Petra

Yesterday I attended a lecture by a National Geographic archeologist, David Price Williams, and today we got to see all that he related to us and more. Let me try to condense his lecture down to a reasonable few sentences.

Never thought Jordan would be this mountainous.

Outside the entrance to Petra.

Over a mile like this to enter.

Petra means rocks and some call this city the Rose-Red City. It was settled by the Nabatean peoples in the 2nd Century BC with a lot of Greek and Roman influences in their architecture. It was located on the Silk Road and the Frankencense and Myrrh route up from what is now Saudi Arabia so the Nabateans were very rich. Most of what is seen today are tombs as the homes they built have been destroyed by earthquakes. They quit building after about 300 years. The Romans added to some of the area and they all left the area shortly after the Byzantines built a church there in 363 AD.

First glimpse of The Treasury.

It is also said that Moses led his people through this area, though maybe not in Petra, during their wilderness wondering and there is a mountain with a tomb on top that is the final resting place of Aaron, Moses' brother.

We'll let the pictures tell the rest of the story.

Colosseum carved from solid rock.

Royal Tomb.

Ceiling inside Royal Tomb.

Egyptian attempt to copy the Tomb.