What is inside the lost city of Petra?

Four of the most spectacular tombs overlook the Colonnaded Street: the Palace Tomb, the Corinthian Tomb, the Silk Tomb, and the Urn Tomb. Known as the Royal Tombs, these ancient buildings probably held Nabataean kings and their families. The grand entranceways were carved on a giant scale to honor those who died.



Inside the ancient city of Petra, you will find a vast archaeological complex primarily carved directly into the vibrant red sandstone cliffs by the Nabataeans. The most famous structure is Al-Khazneh (The Treasury), which was a magnificent royal tomb. Beyond the Treasury, the city contains a massive theater capable of seating thousands, the Ad-Deir (The Monastery) perched high on a mountain, and various government buildings and temples like the Qasr al-Bint. You will also find the "Siq"—a 1.2 km long natural gorge that serves as the entrance—as well as the Church Complex with its intricate Byzantine mosaics. There are also royal tombs, defensive structures like the Conway Tower, and archaeological remains of "dwellings" where the regular citizens lived. The site is so expansive that it includes "suburbs" like Wadi Sabra and religious shrines like the Shrine of Prophet Aaron on the highest peak.

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Some main archeological sites inside the city are the Treasury – the tomb of a Nabatean king, the Monastery – an isolated mountain temple, a theatre, government buildings and dwelling for regular people.

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Many people know of Petra's famous Treasury from the Hollywood film “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” with Harrison Ford. It's inside that Ford finds the Holy Grail.

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It is believed that Moses' brother Aaron died and was buried in the Petra area and a white-domed mosque, built in the 14th century, commemorates this.

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The Holy Chalice vessel, or Santo Cáliz, is an agate cup preserved in the Cathedral of Valencia. It is the object most commonly credited as being the actual Holy Grail used by Jesus during the Last Supper. It is preserved in a chapel consecrated to it, where it still attracts the faithful on pilgrimage.

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The Outstanding Universal Value of Petra resides in the vast extent of elaborate tomb and temple architecture; religious high places; the remnant channels, tunnels and diversion dams that combined with a vast network of cisterns and reservoirs which controlled and conserved seasonal rains, and the extensive ...

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While the actual word Petra isn't used in the Qur'an. The Qur'an uses terms like Becca, mother of all cities, and even Mecca all refer to the city of Petra in Jordan.

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Now, however, archaeologists are discovering that ancient Petra was a sprawling city of lush gardens and pleasant fountains, enormous temples and luxurious Roman-style villas.

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“It is one of the world's richest and largest archaeological sites set in a dominating red sandstone landscape,” UNESCO reports. Additionally, Petra is a biblically significant place as it was part of the route that Moses took on his Exodus journey. It also consists of ancient references to Moses' brother, Aaron.

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The Royal Tombs of Petra consist of of four distinct tombs: the Urn Tomb, the Silk Tomb, the Corinthian Tomb, and the Palace Tomb.

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Although sand bottles may look beautiful and have obviously been skillfully created, the more sand that's taken from Petra's natural landscape the less stable the landscape becomes.

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