Located in the heart of colorful rocky mountains, the ancient city of Petra in Jordan is said to be one of the precious cultural assets of mankind.

The ancient city of Petra is a precious treasure of mankind

Attracts a large number of tourists to Jordan. Known as Rekem, Petra was the capital of the Nabatea Kingdom of the Nabataeans, the Aramaic-speaking Semites. Petra means “stone”.

Camel is the only means of transport for visitors to explore the ancient city of Petra. – Photo: vyctravel.com

In the ancient Semitic language of the Middle East, people called Petra Raqmu – “multicolored”. No one knows when Petra was formed. Only know this land is located in a prime location for commerce, located on the trade route connecting West Asia and ancient Egypt.

The ancient Nabataean nomads settled here more than 2,000 years ago and made the city an important junction for the trade of silk, spices and other trade routes between many lands.

The citadel has been recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. – Photo: Pixabay

The period of prosperity of the city with inhabitants estimated at 20,000 people and great works: theaters, tombs, temples… Surrounded by fertile fields and gardens, irrigated by a system of canals conduits, dams and sophisticated reservoirs.

The Romans annexed this land and gradually gained dominion over the precious trade route. Petra continued to grow and flourish. But between the 4th and 7th centuries AD, the city was devastated by a series of strong earthquakes. Petra was abandoned and gradually fell into oblivion.

In 1812, the Swiss explorer, Johann Ludwig Burckhardt, discovered and announced to the world the beauty of Petra.

The area was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985 and described as “one of humanity’s most precious cultural assets”. On 7/7/2007, Petra was recognized as one of the 7 wonders of the modern world.

As an archaeological site in southwestern Jordan, in the middle of a large valley running from the Dead Sea to the Gulf of Aqaba, Petra possesses a sophisticated culture, massive architecture and a unique combination of dams and canals.

The citadel has been recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Much of Petra’s appeal comes from the breathtaking setting deep within the rocky canyon.

The entrance to the city is through the SIQ, a narrow gorge over 1km long that forms among brightly colored massifs over 200m high. – Photo: International Traveler.

The entrance to the city is through the SIQ, a narrow gorge over 1km long that forms among brightly colored massifs over 200m high. Walking through SIQ is also a pleasant experience for visitors. Towards the end of SIQ, you will come across Petra’s most famous Treasury building.

Mythical figures and Nabataean gods were sculpted on the surface of the Treasury in the 1st century AD. The façade size is massive, 30 m wide and 43 m high. This huge gate will lead visitors into the tomb and place of worship of the Nabataean king Aretas III.

Mythical figures and Nabataean gods were sculpted on the surface of the Treasury in the 1st century AD. – Photo: Flickr.

You need at least 4-5 days to explore everything here. When entering the Petra valley, visitors will be overwhelmed by its natural beauty and outstanding architectural achievements. In which, hundreds of tombs are impressed by being carved into the rock with intricate carvings.

The ancient theater in the city has a capacity of 3,000 people. From here, you will have a panoramic view of the valley, the impressive Ad-Deir monastery with 800 stone steps.

Visitors can also visit the Petra Archaeological Museum and the Petra Nabataean Museum, which display objects from the excavations, for an insight into Petra’s colorful past.

The ancient theater in the city has a capacity of 3,000 people. From here, you will have a panoramic view of the valley, the impressive Ad-Deir monastery with 800 stone steps. – Photo: Dove Club.

During your trip to Petra, you shouldn’t miss the Royal Tombs. To get here, visitors must climb stairs to the famous Urn Tomb, which was used for worship during the Byzantine Empire (which existed from 330-1453).

During your trip to Petra, you shouldn’t miss the Royal Tombs. – Photo: zingnews.vn

“Treasure”

Petra has many tombs, from simple design, containing many burial pits in an unadorned stone mausoleum to elaborate designs. Most of the mausoleums were built on the edge of the city, above the main street.

Khazneh is Petra’s most famous mausoleum, which means “Treasure” in Arabic.

The reason for the name is that the locals once believed that the tomb contained secret treasures. Today, archaeologists call it a two-story high mausoleum.

The fanciful beauty of Khazneh’s tomb at night.

The façade size is measured at 39 meters high and 25 meters wide with a design mainly in Greek structure, columns are built in Corin style, walkways are vertical with images depicting twins. the legend of Castor and Pollux.

Above the center is an image of a woman who may be an imitation of Isis – an Egyptian god. The image of six legendary female warriors in the ancient world is also clearly shown.

The illustrations also include the griffin and the eagle, two winged animals seen as symbols of victory. Along with that are images of plants such as poppies, grapes and pomegranate trees. An image of a rose, a symbol of royalty, was also found, indicating that this was the tomb of a king.

Inside the tomb is designed quite simply with a corridor leading to three rooms, the largest room is in the center with 12.5 meters long, 11 meters wide and about 10 meters high. The three rooms show that there were three coffins in the past.

So far, there has been no research to determine who was buried in the tomb as well as the exact time of construction. Researcher Andrew Steward in the book “Discovery of Petra” says that it may be the tomb of King Aretas IV, who died in AD 15 and had two wives.

Ancient Temples

The ancient inhabitants of Petra believe that the three temples located near the main road were built during the prosperous period of the city about 2000 years ago.

One of them is Oasr al-Bind. The temple is preserved with a wall height of 23 meters. To reach the main hall with the size of each side of the hall about 28 meters, one will have to climb 19 stairs to the stop and then another 8 steps through 4 pillars to reach the corridor of the temple. At the end is the Most Holy Place. The image depicted in the temple suggests that this structure may have been built for the lord Dushara.

The temples, mausoleums and halls of Petra are scattered throughout the length of the rock.

Another structure called the “Great Temple” by archaeologists with a small hall designed like an existing symphony hall, large enough to hold 600 people, this hall could be used for religious purposes. religious ceremony. Prominent among the motifs in the temple is the image of elephant heads carved on limestone.

The third temple, partly located on the hill, is the temple of winged lions. The reason it is so called is because the image of these beasts with wings is found near the altar.

The temple itself is quite small in size. However, as researcher Phillip Hammond points out in his book “Discovering Petra”, the temple is full of supporting buildings, “which are home to temple staff, pilgrims waiting to enter the temple, metal and oil production areas, catering equipment and even the production of antique imitations for tourists!”.

The ancient city of Petra offers visitors the opportunity to learn about humanity’s rich history and culture. Coming to Petra is not only coming to thousands of years old architecture but also coming to the harmony between a peak culture and majestic nature.