Petra
Petra means "stone" in Latin. It is perhaps the most
spectacular ancient city remaining and is a must-see for visitors
to Jordan. It is certainly Jordan's most famous attraction. This
rose colored capital of the Nabateans is breathtaking.
Petra was founded about 1200 BCE by the Edomites, the descendants
of Esau, the son of Isaac and Rebecca. In about 300 BCE the Edomites
were driven out by the Nabateans. Nestled away in the mountains
of Wadi Mousa (Valley of Moses) south of the Dead Sea, it prospered
as the capital of the Nabatean empire until 106 CE when it was annexed
to the Roman empire. The Petra basin contains over 800 individual
monuments that were mostly carved from the rose colored, kaleidoscopic
sandstone by the technical and artistic genius of the Nabateans.
The wealth and political power of this indigenous people derived
from their control of the international trade routes that linked
China, India and Southern Arabia to the wealthy Mediterranean markets
Greece, Rome, Egypt and Syria.
