Who lived in Petra before the Romans occupied it?

The nomadic Nabataeans settled in the city of Petra. Today, Bedouins (Arabian nomads) use the same cisterns that the Nabataeans dug about 2000 years ago.



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Completely subsumed by the Romans under the Emperor Trajan in 106 CE, Petra and Nabataea then became part of the Roman province known as Arabia Petraea with its capital at Petra. In 131 CE Hadrian, the Roman emperor, visited the site and named it after himself, Hadriane Petra.

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The last Nabatean monarch, Rabbel II, struck a deal with the Romans that as long as they did not attack during his lifetime, they would be allowed to move in after he died. Upon his death in 106 CE, the Romans claimed the Nabatean Kingdom and renamed it Arabia Petrea.

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During the reign of Aretas III (87 to 62 BC) the kingdom seems to have reached its territorial zenith; it was defeated by a Roman army under the command of Marcus Aemilius Scaurus.

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During the Exodus, The Prophet Moses and the Israelites passed through the Petra area in Edom. Local tradition says that the spring at Wadi Musa (Valley of Moses), just outside Petra, is the place where Moses struck the rock and brought forth water (Numbers 20:10-11).

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Petra, ancient city, centre of an Arab kingdom in Hellenistic and Roman times, the ruins of which are in southwest Jordan.

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Rome ruled Petra for the next 300 years, tying the fate of the ancient city to the empire. Eventually, Rome moved the center of trade north. The empire also turned to shipping by sea for much of its trade. Petra's importance in the ancient world began to fade.

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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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The Nabateans were polytheistic and worshipped a wide variety of local gods as well as Baalshamin, Isis, and Greco-Roman gods such as Tyche and Dionysus. They worshipped their gods at temples, high places, and betyls. They were mostly aniconic and preferred to decorate their sacred places with geometric designs.

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Here's a list of 22 facts you might not know about this beautiful historical city in southern Jordan.
  • Petra is popularly called The Lost City. ...
  • Petra is also known as the Rose City. ...
  • Petra is one of the oldest cities in the world. ...
  • Petra means rocks. ...
  • UNESCO World Heritage Site. ...
  • Petra is one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.


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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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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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Petra as described earlier is a city, of course you can get inside archaeological lost city (You will pay 70$ for a ticket to get inside ). But if you mean to get inside “Al khazneh” the Treasury of Petra, then; unfortunately, you can't!

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Many people believe Petra was built for the Gods (or Giants) as the doorways, archways, and buildings are extremely tall. The buildings of Petra are composed of stone that has been sculpted by hand out of the sandstone cliffs using chisels.

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At its height under King Aretas IV (r. 9 B.C.–40 A.D.), Petra was a cosmopolitan trading center with a population of at least 25,000. The kingdom remained independent until it was incorporated into the Roman province of Arabia under the emperor Trajan in 106 A.D.

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