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PETRA AND THE NABATAEANS
From the first century B.C. to the third century A.D., Petra was one of the most influential and prosperous commercial centres in antiquity. This metropolis was literally carved from the red sandstone cliffs in the harsh desert of southern Jordan, yet amazingly, the city of 3,000 temples, tombs and dwellings was lost to Western knowledge for almost 600 years. For much of its history, the city was governed by the Nabataeans, renowned for their great skills in trade, agriculture, engineering and architectural stone-carving. At its height, Petra was the centre of the Nabataeans’ commercial empire, which covers the lands of modern-day Jordan, Israel, Egypt, Syria and Saudi Arabia. |
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