From the lost city of Petra (a city carved on desert rocks)

Petra is an ancient city carved from rocks. It is located in Jordan, and most of it is covered by desert. It is not easy to reach this unique object-only through a narrow canyon. But that doesn't stop tourists.

Petra has been abandoned for hundreds of years, but thousands of years ago, it was a fully functional city. This is a huge trade center, located at the crossroads. Silk, spices and herbs are transported from India to Arabia, Africa, Egypt and back again. It makes the local people very rich.

It is not completely clear when the city was built, but we know that Petra is the capital of Nabatai Kingdom. According to some estimates, in the best years, about 20,000 people live in Petra.

The facade of the building is carved on the rock wall of the canyon, which is amazing. Exquisite carvings show the high development of this civilization and the craftsman spirit of the builders.

The main entrance is called Al-Khazneh (Ministry of Finance). It was named by the local Bedouins, who believed that all the wealth was in it. The gate is carved from rose stone, so Petra is also called Rose City.

For builders, this is obviously a very difficult job. In order to build such things, they must be very skilled. These builders managed to create something comparable to Greek and Roman architecture.

Experts believe that builders must build huge steps to build this building safely. There are no trees around for scaffolding. Scientists believe that construction starts from the top: people inexplicably stand on rocks and then gradually move down. In addition, by using hammers and chisels, they have achieved amazing results.

Others were jealous of Petra's treasure, and the city had to resist the Greeks. Petra won the battle, but when the Roman conquerors arrived, the city had to give up. Petra still flourished for many years, but it was under the rule of the Roman Empire.

In the 4th century, an earthquake destroyed most of the town, and the Romans decided to leave the city. It was later taken over by the Byzantine Empire.

With the development of technology, maritime trade began to develop, and Petra lost its strategic purpose. At this time it was abandoned and hidden in the sand. This is how it became a lost city.

But Petra got lost only when she talked about people of western civilization. The local people know the gems in this desert. Bedouin tribe B'doul lives in caves in the city. They claim to be descendants of Nabatai, and they don't want others to know about Petra because they are afraid that people will come there to look for treasures and destroy the remnants of the city. That's why they have kept the location of this city secret for years.

It was discovered on August 2, 2002. When the young Swiss Johann Ludwig Burckhardt went to Cairo, he heard the legend about this mysterious city. Even so, he had to pretend to be an Arab during the trip and lied to his guide that he would sacrifice in the grave and go straight to the city.

Johann, whose alias is Sheikh Ibrahim Ibn Abdallah, can't stay in Petra for a long time because he is not a local. He can't even say that this is the city he is looking for, because there is no evidence. But this is how Europeans discovered Petra, and other researchers followed in his footsteps. They drew a lot of drawings, but it was not until 1929 that they started their first archaeological research.

Archaeologists actually don't know why the Ministry of Finance was built. Some people think it is the tomb of the King of Thailand in Na Ba, while others think it is used to preserve documents or as a kind of temple. We can be sure that this vault was built later, when the city was established and became rich.

Petra people are experts in water-related technology. They build reservoirs, dams, tunnels and reservoirs. The city is an oasis for tired travelers. These amazing technologies enable local people to stay in the city even during the drought.

In some periods, when water resources were sufficient, local people built dams and aqueducts, which changed the direction of rainwater flowing into cities and enabled people to live and work in peace.

Petra is a large religious center, which may be a gathering place for clergy, sculptors and businessmen. In Petra, there are more than 65,438+0,000 graves, many of which were built for families and even entire tribes. Many people there may be engaged in the funeral industry.

It is difficult to answer whether all the 20,000 (or even 30,000) residents of this city live in Petra. It is likely that some people live in tents outside the wall.

The researchers know nothing about this. As we all know, these tombs were built in different historical periods because they look very different. Petra didn't carve any inscriptions on the grave that would help us understand the people buried there. But they believe that the dead can eat in another world and kill time, because they will leave food and different items on their bodies.

Interestingly, at first, Petra was considered a huge cemetery because there were a lot of graves. It was not until later that scientists discovered that this is a very developed city.

One of Petra's most impressive buildings is the theater. Almost in the city center, it can accommodate up to 8500 people at the same time.

Other amazing objects include Waiqiang Street with many graves and Ad Deir Monastery. This is a huge building, and its use is still a mystery.

From 65438 to 0985, Petra entered the list of UNESCO, and in 2007, it became one of the new seven wonders of the world. Now, Bedouins live in special settlements built for them not far from the city, and tourism is their main business.

Many things about Petra are still a mystery. For example, there are huge rocks-square monuments scattered outside the city wall. No one knows why they are there and what their purpose is. Legend has it that gods protect the ancient capital.

We still find it in Petra. In 20 16, archaeologists discovered a huge unknown structure, which may have sacrificial function. Experts are still trying to understand what it is. 1993, people found scrolls dating back to Byzantium, and the information inside is still a secret.

Archaeologists believe that at present, we only know about 15% of the city, and the other 85% is still underground and has not been discovered. Therefore, we still have a lot to do about this lost treasure.

The Middle East is not very popular with tourists. However, in 20 19, more than 1 10,000 people still visited Petra. This is one of the most visited archaeological sites in the world. Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade were both shot here, and the iconic photos were also taken here. People from all over the world come here regularly to visit this magical place.

Sometimes tourists are allowed to enter Petra at night, and the path leading to the entrance is decorated with lanterns and candles.

If you can't visit the ancient city of Petra for the time being, you can at least use Google with a voice guide.