Petra

= =  PETRA Petra is an archaeological site in the Arabah, Ma'an Governorate, Jordan. Its inhabitants were a group of Arabian nomads called the Nabataeans, who led fruitful lives as desert traders. The spectacular ruins of Petra, chiseled by hand into the sandstone cliffs of southern Jordan, are testimony to Nabataean engineering and artistry—in the form of freestanding temples and nearly 3,000 rock-cut-tombs, dwellings, banquet halls, altars and niches. Petra was a settlement whose streets and architecture sprawled along winding gullies and up steep cliffs. The Nabataeans developed the technology to harness natural springs in order to sustain fertile crops, lush gardens and an impressive system of pools and reservoirs, all of which supported a booming population. At its height, around AD 50, the city and its environs boasted as many as 20,000 residents. The Nabataeans also erected monumental tombs, memorializing their kings and leaders. From its origins as a tent encampment, Petra had become an urban center by the end of the first century BC. Typical of ancient Near Eastern settlements, the city grew along the natural contours of the landscape. Even the main street followed the curve of the Wadi Musa, Petra's primary river. At this time the Nabataeans paved the road through the Siq, enabling wheeled vehicles to import locally quarried limestone used in city construction. After the Roman occupation of Nabataea, in AD 106, Petra's development took a new direction. As with most other Roman cities, planners did their best to impose an urban grid on this sprawling settlement. The Romans managed to create one straight road along the central marketplace. Flanked by colonnaded porticos, this linear street clearly served as an architectural imprint of Rome. The Colonnaded Street and gateway symbolized Rome's political presence in Petra.
 * Where is Petra located?
 * Who were its inhabitants?
 * What is/are its characteristics? (name as many as you can)
 * How important were tombs in Petra? What did they mean?[[image:petra_map.jpg width="531" height="435" align="right"]]
 * How did this city become an urban center?
 * How was this city organized/planned?

Petra is a majestic Nabataean city in the western Jordan situated between the Red Sea and the Dead Sea. The Nabateans constructed it as their capital city around 100 BC and its population was to soar to perhaps 20.000. However, the site was not introduced to the Western World until 1812 by the Swiss explorer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt. The construction is half built, half carved into the rock and it’s very famous for its rock cut architecture. This site was selected one of the 7 Wonders of the World due to its historic, architectural and archaeological value. Furthermore, UNESCO declared Cultural Heritage of Humanity and described it as “one of the most precious cultural properties of man’s cultural heritage”. I think that it’s enigmatic because is surrounded by mountains riddled with passages and gorges so it’s a really interesting space for urban planners and architects. media type="file" key="Petra_Jordan.wma"
 * //Petra of Jordan //**