Rock city of Petra. The ancient city of Petra is an amazing architectural monument. Only Bedouins have the right to live in Petra

When Moses got in the way inaccessible mountains which he had to overcome, the patriarch hit the rocks with his staff - and they parted. Since the staff was crooked, the road turned out to be winding. Therefore, in our time, tourists who want to see the unique sights of Petra are forced to descend into the deep Siq gorge through a narrow paved tunnel, the width of which in some places does not exceed three meters along the rocks that almost completely hide the sky. Bas-reliefs are carved on these rocks, and along the path there is an ancient water trench through which water flowed to the ancient city of Petra.

The city of Petra is located in Jordan, 100 km from the Arabian Gulf, in a mountainous area, at an altitude of 900 m above sea level. m., in a valley completely surrounded by rocks, on the eastern side of Mount Gor (on geographical map it can be found at the following coordinates: 30° 19′ 44″ N. latitude, 35° 26′ 25″ e. d.).

The city is notable for the fact that many of the buildings in it - residential buildings, temples, treasury, tombs, amphitheater, monasteries - are completely carved into the rocks. These buildings are so beautiful and elegant that they represent a real work of art.

On this moment More than 800 attractions have been discovered on the territory of the ancient settlement - and this despite the fact that scientists claim that only fifteen percent of the ancient city of Petra has been surveyed. As a result of a worldwide vote, the city in the rock was included in the list of the new seven wonders of the world.

How the city appeared

The history of this unique city began back in the 4th-3rd millennium BC, when the Nabateans, representatives of the Semitic people leading a nomadic lifestyle, decided to settle here. They chose the place for their settlement extremely carefully: accustomed to constant battles and the struggle for life, they decided to build their capital in a remote mountainous area.

They didn’t think for a long time about what to name the city - and it received the name Sela (stone), and modern name The settlement received “Petra” a little later, when the ancient Greeks translated the word into their language.

The valley, located in the Siq canyon, suited them best, since the city could only be reached through a single narrow gorge. From a defensive point of view, this was an ideal solution: even famous Roman commanders constantly failed here and, unable to penetrate the city, were forced to lift the siege.

Petra also turned out to be very well located from the point of view of trade (this can be seen by carefully looking at the map), since it was here that two trade routes intersected: the first connected the Red Sea with Damascus, the second - Gaza with the Persian Gulf.

Thus, Petra was ideal place for the rest of caravans loaded with goods that traveled with different ends light and were forced to cross the harsh and hot Arabian desert. In the capital of the Nabateans, tired travelers found shelter, food, water and trade.

It was trade that made the city extremely successful and prosperous for many centuries - until the Romans discovered easier routes to the east. sea ​​routes, and the need for caravans disappeared, because of which trade came to naught and the history of the city of Petra gradually came to an end.

Construction of Petra

Since the city was built both near and in the rock itself, the builders definitely had a hard time. Therefore, there is no doubt that in order to build such structures, they had to have considerable knowledge and skills: the ancient masters managed to create buildings that were absolutely not inferior in either decoration or architecture to Greek and Roman landmarks.

One cannot help but be surprised by the water supply system that the builders provided Peter with: about two hundred tanks were installed here that collected and stored rainwater. Water was supplied here using terracotta pipes from all sources located within a radius of twenty kilometers.

Despite hot climate and a waterless area, the inhabitants of Petra did not feel the need for water (if the architects had not been able to think through this point well, the capital would not have existed for long).

What does Petra look like?

One of the amazing features of the ancient city is that the rocks, consisting mainly of red sandstone, constantly change their appearance depending on the light, so Petra looks completely different every time in the same place, trying on all the shades throughout the day red (thanks to this, Petra received another name - the Pink City).

Petra was big city: from central square, on which the ruins of various buildings (not carved into the rock, but erected in the usual way) are very well preserved; the highway stretches for several more kilometers from west to east. In the west, the road ends at the Ed-Deir monastery carved into the rock, the height and width of which are about 50 meters (that it was once Christian church, indicated by the crosses carved on the walls).

Currently, archaeologists have discovered more than eight hundred different attractions in the city, for which tourists from all over the world come here:

• Temples, among which the most famous is the “Cathedral”, a building decorated with mosaics and decorated with marble slabs. Several administrative reports written on papyrus dating back to the 6th century were discovered here. AD;
• An amphitheater carved into the rock, seating more than 6 thousand spectators and located so that the main tombs of the city can be seen;
• Palaces, tombs and crypts carved into the rocks. Among them, the tomb of Aaron was even discovered, which was built in the 13th century. by order of the Mamluk Sultan. He was not at all embarrassed by the fact that Moses’ brother, in whose honor he was building the tomb, lived several thousand years before this event;
• But the most significant and eye-catching attraction, which is a real wonder of the world, is without a doubt El Hezneh.

El Khazneh

For what purpose exactly in the 1st century. AD a temple was carved into the rock, the height of which was 40 m and the width - 25 m, it is not completely clear, although hypotheses, of course, exist. For example, one of the most likely versions says that El Khazneh was the tomb of the Nabatean king Aref IV Philopatra.

There is also another interesting version that this could be the temple of Isis. There are other, more incredible assumptions, for example, according to one legend, the pharaoh once kept his treasures in El Khazn, and according to another myth, robbers who attacked caravans hid loot in the temple.

The architecture of Al Khazneh in any case indicates high level the skill of local architects: a miracle of this magnitude is difficult to create even today. What is surprising is not only the greatness of the idea and the accuracy of the calculation, but also how they managed to knock out such a thing in the rock. high building, when there are absolutely no trees in the area from which scaffolding could be made.

The building itself looks magnificent: there are six columns at the entrance to Al Khazneh, and the building itself is decorated with magnificent bas-reliefs. The most mysterious decoration is at the very top: the temple is crowned with a huge stone pot.

Why exactly it needed to be created there surprises many, but the Bedouins are convinced that ancient treasures are hidden in it, and if a successful shot is made, the lucky one will be showered with gold and stones (for this purpose they even once shot him, but, of course, to no avail).

When is the best time to go to Petra?

Despite the fact that Petra is characterized by a hot and dry climate, before deciding to travel you should check the weather forecast and take into account the time of year. For example, December and January are the coldest and rainiest months, which are characterized by a large temperature difference (during the day it can be +15°C, at night +3°C).

It is worth rescheduling the trip if weather forecasters promise showers, because in this case the precipitation is so heavy that rescuers often have to evacuate tourists, as a real flood begins in the valley.

If you plan to visit this wonder of the world in the summer, then you should definitely remember to take a Panama hat and sunglasses with you, and don’t forget about water. It should be borne in mind that hot and dry air can sometimes cause bleeding from the nose, so to avoid such a nuisance, experts recommend taking petroleum jelly or an ointment based on it with you and lubricating the inner surface of the nostrils with it to prevent bleeding.

Mikhail Nefedov writes: I am sure that if you are asked which of the wonders of the world you have seen, then 10% of respondents will answer that the pyramids are in Egyptian Cairo, but few have been here and seen this:

Even the tourism industry in the US mistakenly attributed it to Israel, when in fact it is located in Jordan.

There are also seven new wonders of the world, if you are interested here is the full list:

1. Colosseum in Rome, Italy
2. Great Chinese Wall in Asia, China
3. Machu Picchu in South America, Peru
4. Petra in Jordan
5. Taj Mahal in Asia, India
6. Christ the Redeemer Statue in South America, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
7. Chichen Itza in America, Yucatan, Mexico

Today I will talk specifically about Petra.

Even before the trip, I was tormented by the question why in all the photographs the famous rock temple-mausoleum, “Treasury” or “Treasury of the Pharaoh,” as the Arabs call it, is depicted crookedly. So I was able to understand this only after visiting there in person.

But I'll start from the very beginning:

Petra is an ancient city, the capital of Idumea (Edom), later the capital of the Nabataean kingdom. Located in the territory of modern Jordan, at an altitude of more than 900 m above sea level and 660 m above surrounding area, the Arava valley, in the narrow Siq canyon (English).

Entrance for tourists is 50 JOD (Jordanian dinars), in rubles this is a little less than 5 thousand.

There are several ways to get around Petra, the cheapest is on foot. Horse-drawn transport will cost a pretty penny, but if you're too lazy to walk, call this guy.

And he will organize a cart for you.

Petra was located at the crossroads of two important trade routes: one connecting the Red Sea with Damascus, the other connecting the Persian Gulf with Gaza off the coast Mediterranean Sea. Departing from Persian Gulf caravans loaded with precious spices had to bravely endure the harsh conditions of the Arabian desert for weeks until they reached the coolness of the narrow Siq canyon, leading to the long-awaited Petra. There travelers found food, shelter and cool, life-giving water. To others major center The Nabateans were Hegra.

For hundreds of years, trade brought great wealth to Petra. But when the Romans opened sea routes to the East, the land trade in spices came to naught, and Petra gradually became empty, lost in the sands. Many buildings of Petra were erected in different eras and under different owners of the city, including the Edomites (XVIII-II centuries BC), Nabateans (II century BC - 106 AD), Romans ( 106-395 AD), Byzantines and Arabs. In the 12th century AD e. they were owned by the crusaders.

The first of the modern Europeans to see and describe Petra was the Swiss Johann Ludwig Burckhardt, who was traveling incognito. Next to the ancient theater you can see a building from the Edomite or Nabataean era. Monuments built after the 6th century AD. e. practically not, because in that era the city had already lost its significance. At the end of the 20th century, Petra became the most popular attraction in Jordan. In 2007, it was elected one of the new seven “wonders of the world.”

These days, about half a million tourists come to Jordan every year to see Petra, whose buildings testify to its glorious past.

The passage to the valley is through gorges located in the north and south, while from the east and west the rocks drop vertically, forming natural walls up to 60 m in height. Not far from Petra are the Ad-Dair rock temple and the tomb of Aaron.

This is what a local janitor looks like.

The natives of Petra are very similar to the gypsies, but you should not mention this in front of them, you risk getting beaten up.

Only later did I understand why the tourists coming towards me were so exhausted.

All these rocks were once sculptures, but the years have erased everything. That was the elephant.

As tourists walk through the cool kilometer-long Siq Canyon, around a bend they discover Al Khazneh - a majestic building with a facade carved from a huge rock. It is one of the best preserved structures from the first century.

The building is crowned by a huge stone urn, which supposedly contained gold and precious stones - hence the name of the temple (translated from Arabic as “treasury”).

Bedouins offer camel rides to tired tourists, sell souvenirs and water their herds of goats at city springs, the waters of which quench the thirst of people and animals.

Here you can take a wonderful selfie with a humpback.

But not all camels are ready to be photographed.

The donkey was tied to a rock and left to sunbathe in the sun.

Having learned to skillfully collect water, the inhabitants of Petra also mastered the art of working with stone. The name itself is “Petra”, which means “stone” translated from Greek (Greek πετρα). And Petra, indeed, was a city of stone; there was no such thing in the Roman Empire. The Nabateans, who built the city, patiently carved houses, crypts and temples from stone blocks.

Petra is nestled among red sandstones that lend themselves well to building, and by the first century AD a monumental city had grown up in the heart of the desert. Using terracotta pipes, the architects of Petra created complex system water supply and, despite the arid climate, the city's residents never needed water. There were about 200 reservoirs throughout the city that collected and stored rainwater. In addition to connecting the reservoirs, terracotta pipes collected water from all sources within a radius of 25 kilometers.

The architects planned the construction of the famous El-Khazneh temple-mausoleum in the former river bed. To construct this structure, the river bed was changed, a grandiose project for that time. A tunnel was cut into the rock to divert the flow of water and a series of dams were built.

The canyon gradually widens, and tourists find themselves in a natural amphitheater, in the sandstone walls of which there are many caves. But the main thing that catches your eye is the crypts carved into the rocks. The colonnade and amphitheater testify to the presence of the Romans in the city in the first and second centuries.

Lots of souvenir stalls

The most common souvenir is a polished stone

Surprisingly, it works great in this ancient city cellular and 3G.

Local residents are 100% involved in the tour business.

And don’t look at their appearance, they earn many times more than the average tourist.

IN best years from 1000 to 3000 dinars per day, although now travel business seriously suffers and yet they somehow manage to get their minimum.

In the era of decline, Roman architecture abandoned all the laws of architectonics and, obeying the fashion for tasteless splendor, began to create buildings that seemed to be made of soft material, and not built of hard stone. An example of such architectural bad taste is the tomb facades of Petrea (Petra).

I became curious to look at the Treasury from above and set off to conquer the mountain. If only I had known how difficult it was, I definitely would not have repeated this route.

There were children along the way.

After they had worn out Sergei, he agreed to show them the photographs he had taken.

We got away with showing the photos on the camera display.

After a short climb the temple.

This is what the rock looks like in cross section, this is the ceiling.

We experimented a little more with the sun, and we got these shots.

I won't show you the whole way.

It's very long.

According to eyewitnesses, there are almost 900 steps.

View of Petra from the mountain.

Amphitheater

Well, actually, we climbed up.

There is a small house here.

It looks like this from the outside, but I won’t show you the inside; LJ already has enough of that.

To see the treasury you need to go down a little from the highest point of the mountain, but only in the opposite direction. This, in fact, is the end of our route.

Even here they managed to set up a stall with souvenirs. It’s strange, of course, but it was empty, probably the working day had already ended.

But this view is worth the climb.

It was easier to go back.

I hope I didn't bore you, I'll try not to do this again ;)