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The Ancient City of Petra is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Jordan and even all the Middle East! It's considered one of the "Seven Wonders of the World" and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. See and tour this amazing site in this video.
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Location
1. Petra is located about fifty miles south of the Dead Sea and 170 miles southwest of modern Amman, Jordan. Located in the southwest of Jordan, near the town of Wadi Musa, the landscape surrounding Petra is stunning, with red, rocky mountains at the east of the Arabah Valley.
2. Ancient Petra’s main access is via a narrow crevice called the Siq, which winds for about a mile through mountainous terrain. The Siq provided an excellent natural defense for Petra’s inhabitants. Many moviegoers are familiar with the Siq and the Treasury Tomb of Petra, which were featured in the 1989 film "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade."

Historical Background
1. The name "Petra," which means "rock" in Greek, replaced the biblical name "Sela," which is Hebrew for "rock."
2. The first inhabitants of Petra were the descendants of Esau, called the Edomites. Esau moved to this area from the Negev region around 1900 BC, according to Genesis 36. Remains from early periods confirm that the Edomites occupied the area as well.
3. Around 400 BC, the Nabataeans, the descendants of Nebaioth, the firstborn of Ishmael, Abraham's firstborn son by Sarah's handmaid, Hagar, occupied Petra and made it the capital of their kingdom. The vast majority of what can be seen today was carved into the sheer rock face by the Nabataeans. They became extremely wealthy and turned the city into an important location on a trade route that linked China, India, and southern Arabia with Egypt, Syria, Greece, and Rome. Petra became so influential that it became the capital of the Nabataean Kingdom that stretched from Damascus to Petra and beyond.
4. The Nabateans, living and trading in Petra, soon accumulated significant wealth, and an envious Greek Empire attacked the city in 312 BC by Seleucid forces, who failed to seize the city. The Nabateans successfully fought back the Greek invaders by taking advantage of the city's mountainous terrain. The mountains effectively served as a natural wall, buttressing Petra. Under Nabataean rule, Petra prospered as a spice trade center that involved China, Egypt, Greece, and India. The city’s population swelled to around 30,000.
5. Because the Nabataean Kingdom was so prosperous, the Roman Empire set its sites on it. The Romans defeated the Nabataeans in 106 AD, and Petra became part of the Roman province of Arabia. It appears that around 200 AD, a flash flood caused catastrophic damage to the city, dealing it a major blow.
6. After the Roman Empire was divided in 330 AD, Petra was ruled by the Byzantine (eastern half of the Roman Empire) until Muslim occupation in the 7th century AD. In 363 AD, an earthquake destroyed many of its buildings, dealing Petra another blow. And again, in 551 AD, another earthquake struck, causing a significant population reduction. Christian churches and a large monastery were built here during the Byzantine period.
7. The Islamic invasion occurred in the 7th century, bringing Muslim reign to Petra.
8. Around 1100 AD, the Crusaders conquered the Muslims and built a fort and outpost at Petra. The Crusaders would occupy Petra until the latter part of the 12th century.
9. Due to changes in trade routes, earthquakes, and more, by the 14th century, Petra was completely lost to the West, and so it remained for around 400 years. Only a few nomads and locals inhabited the area.
10. Then, in 1812, a Swiss traveler, Johann Ludwig Burckhardt, persuaded his guide to take him to the site of the rumored lost city.
11. Excavations in 1993 revealed several more temples and monuments that provide insight into the ancient city's political, social, and religious traditions. In 1985, Petra was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site.

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