Of all the world’s ancient cities, few are as astonishing and awe-inspiring as Petra.

Located between the Red Sea and the Dead Sea in Jordan, 200 km south of the capital Amman. Petra, the Nabataean, lies in a valley in the mountainous region of Edom. It is the region’s major tourist attraction.

The first traces of habitation date back eleven thousand years. But the real boom began when a tribe of Arab nomads, the Nabataeans, settled on the site around the 5th century AD. They prospered thanks to the caravan trade routes that passed through the area. Frankincense, myrrh, Chinese silk, spices, cotton, etc. enabled the Nabataeans to build a majestic city with grandiose architecture and lush gardens. It’s all the more grandiose when you realize that there are very few buildings in Petra. The monuments were “extracted” from the rock!

The town gradually “died out” as the trade routes changed. Abandoned after a devastating earthquake in 749, it was forgotten for centuries. It was Swiss explorer and adventurer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt who rediscovered Petra in 1812.

2022. Discovering the site remains a marvellous experience. After crossing the Siq, a kind of canyon one thousand five hundred metres long, visitors discover the “Khazneh”, Petra’s most famous monument. The discovery of the site really begins here. And it’s so huge that the authorities have arranged for three-day passes…

The images are divided into categories corresponding to the different visit locations. To find them, click here.

Literature about Petra is abundant. Wikipedia is a good starting point for research.

Tarek Charara

 

Propose a publication

Text and images © 1997-2022 Tarek Charara/Kaleidos images.
All rights reserved.