Jordanian Petra – the ancient city lying in the south of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan near the Aqaba gulf, anyway, is known to much. Its quite often separate monuments appear on various cards, calendars, and other printed materials concerning Jordan. They are without fail presented both in tourist brochures and on websites of the tour operators providing tours to the Middle East. However hardly at least one photo is fully capable to transfer that atmosphere to which the tourist who decided to visit this place gets. It is possible to reach Petra from the Jordanian capital of Amman, from the Israeli Eilat, or the ferry through the gulf from Egyptian Charm of el-Sheikh, than the considerable number of compatriots uses.
First of all, Petra is famous for the unique architecture which incorporated many motives of the Greek-Roman and Byzantine traditions. There is no wonder, the earth of Jordan at different times belonged also to the Greek diadokha, as well as Chersonese, – though submitted to both Rome, and Byzantium often only formally. Most of all this city is associated with a civilization nabateev – the ancient people of a Semitic root that once lived in these parts, nabate left Petra in that look who can see it now, however the city was founded much earlier when these lands were a part of the ancient kingdom Edom.
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Constructions and Petra's buildings are remarkable as well the fact that their vast majority vytesano in the massif of rocky breed. At the same time, majestic facades are ornated by a decorative carving and bas-reliefs. It is difficult to present how ancient masters vytesyvat these details a millennium ago, having at the order only primitive improvised tools. Nevertheless, the fact remains: on the beauty many architectural monuments of this city are capable to compete to sights of Rome.
Throughout long time of Pyotr was independent – that was promoted by its geographic location. It is possible to get into the city even today only through a narrow canyon three-five meters wide which in ancient times at threat from the outside quickly barricaded. Meanwhile, in itself it is quite beautiful, and in it removed several episodes from a cycle of movies about Indiana Jones's adventures. Petra's visit paid as today it is the city museum, and is included into the price of the ticket an opportunity to drive in a canyon on a horse. Besides, it is possible to use services of natives, and for bigger exotic to sweep on a canyon astride a donkey or in the traditional Arab vehicle. Extent of a canyon is equal to kilometer, and once it served as a good barrier from external enemies. From other parties the city is surrounded with unapproachable rocks and abrupt gorges therefore to get inside in other way – it is impossible.
The climate prevailing on these lands also created a serious obstacle for all who planned to capture Petra once. So, in the 4th century BC Petra's inhabitants managed to reflect an impact Antigone Odnoglazogo – the glorified commander Alexander the Great. Newcomers simply did not sustain severe conditions of the desert, and the well-known Macedonian phalanxes were forced to recede. Petra remained independent.
Nabate in itself were the people aggressive – once their governor Aretha III managed to capture even the Syrian Damascus. In the union with the Roman troops of a nabatea besieged Jerusalem. After arrival to the Middle East of legions of Pompey of a nabatea kept friendship with Rome, however subsequently the emperor Troyan annexed their possession, having attached them to one of the provinces Arabia Stony. Since those times in Pyotr – as well as in other cities of ancient Nabatei – elements of the Roman culture began to arise, and today here it is possible to see skeletons of amphitheaters, forums, a term.
Overseas invasions could not undermine influence of the city in the region, however it was made by natural cataclysms. Several large earthquakes forced inhabitants to leave the city though some time of Pyotr still remained manned. At the time of crusades she acted as object of rivalry between the European knights and local Arab tribes, subsequently served as a haven to predatory gangs of bedouins. However over time the city finally became deserted, and only rare nomads periodically took refuge in a shadow of magnificent facades. For wide audience of Pyotr it was open only in the 1812th year when the Swiss researcher Johann Burkhardt got after wearisome transition through the desert here. By then, neighboring natives trusted in that, as if the city was built by genies – for them creation of similar masterpieces seemed incomprehensible.
One of the most sign sights of Petra is al-Hazn's tomb that in translation from Arab is designated by treasury. The fact is that the arches she is crowned by the huge bowl vytesanny from a stone – Arabs trusted, as if treasures of the ancient nabateysky governor are stored in it. Not once they tried to reach a treasure, and today on a surface of a bowl it is possible to make out traces from the bullets which are released in attempt to split it into pieces.
Al-Hazna is bent around by the road, paved stone blocks – it passes by an amphitheater, ruins of the ancient temple, a rank it is less tombs. At the end of it the steep slope uphill begins, on the old steps erased from a set of legs – some tourists use ice axes for convenience. The ladder is quite long, however at the top of the traveler waits for other colourful architectural complex – a tomb hell Deir, or as it is called differently – the Monastery. Once it was a shelter of a Christian award. From here the colourful view of vicinities opens: on the one hand the Negev Desert, with another – al Arawa is visible. Somewhere nearby – border with Israel. Having inhaled fresh mountain air and having taken a view of landscapes on a set of kilometers afar, it is difficult to think what now a century outside – the twenty first, or the tenth.