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Petra was an ancient city located in Jordan. It was the center of an Arab Kingdom in Hellenistic and Roman times. It is located in a valley surrounded by sandstone cliffs, and it lies in ruins today ("Petra", Britannica).

Image Source: Nico Tondini Britannica Image Quest

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The Nabataeans were an Arab tribe that made Petra the capital of their kingdom. The Nabateans made Petra the center of the spice trade that involved countries such as China, Egypt, and Greece. The city's population at its height was around 10,000 to 30,000 people. In 106, the Romans conquered the Nabataeans and Petra became part of the Roman province of Arabia. In the beginning, even though it was now under Roman rule, it continued to be a center for trade. Later under the Romans, it began its decline when trade routes changed, causing economic decline, and an earthquake also damaged the city around the same time. The city was forgotten after its troubles and it became completely unknown to most of the Western world for hundreds of years. It became known to the Western world once again with its rediscovery in 1812. ("Petra", Britannica).

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The city of Petra has distinct Hellenistic and Roman culture because it was annexed by Rome. This culture was seen in the coinage and architecture ("Nabataean"). While Hellenistic and Roman, the city of Petra also has its own twists seen in carvings, such as elephants and other middle eastern and Asian figures. Petra's combination of styles became known as Nabataean classical style (Hutchinson).

Image Source: Erich Lessing Britannica Image Quest

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Snapshot: Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

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Snapshot: Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

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Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade has a scene filmed at Petra. During one of the final scenes of the movie, Indiana Jones and some of his partners journey through the Siq and into the Treasury, where they find the Holy Grail. This scene shows the stunning design of the Treasury and the ruins of the ancient city of Petra (Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade).

Image Source: 1989 LUCASFILM LTD/PARAMOUNT Britannica Image Quest

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This is the most famous building in Petra.

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Khasneh al Faraoun or "Pharaoh's Treasury" is the most well known building in the ruined city of Petra. It stands 130 feet high, and unlike its name suggests, it was not a treasury. Its function is still unknown, but many people think that it was either a temple or a tomb. It has two stories with Corinthian columns carved with figures. The stone interior contrasts with the ornate exterior by being relatively simple (Hutchinson).

Image source: 2011 Diego Delso Wikimedia Commons

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This amphitheater is where many performances happened during the time of the Nabataean civilization.

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The theater represents the Hellenistic culture of the Nabaetans. It is a semi circle with a 124 foot stage. It has 45 rows of seats and holds about 8000 spectators. Around the theater are many tombs, commonly seen throughout the city (Hutchinson).

Image source: 2006 Douglas Perkins Flikr

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The ruins of Petra are located in Jordan. Jordan is in the rocky desert of northern Arabian Peninsula. Jordan has three main geographical parts: the desert, the uplands which are east of the Jordan River, and the Jordan Valley. Besides Petra, another famous site in Jordan is the Dead Sea which is between Jordan and Israel. The Dead Sea is a salt lake which lies 1,300 feet below sea level. Jordan is a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary form of government, and the majority of people in Jordan are Sunni Muslims (Etheredge).

Image Source: Michael Runkel Britannica Image Quest

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Image Source: Britannica Image Quest

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This is the narrow Siq which tourists travel through to get to the ruins.

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The only way to reach Petra is through a narrow gap in the 300 ft rock face called the Siq. The path is extremely narrow and twists constantly. It ends by opening out into Petra, which contains houses, theaters, tombs, and staircases carved out of sandstone. Because it was hard to reach, it made Petra a stronghold for the people living there ("Petra", Cavendish).

Image Source: Carsten Reisinger Britannica Image Quest

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Petra is protected by the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities and several other agencies that are tasked with keeping Petra clean and safe. There are also many staff members that control tourism. There have been plans put in place for projects to happen to help the Petra infrastructure and the sustainability of the surrounding area, such as water recycling. Another part of this plan is to help with visitor facilities, such as putting in better signs and lighting. Today, practices are being put in place to protect Petra from damage that tourists may cause, and also to help the park around Petra gain revenue in order to succeed with projects and plans involving Petra ("Petra", UNESCO). Petra is a popular tourist destination, and a modern town called Wadi Mussa is near Petra, which is where many tourists can go to stay close to the ruins. ("Petra", Britannica)

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Image Source: Map on Visit Petra

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Petra is a really cool site that I would love to visit one day. It has really unique architecture and influences from around the world that I would love to see.