It's known that around 1200BC the Edomites were in the area of Petra. However, it's not know if they actually inhabitied Petra itself. In the 6th century BC Petra was settled by the Nabataeans. The Nabataeans retain control of Petra until around 106AD. Not only did they establish themselves as traders in the region; they were expert hydralic engineers and designed dams, channels, and water conservations systems to supply the city with water. The Romans into the region in 63AD, but couldn't conquer the Nabataeans until 106AD. In 363AD Petra suffered a severe earthquake which destroyed about half the city. In 551AD another earthquake struck which drove the remaining inhabitants from the region.
In the pictures you can see:
** NOTE: These are just a few of the amazing sites at Petra. Pictures truely do not do these sites justice.
Khaznat (The Treasury) - Almost 40m (131 ft) tall. Seen in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, it is actually no more then a Nabataean tomb.
The Theater - It was carved out of the cliff side destroying many tombs in the process.
The Royal Tombs - Carved into a rock face known as the Kings Wall. It's not known if there are actually any kings buried in the tombs or if it's just a popular name given to the area.
References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petra
http://www.go2petra.com/history.htm
1 comment:
I apologize for not getting the pictures up yet. I'm having problems uploading them due to a poor internet connection. I'll get them up as soon as possible.
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