The city of Petra is an ancient, abandoned city in Jordan. It is located in a mountainous area 100 kilometers from the Arabian Gulf and is surrounded by rocks on all sides. A distinctive feature of this city is that almost all the buildings in it are knocked out of the rocks and are so graceful that they are stunning works of art. Petra was the capital of the Nabataean kingdom in the 4th - 3rd centuries BC. It is believed that the city was founded by representatives of the ancient Semitic nomadic people who found it difficult to survive on the flat terrain, since their caravans were vulnerable to raids and thefts and, in general, the nomadic way of life was not safe enough for stable development and prosperity.
Therefore, the Nabateans were very careful in choosing a place to start a measured sedentary life and chose a mountainous and inaccessible area, which, however, was excellent for trade, since it was located at the intersection of two trade routes. The only way to get into the city was through a single narrow gorge. For weary travelers on the trade routes through the sweltering desert, Petra was the perfect place to rest and recuperate. And also trade. It was thanks to the active trading life that Petra flourished for several centuries. But the Romans later managed to open more convenient waterways to the east, and the merchants no longer needed to cross the desert in caravans. Life in Petra came to a standstill and soon came to naught. As mentioned above, the city was erected directly in the rocks and next to them. To build such complex structures, the builders needed to have serious knowledge and skills. These buildings were not inferior in beauty and complexity of architecture to Greek and Roman buildings, but in many ways they literally copied them. Officially, the creation of Petra is attributed to the Nabataeans, but this version causes more and more doubts among researchers, since the style and quality of the "ruins" clearly indicate the long presence of the Romans in the city. The city's water supply system is also interesting: for the needs of residents, two hundred or more reservoirs were installed throughout the city, which collected and stored rainwater. Through terracotta pipes, water entered the reservoirs from all water sources within a radius of twenty kilometers. This system ensured a good supply of water to the population. These buildings were not inferior in beauty and complexity of architecture to Greek and Roman buildings, but in many ways they literally copied them. Officially, the creation of Petra is attributed to the Nabataeans, but this version causes more and more doubts among researchers, since the style and quality of the "ruins" clearly indicate the long presence of the Romans in the city. The city's water supply system is also interesting: for the needs of residents, two hundred or more reservoirs were installed throughout the city, which collected and stored rainwater. Through terracotta pipes, water entered the reservoirs from all water sources within a radius of twenty kilometers. This system ensured a good supply of water to the population. These buildings were not inferior in beauty and complexity of architecture to Greek and Roman buildings, but in many ways they literally copied them. Officially, the creation of Petra is attributed to the Nabataeans, but this version causes more and more doubts among researchers, since the style and quality of the "ruins" clearly indicate the long presence of the Romans in the city. The city's water supply system is also interesting: for the needs of residents, two hundred or more reservoirs were installed throughout the city, which collected and stored rainwater. Through terracotta pipes, water entered the reservoirs from all water sources within a radius of twenty kilometers. This system ensured a good supply of water to the population.but this version is causing more and more doubts among researchers, since the style and quality of the "ruins" clearly indicate the long presence of the Romans in the city. The city's water supply system is also interesting: for the needs of residents, two hundred or more reservoirs were installed throughout the city, which collected and stored rainwater. Through terracotta pipes, water entered the reservoirs from all water sources within a radius of twenty kilometers. This system ensured a good supply of water to the population.but this version causes more and more doubts among researchers, since the style and quality of the "ruins" clearly indicate the long presence of the Romans in the city. The city's water supply system is also interesting: for the needs of residents, two hundred or more reservoirs were installed throughout the city, which collected and stored rainwater. Through terracotta pipes, water entered the reservoirs from all water sources within a radius of twenty kilometers. This system ensured a good supply of water to the population. Through terracotta pipes, water entered the reservoirs from all water sources within a radius of twenty kilometers. This system ensured a good supply of water to the population. Through terracotta pipes, water entered the reservoirs from all water sources within a radius of twenty kilometers. This system ensured a good supply of water to the population.
It is also noteworthy that the city changes its color depending on the time of day, as it is built of red sandstone. The sandstone reflects the light of the sun differently during the day, and the city turns pink, purple, or white. In Petra, archaeological research is constantly continuing, and more than eight hundred different sights have already been discovered: temples - the magnificent Al-Khazneh, an amphitheater designed for 6 thousand visitors and located in such a way that the main tombs of the city, royal palaces and tombs, knocked out in the rock. It is not known for certain for what purpose El-Khazneh, the most magnificent temple in Petra, was built. The temple is a magnificently executed facade, and from the inside - an empty cave. Any thoughts,that El-Khazne served as a tomb for one of the kings of the Nabateans - Aref IV Philopatra.
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Author: Anna Voinikova