Petra A Travellers' Guide

Summary

This completely updated and revised third edition includes: detailed maps of walks around the city; comprehensive tours of monuments, tombs and ancient religious sites; practical advice on where to stay and what to take; and a complete account of the city's Nabatean, biblical and Roman history Petra is a symbol of the hidden treasures of the Near East and one of the world's most spectacular and popular travel destinations. Its famous rose-red cliffs in which its ancient inhabitants carved lavish funeral monuments were hidden for many centuries, until their rediscovery in 1812. This long desertion means that the ruins are well preserved, and the visitor can now enjoy exploring the many hectares covered by the city. The Nabateans' remarkable civilization was enriched by their sustained power in commerce and war, and was reflected in their capital. The Romans added to Petra's glory by building a theatre, an aqueduct and colonnades. With the help of this guidebook, the visitor can relive the wonder Johann Ludwig Burckhardt, the 'discoverer' of Petra, must have felt when he looked for the first time on this most famous lost city.

Author Biography

Rosalyn Maqsood has travelled widely through the Holy Land and the Middle East, but has a particular affection for Jordan and its people. She has travelled extensively around Petra as the guest of a generous Bedouin, and so has a detailed knowledge of the area. She is the author of numerous books on Islam and religious studies, and has a particular insight into Jordan's local history, culture and traditions. As an Englishwoman abroad, her practical tips and advice will be particularly welcome to Western travellers.

Ann Jousiffe was an experienced journalist, photographer and writer of travel guides. Her previous publications include Lebanon (Lonely Planet, 1998) and contributing chapters to Jordan, Syria and Lebanon (Lonely Planet, 1999) and North Africa (Lonely Planet, 1998). Sadly, she passed away before this book was published.

Introduction	p. 1
The ruins	p. 4
Petra's inhabitants today	p. 8
Lost cities	p. 10
The discovery of Petra	p. 12
History	p. 17
Petra in ancient history	p. 18
The Nabataean period (sixth century BCE-106 CE)	p. 36
The religion of Petra	p. 52
Everyday life in ancient Petra	p. 60
Walking Tours	p. 75
Travelling from Amman	p. 76
Travelling from Aqaba	p. 78
An overnight itinerary	p. 80
The best use of a 24-hour stay	p. 80
The Tours
The Siq Gorge	p. 83
The High Place of Sacrifice (Jabal al-Najr)	p. 101
The City Ruins	p. 115
Al-Habis and the Wadi Siyagh	p. 127
Umm al-Biyara	p. 131
The Royal Tombs	p. 135
North and north-east Petra	p. 143
Al-Barid, a mini-Petra	p. 147
Wadi Sabrah	p. 153
Ed Deir	p. 155
Jabal Harun	p. 163
Petra environs	p. 169
Practical Matters	p. 173
Jordan: basic information	p. 174
Everyday life in Petra today	p. 175
Planning your trip	p. 183
Accommodation and restaurants	p. 190
Transport	p. 200
Other practical matters	p. 202
Manners and modes	p. 214
Appendices	p. 219
The teachings of Islam	p. 220
Useful addresses	p. 225
Further reading	p. 228
Useful words and phrases	p. 229
Archaeological periods in the Holy Land	p. 231
Index	p. 232
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.

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