Other kingdoms

Magnifcent, awe inspiring, majestic, ginormolus – none of these words captures Petra. We got there really early so as to be amongst the first to walk down the Siq – it was worth it – the excitement in the group palpable. Every corner you turned was breathtaking – I'll remember always the crunching of the gravel and the clicking of camera shutters going off! I spent much of the day standing looking up in awe – a mighty valley carved into the rocks – it's natural beauty alone would make it a stand out. But coupled with this is the incredible carvings left by the almost unknown Nabataeans. What we call Petra, was the capital of the Nabatean kingdoms – an Arabic kingdom originally from the area of Saudi Arabia who settled in this valley around 500 BCE and had control of this territory which is prosperous as it has the silk route running through it from the Red Sea to Syria.

 

The after life was the big deal for these people. That and the fact that they believed that they shouldn't build things – only carve. Hence the whole of Sella (later named Petra by the Romans) was a city of tombs. While they lived – usually in tents or caves – the inhabitants spent their lives craving their family tombs – and naturally the grander the better.

 

As a kingdom they were smart and their monuments so many influences – particularly Greek but also Roman, Egyptian and Assyrian. On the way into the holy city they had temples to many god and also designed temples that incorporated symbolism from many cultures. They seem to have been an excellent example of multiculturalism – inviting priest from as far away as Syria and then craving temples in their honour. Eventually the desire for the control of the silk road become too much for the Romans and they took over the city.

 

The Roman city is at the bottom of the Nabatean city and is in true Roman style – square street layout and north south orientation. Standing at the Roman site it's hard not to see the contrast between the more organic and fitting into the shape of the place work of the carvers and the stark straight lines of the Romans.