Petra

= Petra of Jordan =


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1. Is quite **safe**.

2. Located at the crossroads between : **New orient** and **European civilizations**.

3. Many ruins from the distant past are everywhere For example **Petra**, Nabataean capital, discovered in **XIX century** by a **swiss explorer**.

4.Nowadays, this city is considered one of the Seven **Wonders** of the **World**.

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Where is Petra located?
 Petra is located deep within the deserts of jordan between the Gulf of Aqaba and Dead Sea.

Its inhabitants were the Nabateans.

What is/are its characteristics? (name as many as you can)
The most remarkable characteristic of Petra is the fact that the city was not build using stone, it was carved from the stone. This is why they call it "the lost city of stone". Here are some of its characteristics:
 * Monumental tombs.
 * Impressive system of pools and reservoirs.
 * The city grew along the natural contours of the landscape.

How importants were tombs in petra? What did they mean?
Tombs were very important in Petra. The nabateans built monumental tombs, memorializing their kings and leaders.

From its origins as a tent encampment, Petra had become an urban center by the end of the first century B.C. Through commerce, the city flourished. Its people, the Nabataeans, harnessed precious water, enabling the population to soar to perhaps 20,000.

Typical of ancient Near Eastern settlements, the city grew along the natural contours of the landscape. After the Roman occupation of Nabataea, in AD 106, Petra's development took a new direction. As with most other Roman cities, planners did their best to impose an urban grid on this sprawling settlement. The Romans managed to create one straight road along the central marketplace.

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