Trifter

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Petra in its mountain terrain is just about ninety-five miles from Jerusalem.  It is in the southwest that lye the ruins of the “rose-red city”; over 2500 feet above sea level. It is here where the Arabia world was linked with the Mediterranean Sea. Which was the center of trading and bartering among those that lived there, as well as those who travel through, such as the Egyptians and the Greek.

Petra, is located in Jordan, and was built during the fourth century B.C., by the Nabataeans, who were part of an odd group of nomadic travelers and transporters. Some of the Nabataeans after building the Petra, stayed put, while other continued their camels runs delivering spices and bitumen from the Dead Sea over to the Mediterranean ports. This was very profitable for these people, since by building Petra, they had some kind of control of who passed through. The tribal people used the Petra for storage, for their treasure they had accumulated through trading and bartering.

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It is unclear what had happened, but over time, the Nabataeans moved on and grew, making the city their capital and living the good life. They became power overlords of the area, determining what was traded, to who things were traded to, they became known as the commercial overlords. They controlled who went through their village and cities, their building and other structures were made out of solid rose colored stone, from the mountains of that reason. It is believed that the structures that were built had the influence of Mesopotamia, Egypt and Greece. The city was oh so powerful until it was overtaken by Rome in 106 A.D. It was believed to have been a beautiful place, but the place was abandoned and was not found until 1812. It is through the eyes of those who saw the region that one can only believe how beautiful the structure built by the Nabataeans had been.

Today it is a great place to visit, a mix of the Arabic culture, along with the wonderful hospitality and beautiful beaches. There are many places to visit, while in Jordan, but put your sneakers on, and head over to Petra. See what remains of the city forgotten for 1000 years. As a tourist attraction now it surly must have been cleaned it up, but you will be surprised at its beauty nonetheless. It is always amazing how things were built thousands of years ago, without the tools or technology that we have today. Yet, except for the fact that they are becoming damaged by time and weather, for the most part a lot of history can still be found in these ruins.