PETRA INFORMATION Sergi Reboredo access to Petra
The giant red mountains and vast mausoleums of a lost time have little to do with our modern civilization, and ask nothing to be appreciated at their true value: as one of the greatest wonders ever wrought by Nature and Man. Although much has been written about Petra, nothing really prepares you for this amazing place. Must be seen to be believed. Often described as the eighth wonder of the ancient world, Petra is without doubt the most precious treasure of Jordan and its most important tourist attraction. It's a huge city carved entirely on the rocks by the Nabateans, an Arab tribe hardworking who settled in the area over 2,000 years ago and became an important city of passage routes linking the silk, the spices and other connecting China, India and southern Arabia with Egypt, Syria, Greece and Rome. The entrance to the city is through the Siq, a narrow gorge, over a mile long, surrounded by cliffs that rise up to 80 meters high. The simple act of walking through the Siq is an unforgettable experience. The colors and formations of the rocks are dazzling. When the end of the Siq catch your first glimpse the facade called Al-Khazneh (Treasury).
     
It is an awesome experience. A massive façade, 30m wide and 43m high, carved in pale pink rock face and dwarfing everything around it. It was built in the first century as the tomb of an important Nabataean king and demonstrates the engineering genius of these ancient people. Sometimes referred to Petra as the 'Lost City'. Despite being such an important city in antiquity, after the fourteenth century AD, Petra was completely lost to the western world. It was rediscovered in 1812 by the Swiss explorer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt, who tricked his way into the fiercely guarded site by pretending to be an Arab from India wishing to make a sacrifice at the tomb of the Prophet Aaron. The Treasury is the first of the many wonders that make up Petra. You need at least four or five days to explore the city thoroughly. As you enter the Petra valley you will be overwhelmed by the natural beauty of this place and its impressive architecture. There are hundreds of elaborate rock-cut tombs with intricate engravings, unlike the houses, which were destroyed by the earthquake, are built to last for all eternity, and 500 have survived, empty but hopelessly captivating to spend their dark openings . There is also a large theater built by the Nabataeans
     
There are obelisks, temples, sacrificial altars, colonnaded streets and high-rise overlooking the valley, rises the impressive Ad-Deir Monastery, a rise of 800 rock cut steps takes you there. Inside the site you can also find two excellent museums, the Petra Archaeological Museum and the Petra Nabataean Museum. Both have a large pool of pieces from the Petra region and provide an overview of Petra's colorful past. A thirteenth-century shrine, built by the Mamluk Sultan Al Nasir Mohammad to commemorate the death of Aaron, brother of Moses, you can see today at the summit of Mount Aaron in the Sharah area. Within the enclosure, several craftsmen of the city of Wadi Musa and the nearby Bedouin settlement ride their small stalls to sell local crafts such as pottery and Bedouin jewelery, plus bottles of colored sand in the area.
     
Not allowed access to the site to motorized vehicles. If you do not want to walk, rent a horse or a horse-drawn carriage to tour the Siq, 1 kilometer in length. For the elderly or disabled, the Visitor Center, located near the entrance to the Siq, grants special permission (for an additional price) for transfer to the inside Petra to visit the main attractions. Once inside the enclosure, you can rent a donkey or, if you are looking for a little adventure, a camel. The two options include the accompaniment of a caregiver and the trails of the site. Not allowed access to the site to motorized vehicles. If you do not want to walk, rent a horse or a horse-drawn carriage to tour the Siq, 1 kilometer in length. For the elderly or disabled, the Visitor Center, located near the entrance to the Siq, grants special permission (for an additional price) for transfer to the inside Petra to visit the main attractions. Once inside the enclosure, you can rent a donkey or, if you are looking for a little adventure, a camel. The two options include the accompaniment of a caregiver and the trails of the site. The best time to visit Petra, especially if you plan to take pictures, is from early morning to mid-morning or late afternoon, when the inclination of the sun highlights the natural colors of the rocks.
     
Petra was established around the sixth century BC by Nabataean Arabs, a nomadic tribe who settled in the area and laid the beginnings of a commercial empire reached Syria. Despite successive attempts by the Seleucid king Antigonus, the Roman emperor Pompey and Herod the Great to take to their respective empires, Petra, the Nabatean city continued in power until about 100 AD, when the Romans took it . Remained uninhabited during the Byzantine period, when the Roman Empire set its interest in the East, in Constantinople, but then, its importance declined. The Crusaders built a fort here in the twelfth century, but soon withdrew, leaving Petra under the control of the local population until the nineteenth century, when the Swiss explorer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt in 1812 returned to discover
     
Eva Dueñas. In the Iron Age (1200 to 539 BC), Petra was inhabited by the Edomites. They settled mainly in the hills surrounding the city of Petra, not chosen location later by the Nabataeans. Although the Edomites were not particularly prolific in building, notable for being the creators of pottery and it seems that this custom passed the Nabataeans. The Nabataeans were a nomadic Arab who began to settle in the region of Petra in the late sixth century BC. It seems that his arrival in Petra was not planned, as their initial destination was southern Palestine. No doubt they found this place very attractive because the water supply was plentiful, the canyon walls were ideal for defense and Edomites took them without problems, since it seems they had a peaceful coexistence. By the second century BC, Petra became a huge city covering about 10 km and became the capital of the Nabataean kingdom. The Nabateans were mainly engaged in agriculture. They grew grapes and olives and raised camels, sheep, goats and horses. They had knowledge of the channeling of water and built a complex network of canals and tanks to bring water from a great birth, Ain Musa, located several kilometers from the city center. But its main wealth comes from the fact that Petra was an important center for the lucrative trade routes that linked China (in the east) to Rome (in the west). The caravans laden with incense, silk and spices, and other exotic materials, stopped to rest in Petra, a city that offered plenty of water and protection of thugs. As a thank you for their hospitality, the Nabataeans were demanding a "tax" on goods that crossed the city, so that the proceeds economically developed.
     
The Nabataeans were an educated people who spoke a dialect of Aramaic, the language of biblical times, and you can admire her delicate calligraphy samples recorded in the rock of Petra. In addition to its unprecedented architectural achievements, the Nabataeans were known for their knowledge of ceramic, which is believed to be inherited from the Edomites. Recently it was discovered an oven dug in Wadi Musa, indicating that Petra was a regional center of ceramic production until the end of the third century AD, after which the city fell into decline. In 64 BC, the Romans came to the area and established a Roman province in Syria. They formed the Decapolis, an alliance of ten states which prevented any expansion Nabataeans. In 106 AD, annexed the Nabataean kingdom, making it part of the Roman province of Arabia. Petra prospered under the rule of the Romans, many modifications were made Roman-style city, including the expansion of theater, street paving and columns triumphal arch built on the Siq. When the Roman Emperor Hadrian visited Petra in 131 AD, Hadrian's called Petra. The Romans took control of the lucrative trade routes and deviated from Petra. It was the beginning of the end of the Nabataeans, whose wealth and power gradually declined until its decline.  
     
  Photographs of Petra Jordan