead Sea scrolls as a prominent Edom site most closely describing Petra. But in the Aramaic versions Rekem is the name of Kadesh, implying that Josephus may have confused the two places. Sometimes the Aramaic versions give the form Rekem-Geya which recalls the name of the village El-ji, southeast of Petra. The capital, however, would hardly be defined by the name of a neighboring village. The Semitic name of the city, if not Sela, remains unknown. The passage in Diodorus Siculus (xix. 94–97) which describes the expeditions which Antigonus sent against the Nabataeans in 312 BC is understood to throw some light upon the history of Petra, but the "petra" referred to as a natural fortress and place of refuge cannot be a proper name and the description implies that the town was not yet in existence. Brünnow thinks that "the rock" in question was the sacred mountain en-Nejr (above). But Buhl suggests a conspicuous height about 16 miles north of Petra, Shobak, the Mont-royal of the Crusaders.

More satisfactory evidence of the date of the earliest Nabataean settlement may be obtained from an examination of the tombs. Two types may be distinguished—the Nabataean and the Greco-Roman. The Nabataean type starts from the simple pylon-tomb with a door set in a tower crowned by a parapet ornament, in imitation of the front of a dwelling-house. Then, after passing through various stages, the full Nabataean type is reached, retaining all the native features and at the same time exhibiting characteristics which are partly Egyptian and partly Greek. Of this type there exist close parallels in the tomb-towers at el-I~ejr in north Arabia, which bear long Nabataean inscriptions and supply a date for the corresponding monuments at Petra. Then comes a series of tombfronts which terminate in a semicircular arch, a feature derived from north Syria. Finally come the elaborate façades copied from the front of a Roman temple. However, all traces of native style have vanished. The exact dates of the stages in this development cannot be fixed. Strangely, few inscriptions of any length have been found at Petra, perhaps because they have perished with the stucco or cement which was used upon many of the buildings. The simple pylon-tombs which belong to the pre-Hellenic age serve as evidence for the earliest period. It is not known how far back in this stage the Nabataean settlement goes, but it does not go back farther than the 6th century BC.

A period follows in which the dominant civilization combines Greek, Egyptian and Syrian elements, clearly pointing to the age of the Ptolemies. Towards the close of the 2nd century BC, when the Ptolemaic and Seleucid kingdoms were equally depressed, the Nabataean kingdom came to the front. Under Aretas III Philhellene, (c.85–60 BC), the royal coins begin. The theatre was probably excavated at that time, and Petra must have assumed the aspect of a Hellenistic city. In the reign of Aretas IV Philopatris, (9 BC–AD 40), the fine tombs of the el-I~ejr type may be dated, and perhaps also the great High-place.

Roman rule

In 106, when Cornelius Palma was governor of Syria, that part of Arabia under the rule of Petra was absorbed into the Roman Empire as part of Arabia Petraea, and the native dynasty came to an end. But the city continued to flourish. A century later, in the time of Alexander Severus, when the city was at the height of its splendor, the issue of coinage comes to an end. There is no more building of sumptuous tombs, owing apparently to some sudden catastrophe, such as an invasion by the neo-Persian power under the Sassanid Empire. Meanwhile, as Palmyra (fl. 130–270) grew in importance and attracted the Arabian trade away from Petra, the latter declined. It seems, however, to have lingered on as a religious centre. Epiphanius of Salamis (c.315–403) writes that in his time a feast was held there on December 25 in honor of the virgin Chaabou and her offspring Dushara (Haer. 51).

Post-Rome

Petra's decline came rapidly under Roman rule, in large part due to the revision of sea-based trade routes. In 363 an earthquake destroyed buildings and crippled the vital water management system. The ruins of Petra were an object of curiosity in the Middle Ages and were visited by the Sultan Baibars of Egypt towards the close of the 13th century. The first European to describe them was Johann Ludwig Burckhardt in 1812.

Modern

On December 6, 1985 Petra was designated a World Heritage Site.

In 2006 a team of architects began designing a "Visitor Centre," and Jordan's tourist revenue is expected to increase dramatically with the attraction of visitors on package holidays. The Jordan Times reported in December 2006 that 59,000 people visited in the two months October and November 2006, 25% fewer than the same period in the previous year, which may suggest that the flow of visitors may be affected by perception of political instability or travel safety considerations.

On July 7, 2007, Petra was named one of New Open World Corporation's New Seven Wonders of the World.


Religion

The Nabataeans worshipped the Arab gods and goddesses of the pre-Islamic times as well as few of their deified kings. The most famous of these was Obodas I who was deified after his death. Dushara was the main male god accompanied by his female trinity: Uzza, Allat and Manah. Many statues carved in the rock depict these gods and goddesses.

The Monastery, Petra's largest monument, dates from the first century BC. It was dedicated to Obodas I and is believed to be the symposium of Obodas the god. This information is inscribed on the ruins of the Monastery (the name is the translation of the Arabic "Ad-Deir").

Christianity found its way into Petra in the 4th century AD, nearly 500 years after the establishment of Petra as a trade center. Athanasius mentions a bishop of Petra (Anhioch. 10) named Asterius. At least one of the tombs (the "tomb with the urn"?) was used as a church. An inscription in red paint records its consecration "in the time of the most holy bishop Jason" (447). The Christianity of Petra, as of north Arabia, was swept away by the Islamic conquest of 629–632. During the First Crusade Petra was occupied by Baldwin I of the Kingdom of Jerusalem and formed the second fief of the barony of Al Karak (in the lordship of Oultrejordain) with the title Château de la Valée de Moyse or Sela. It remained in the hands of the Franks until 1189. According to Arab tradition, Petra is the spot where Moses struck a rock with his staff and water came forth, and where Moses' sister, Miriam, is buried.

Petra in movies and popular culture

  • David Lean had planned to film lengthy scenes for Lawrence of Arabia (1962) there, since T. E. Lawrence had investigated the site. Because of budgetary limitations, however, the production pulled out of Petra before the scenes could be shot.
  • Petra is featured in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade as the Holy Temple where the Holy Grail is located.
  • The independent film Passion in the Desert used areas in Petra as a backdrop for filming.
  • Petra is the prophesied "Refuge" for "The Remnant" in the Left Behind Series.
  • British rock group The Sisters of Mercy filmed the video for their song "Dominion" in Petra in 1988.
  • Agatha Christie's murder mystery Appointment with Death is set primarily in Petra.
  • Ha-Sela ha-Adom (The Red Rock) is a 1950s Israeli song referring to a very dangerous custom of Israeli youth in 1950s to illegally cross the Jordanian border in order to visit Petra (nicknamed "The Red Rock" in Israel). Many such expeditions ended with the death of participants.
  • Petra is the setting for the last mission (Eye of the Storm) in the 2001 game Spy Hunter.
  • In the book Chasing Vermeer, one of the main characters, Petra Andalee, is named after the ancient city.
  • In the 1977 motion picture of "Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger" Petra is briefly featured as the home of a powerful wizard

Citations

  • Bedal, Leigh-Ann. 2004. The Petra Pool-Complex: A Hellenistic Paradeisos in the Nabataean Capital. Piscataway, NJ: Gorgias Press. ISBN 1–59333–120–7.
  • Rosemary Harty, "The Bedouin Tribes of Petra Photographs: 1986–2003" :
  • Hill, John E. 2004. The Peoples of the West from the Weilue 魏略 by Yu Huan 魚豢: A Third Century Chinese Account Composed between 239 and 265 CE. Draft annotated English translation where Petra is referred to as the Kingdom the mitchells.
  • Reid, Sara Karz. 2006. The Small Temple. Piscataway, NJ: Gorgias Press. ISBN 1–59333–339–0. Reid explores the nature of the small temple at Petra and concludes it is from the Roman era.
  • The Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition; 1910–1911 (now in the public domain)
  • Wikipedia: Petra

References

  1. ↑ NewOpenWorld Foundation New 7 Wonders of the World
  2. ↑ Jordan - Touristic Sites South of Amman
  3. ↑ Siq
  4. ↑ Al Khazneh
  5. ↑ Greek and Roman Theatre Glossary
  6. ↑ Petra National Trust
  7. ↑ Calvin College: the Temples of Petra
  8. ↑ Petra - Myth and reality
  9. ↑ Philip Hammond
  10. ↑ Petra National Trust Glossary


External Links

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