"Masterpiece of Nature & Man's ingenuity " a Petra Travel Page by FruitLover

Petra (Stone, in Greek), amigos mios, is more than another beautiful, gorgeous, scenic, breathtaking, splendid, superb, fantastic, awesome, amazing, stunning, fabulous, marvellous, magnificent, charming, bla bla bla, site. Petra is an ULTIMATE destination!!

Of all the civilizations which inhabited the land of Jordan, the NABATAENS have left the most impressive memorials, especially in their capital where numerous facades carved out of rock still exercise a unique fascination.

The history of PETRA have begun much earlier than the arrival of the Nabataeans, as a Neolithic settlement dating from some 7,000 years B.C. and consisting of six ascending rows of dwellings has been discovered in the area around Baidha. During the first millenium B.C. the EDOMITES, a people mentioned in the Bible as having categorically refused to let the Jews, lead by Moses, enter their territory, settled here.

The Nabataean kingdom reached its greatest glory under Harith III, Harith IV, and Rabbel (1st century B.C. - 1st century AD). This was a period of defending against influence of Rome, rapidly spreading throughout the region, and intense agricultural activity(traces of which can still be seen in southern Jordan and the Negev(Israel).

During the Byzantine period the city (geologically located in the unstable Syrian-African rift) was repeatedly hit by EARTHQUAKES, destroyng many buildings which were never rebuilt. These were, obviously, one of the reasons for the gradual DESERTION of the entire area. From the 7th century on references to the city became rare, and finally ceased altogether.

Thus Petra was no more the the name of a legendary city when, at the beginning of the 19th century, a brave and fearless Swiss traveler, Johann Ludwig BURCKHARDT, succeeded in arriving at a mysterious place where access was prohibited and which he identified as the ancient and fabulous capital of the Nabataeans. So began the series of explorations and excavations which have reavealed the magnificance of this forgotten city to the entire world.