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Exploring the Ancient City of Petra in Jordan
A practical guide to the layout of Petra in southern Jordan: the Siq, the Treasury, the Street of Facades, the colonnaded street and the climb to the Monastery.
Persia and Asia
Petra and the Nabataeans
The rock-cut capital of the Nabataeans in Jordan, its builders and its rediscovery.
The Ancient City of Petra: A Marvel of Nabataean Architecture
How Petra's tomb facades were carved from the top down, the main tomb types from simple pylons to classical fronts, and the Hellenistic ideas behind their design.
The Ancient City of Petra: A Rose-Red City
Why Petra's sandstone glows in pinks, reds and purples, what geology explains the colour bands, and how an 1845 prize poem gave the city its famous nickname.
The Forgotten City of Petra: A Glimpse into Ancient Nabataean Culture
Who the Nabataeans were: their Arab roots, their kings and queens, gods such as Dushara and Al-Uzza, their Aramaic-based script, and the customs outsiders recorded.
The Forgotten City of Petra: A Hidden Gem of the Ancient World
How the Nabataeans used dams, channels, pipes and rock-cut cisterns to supply Petra in a dry landscape, and why controlling water made the city rich and defensible.
The Forgotten City of Petra: A Treasure Trove of Ancient History
What excavations at Petra have found, from the Great Temple complex and elephant-headed capitals to the Byzantine church mosaics and its carbonised papyrus scrolls.
The Forgotten City of Petra: A Window to the Past
What happened to Petra after Rome annexed Nabataea in 106 CE: the new province, the changing trade routes, Roman and Byzantine Petra and the earthquake of 363 CE.
The Lost City of Petra: A Journey Through Time
How Johann Ludwig Burckhardt reached Petra in 1812 in disguise, why the city was never unknown to local people, and how Europeans came to study the ruins.
Unveiling the Secrets of the Lost City of Petra
A close look at Al-Khazneh, Petra's Treasury: its likely date, its probable use as a royal tomb, its sculpture and the legend of pharaoh's gold behind the name.
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