What do you think of when you mention the desert? Desolation, terror, drought, death; Or camel caravans, merchants and mysterious ancient cities. As for the mysterious ancient city in the desert, many people may think of Gululan in Xinjiang, but what I still remember is a mysterious site in the desert of southern Jordan: Petra Ancient City.
Petra Ancient City is one of the famous historical ancient cities in Jordan, and is also a world cultural heritage. The reason why I still remember it is that the ticket of this ancient city is the most expensive scenic spot of the world heritage I have ever met: a ticket of 50 Jordanian dinars, equivalent to about 503 yuan. But is the 503 yuan worth it?
As one of the most mysterious ancient cities in the desert of southern Jordan, it was rated as one of the seven new wonders of the world in 2007. Among them, the Great Wall of China ranks first. This ancient desert city is hidden in a mountain canyon with an altitude of 1000 meters, and is almost entirely carved from rocks. It was the capital of the kingdom of the Nabatai (ancient Arab tribes), and flourished in the first century BC. Later, it was captured by the Roman Empire army and reduced to a province of the Roman Empire. Therefore, there are still many buildings commonly found in ancient Roman culture in today’s ancient cities.
Before the rise of the Red Sea trade, the ancient city of Petra was very prosperous because of land commerce. This is similar to China’s land Silk Road and maritime Silk Road. With the prevalence of the Red Sea trade, Petra began to decline. When it was conquered by the Arab army in the 7th century, it was already an abandoned empty city.
The ancient Nabatai people told all the tourists in history about the past prosperity and business glory of the lost ancient city. Under the scorching sun, people from all over the world gathered here. It is said that after Petra declined and became an empty city, it completely disappeared in the long river for a long time. It was forgotten by history and people. It was not until 1812, when a Swiss traveler discovered it, that it attracted the attention of the world again.
Walking in front of the Karzni Temple, when Arabs perform desert style, when instruments full of scars spread ancient tunes in the silent valley… In the gap between the sun and the valley, you can still see the life track of the nomadic Nabatai people, as well as the culture and architecture of the ancient Roman Empire.
This thousand-year-old city also has a very romantic nickname: “Ancient Rose City”. The special geological features make the mountains and rocks in the ancient city of Tepera appear rose in the strong sunlight, and even the valley is also painted pink. On ins, there are many and wonderful descriptions of the ancient city of Tepera by European and American Internet celebrities, and many beautiful travel photos are also completed here.
The remote civilization has made it the prototype of the novel “One Thousand and One Nights”, and it is the place where the treasure of the legendary “Open sesame” is located. Everyone is looking forward to opening this door, whether it is the burial urn at the top of the Karzni Temple or the ancient tomb of the kings of all dynasties. In the local legend, there may be hidden treasures left by the pharaohs and kings.
Many people describe Tepera as “a lost ancient city”. It reappears in the world in the form of an empty city, bringing infinite reverie to countless tourists. But there is one detail that cannot be ignored. As mentioned earlier, the ancient Silk Road. Petra was also a stop on the Silk Road. There are traces of the ancient East carved on the huge rocks. Those merchants who ride camels are taking Chinese silk, tea and utensils farther away.
Unfortunately, the ancient city of Petra in the desert suddenly lost its land trade, its prosperity began to weaken, and was eventually abandoned and forgotten. It is hard to imagine that such a prosperous ancient city could rise in a desert where there is no life and glory. Just like the ancient land of Loulan, it has flourished in the desert for more than 800 years.
The only way to Petra is a narrow canyon passage about 1.5 kilometers long, called Sike Gorge. There are many gravestones carved from rock on the rock wall of the canyon. These gravestones vary in size according to the identity of the burial person, and the carved patterns are also different. Some of them look like temples.
The whole ancient city is very large. If you want to see it all, it will take at least 6 hours on foot. Therefore, riding camels and donkeys has become the way for local merchants to make a living. However, some merchants often suffer from skin and meat, and hunger and thirst in order to earn more money.
This is a city hidden in the canyon, surrounded by cliffs and cliffs, and the city wall is natural. The whole city is built on the mountain, including temples, palaces, bathrooms and residences. It is still a mystery why the Nabatai built cities in the desert. After the defeat of the Nabatai to the Romans, they disappeared without trace. There were no bones, no ancient books, and no clues left. Only some patterns and characters carved on the stone cliffs were still unintelligible. Today, only one empty city is left for people to think and explore.
At the top of the Karzni Temple, there is a funeral urn. Local people claim that there may be Pharaoh’s treasure hidden in it. However, it is said that the treasure of the past Petra kings is still stored in the Kazini Temple. Although some scholars think it is a tomb, it still attracts numerous explorers and tourists.
In addition to the Karzni Temple, there are many large-scale tombs in the whole ancient city. The ancient city of thousands of years is between the capture and conquest of the Roman Empire and the Arab army. The treasures it produces and remains or is looted must attract numerous archaeologists and explorers. Before the Swiss traveler discovered it, there might have been many treasure hunters here.
Today, the ancient city of Tepera has become one of the most popular tourist destinations in Jordan. Although the tickets are not cheap, it is very worth seeing for me. Under the sun, the “Ancient City of Roses” shines brightly. Whether it is a world heritage or the new seven wonders of the world, this ancient and mysterious lost city still exudes the desire to explore.