Marja-Leena Rathje
Home ::: more Petra

more Petra


petra.jpg
Petra, Jordan, 1998 Photograph by Annie Griffiths Belt

"Reclining on a rooftop carved two millennia ago, a Bedouin surveys the realm of the Nabataeans, whose ancient capital beckons from the sands of southern Jordan. Forgotten for centuries, Petra still echoes with mysteries of the past; this immense building, Al Deir (the Monastery), was probably a Nabataean shrine." --From "Petra: Ancient City of Stone," December 1998, National Geographic magazine

In September 2004 I first mentioned my great interest in Petra especially when I found out about the exhibition at the Cincinnati Art Museum exhibition Petra: Lost City of Stone (and it's still online!).

It was later to be presented at the Glenbow Museum in Calgary, Alberta but I forgot to post about it. The exhibition ended last month:

"Widely recognized as the backdrop in the 1989 film, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, the city of Petra was carved from the red sandstone in the harsh desert cliffs of southern Jordan over two thousand years ago. Petra was the trade crossroads from the 2nd century B.C. through the 3rd century A.D., linking the great civilizations at that time - Greek, Roman, Near Eastern and Egyptian. Located south of the Dead Sea, Petra was unmarked on modern maps until it was rediscovered in 1812. Premiering in Canada at Glenbow Museum in October 2005, Petra: Lost City of Stone was one of only two Canadian venues for this groundbreaking exhibition. Bringing together over 200 objects, including colossal stone sculptures and architectural elements travelling from Jordan for the first time, visitors were able to examine the history and culture of Petra in the most comprehensive exhibition ever presented on this ancient city."

I was reminded of this when mirabilis recently had a great post on Petra, with many exciting new links to explore. If you haven't already seen them, do go look! Isn't it great how all this is available to us online?

Marja-Leena | 26/03/2006 | 7 comments
themes: History, Rock Art & Archaeology


7 comments

Thanks for helping me to discover this! You're right; it's amazing how much we can learn and find with a few clicks of our fingers.

The National Geographic photos are nice. Thanks!

Yes, Patry, it makes up for not being able to travel as much one might like, eh!?

Bill, I hope you also looked at the stunning photos link at mirabilis.

What a fabulous shot that is. My colonel went to Petra last year and I am immediately going to refer him to this post.

Anna, I think it was on the cover of the December? 1998 issue of National Geographic magazine, but I can't seem to find it in my bookselves! My son-in-law's mother went there a few years ago too. I want to go - how about you?

Yes, shall we go?

Oh, yes, Anna - when?