Treasury in petra jordan. Petra is a mysterious desert city. City where Moses drew water from the rock

Couldn't they travel [study the history of past centuries and millennia, and then visit the preserved monuments, the capitals of states and civilizations that once prospered and crush any enemy], while having understanding hearts and hearing ears?!

It is not people's eyes that go blind, but the hearts that are in their chests [they do not heed the lessons of the past in the present, do not try to understand them. Their whole life is a run from nowhere to nowhere along the narrow path of stereotypes and personal interpretations, subjective conclusions].*

Holy Quran 22:46

Impressed?

Then let's open the cards a little.

So, Petra (Arabic البتراء‎‎) - ancient city, capital Idumea (Edoma), later the capital of the Nabataean kingdom. It is located on the territory of modern Jordan, at an altitude of more than 900 m above sea level and 660 m above the surrounding area, the Arava Valley, in the narrow Siq Canyon.

Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan or Jordan is an Arab state in the Middle East. It borders with Syria in the north, Iraq in the northeast, Saudi Arabia in the east and south, Israel and Palestine in the west. Jordan shares with Israel and Palestine the coastlines of the Dead Sea and the Gulf of Aqaba with Israel, Saudi Arabia and Egypt.

About 90% of the territory of the kingdom is occupied by deserts and semi-deserts.

The most famous landmark in Jordan is , the city we are interested in Petra , located 262 kilometers south of Amman, and 133 kilometers north of Aqaba in the Wadi Musa valley.

The ancient city is the property of the Bedouins, who are engaged in the manufacture and sale of souvenirs on the territory of the museum, as well as offering a ride on horses or camels. In place of the current Petra was the first fortified settlement to be named " village" — "stone, rock". Later this name was translated into Greek - Petra ("a rock").

Petra - the capital of the Nabatean kingdom and one of the most beautiful and well-preserved ancient cities. Petra is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List and is one of the new wonders of the world. In ancient times, Petra was on the trade route connecting the Middle East, Arabia and India.

Historians believe that the city was built by the Nabataeans - Arab tribes of nomads who settled on these lands in the 3rd millennium BC. The appearance of Petra owes much to the Greco-Roman culture, which the Nabataeans adapted to their needs. Starting with a few easily defended caves in the rocks, Petra gradually turned into an impregnable walled city. The lands of the former Nabatean kingdom and Petra were completely forgotten in the West.

The Swiss traveler Johann Ludwig Burckhardt was the first European to see and describe Petra in 1812.

The very location of Petra is amazing, namely the mountains, which, depending on the time of day, change their color from dark red to pink and even orange.

It is not so easy to get to the ancient city, you will have to overcome several kilometers on foot: first go down, and back up through Siq Gorge. From the east and west, the cliffs break off vertically, forming natural walls up to 80 m in height.

Here is a description of this path, made in the 70s: “The path to the city lies through this passage. Its length is about 1.2 km, and its width is from 4 to 10 meters or more. The spectacle is truly unforgettable: reddish and brownish cliffs up to 80 m high hang from both sides; a strip of sky turns blue above, coarse gravel and sand rustle underfoot, it smells of dampness and mold. The Romans failed to take Petra for several years; its inhabitants, blocking the only narrow passage leading to the walled city, could hold back an entire army with small forces ...

Walking down the aisle- both to the right and to the left above the head are such cut, gnawed red stones. During the rainy season, this gorge turns into a swift turbulent stream. The road is adorned with the remains of an ancient pavement and rock carvings, and along the edges, like a railing, a water trough winds, delivering water to Petra.

The beginning of the gorge, through which you can get to Petra itself

Already approaching the exit from the gorge, we freeze in amazement: through the hole in the dark corridor, about fifty meters from its end, a pink building with columns and an elegant pediment illuminated by the sun is clearly visible. A few more minutes of patience and before us is one of the monumental tombs of Petra ... The most striking thing is that it is a solid stone massif without any additions.

Opens around the corner El Khazneh- a majestic building with a facade carved from a huge rock. This is one of the best preserved buildings of the first century. The building is crowned with a huge urn made of stone, in which gold and precious stones were allegedly kept, hence the name of the temple (translated from Arabic as “treasury”).

The interior of one of the "rooms" of El Khazneh.

Here it is very clearly seen that all this was carved in a solid stone massif.

Rounding the rock and the palace of Al-Khazne, you will find yourself surrounded by hundreds of buildings carved into the rocks, temples, tombs, small and large residential buildings, tombs and festive halls, long stairs, arches and cobbled streets. A little lower, a huge Roman amphitheater carved out of stone, which once accommodated more than 4 thousand spectators.

High in the mountains above the city there is a sacred place of worship to the gods, from where a stunning panorama of Petra opens - an amphitheater, a Byzantine church and the tombs of kings, Roman colonnades, the mausoleum of Aaron, and the main temple of the Nabateans - Kazr al-Bint.

Here is a list of the most interesting of them: Al-Khazne ("Treasury", the tomb of one of the Nabatean kings), Ad-Deir ("Monastery"), Sakhrij ("Genie blocks"), "Obelisk tomb", "Square of facades", sacred mountain Jabal al-Madbah ("Mountain of Sacrifice"), "Tombs of the Kings", Mugar An-Nasara ("Christian Caves"), Theatre, Byzantine church behind the ruins of the Nymphaeum, Al-Uzza Atargatis ("Temple of the Winged Lions"), Qasr Al- Bint ("The Palace of the Pharaoh's Daughter", although the pharaohs, of course, have nothing to do with this building), and others.

There are two archaeological museums in the city: the old one (in the mountain of Jabal Al-Khabis) and the new one, which have excellent collections, as well as many monuments identified with biblical chronicles - the Wadi Musa valley itself (“Valley of Moses”), Mount Jabal Haroun (Mount Aaron , on which, according to legend, the high priest Aaron died), the source of Ain Musa ("Source of Moses"), etc.

Petra was called the "robber's nest", "bloody stones", "cursed place", "city of evil spirits", "ghost city", "city of bloody altars", "city of the dead".

The territory of Petra occupies a large area. From the center, where the ruins of numerous buildings, no longer rocky, but built in the traditional way, from stone, are well preserved, it stretches for several kilometers.

The main street, stretching from east to west across the city, was laid during the Roman rule. On both sides of it stretches a majestic colonnade. The western end of the street ran into a large temple, while the eastern end ended in a three-span triumphal arch.

Ad-Deir is a monastery carved into the rock at the top of a cliff - a huge building about 50 m wide and more than 45 m high. Judging by the crosses carved on the walls, the temple served as a Christian church for some time.

Later, after the researchers dug out the space under the monastery, they discovered the tomb of one of the Nabatean kings.

Here is a very informative video - the program of the National Geographic channel:

The remains of this "city of the dead" are an edification for us who live after them. In the sacredIn the Koran, the Almighty in several verses tells us about the destroyed peoples and villages:

How many settlements We destroyed together with their sinful, godless inhabitants: [old] houses collapsed and became empty, wells [water supply systems] became useless and fell into disrepair, and [strong] built [with the latest science and technology] palaces [ if they remained standing, they were empty and deserted].*

Holy Quran, 22:45

Each of the human communities has its own term [nothing lasts forever in this world, everything (people, peoples, cities, states, eras, civilizations) has an earthly beginning and end]. If it comes, then nothing can be changed (it is impossible to delay or accelerate it). *

Holy Quran, 7:34

Didn't you see what your Lord did to the Adites?! [With their tribe] Iram, who had [majestic] buildings based on columns. Until that moment, there were no others like them [powerful and strong, smart].

Holy Quran 89:6-8

Do they not see [do not know] how many civilizations were destroyed by Us earlier! Indeed, they will not return to them [to those who currently exist]!*

Holy Quran 36:31

In conclusion, I will quote the words of a Muslim scholar-sage who was asked:

“Why do we hear edifications, instructions, but we cannot benefit from them, they are not reflected in our lives?

The sage replied: “For five reasons:

First: Allah has endowed you with many bounties, bestowed on you an uncountable number of blessings, but you have lost the feeling of gratitude before Him

Second: having committed a sin, you stopped feeling fear of God's wrath, you stopped asking for mercy with deeds and words

Third: you don't follow what you know.

Fourth: there are righteous, well-behaved people in your environment, but you don’t even think of being equal to them.

And the last: you bury the dead, see off many of your relatives and friends to another world, but you cannot learn from this instructive lesson "

As-Samarkandi N. Tanbih al-gafilin.S.292

O Allah, fill our hearts with timidity before Your majesty and might. Awaken in us this feeling, which will manifest itself in our tears, which will be filled in the future life with heavenly sources in the highest degrees of Firdavs! Amine.

Radia Zavdetovna,

Mahalla №1

*With comments by Sh. Alyautdinov

When writing the article, materials were used:

Wikipedia

Sh. Alyautdinov “The Holy Quran. Meanings»

I. Alyautdinov “Know. Believe. Honor"

In the heart of Jordan, in the valley of Wadi Musa, deep in the sandy mountains, is the amazing city of ancient Petra. For many centuries, this unusual city carved into the rock has amazed the imagination of people who come here with its majestic appearance and the pink-red color of all its buildings.

Despite the large number of interesting archaeological finds, it is Petra that is the most recognizable landmark of Jordan and its original symbol.

Initially, Petra was a temporary home for the nomadic tribes of the Nabataeans. From several fortified rocky caves, it gradually grew into a large city-fortress.

Petra is the most famous landmark of Jordan, located 133 km from Aqaba and 262 km south of Amman. There is only one way to get to the city - through the narrow gorge of the Siq, which was once the bed of a mountain stream. Petra still belongs to the Bedouins, who warmly welcome guests to their land, manufacture and sell souvenirs, and offer tourists horse and camel rides.

It can take two to three days to see the more than 800 sights of Petra. El-Khazne temple-palace carved into the rock has become world famous. Its height is 42 m and its width is 25 m. Many secrets and mysteries are connected with the amazing ancient structure.

The exact date of construction of the amazing palace is not known - presumably it is the 1st or 2nd century BC, i.e. the period when Petra was under the rule of the Roman Empire. The true purpose of Al-Khazneh is not completely clear either. The bizarre interweaving of various architectural styles suggests that there could be a temple of Isis or the tomb of ancient kings. Until now, scientists cannot say exactly how the palace was built.

The beautifully preserved Nabataean city of Petra is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List and annually attracts many tourists from all over the world with its beauty and mystery.

Al-Khazne Temple-Palace, Petra, Jordan

The culmination of our stay in Jordan naturally was a visit to Petra.

What can you say about this place, this city? To begin with, we will voice its modern attributes:

It is one of the New 7 Wonders of the World;

This is the symbol of Jordan;

It is part of the UNESCO World Heritage List;

This is a place that has been repeatedly mentioned in the bible;

It is ultimately one of the most magnificent architectural ensembles of antiquity.

Regarding the history of the city - it is quite capacious, long and consists of many interesting facts and moments. However, in this case, we will not particularly dwell on it (who cares what the Idumeans, Nabataeans, Romans, Byzantines or Arabs left behind in the city, and when it was - the Internet is at your service). We note only a few points.

Historians found the first mention of Peter in manuscripts dating back to XIII century BC

The heyday and construction of the rock city fell on the period of occupation by the Nabateans ( IV-III century. BC.)

At the end of the XIII century AD, the city was completely abandoned and forgotten (for unknown reasons).

In 1812, Petra was rediscovered for Europeans by the famous traveler Johann Ludwig Burckhardt, who managed by hook or by crook to ingratiate himself with the local Bedouins and, under the guise of an artist, get into the forgotten city with his guides. Since Burckhardt had extensive practical experience as a traveler, it was not difficult for him to remember the route and subsequently bring researchers here ....

From that moment to the present, constant archaeological research has been carried out in the Petra region, during which many historically important and valuable objects have been discovered, which are located on the map below....

(The map is taken from the Russian edition of "Jordan" Geographic&Co)

We will not now describe what each number means, but as we travel through Petra we will refer to this map.

So - go!

Our trip to Petra started at 7:30 local Jordanian time. It was at this time that the taxi driver Reid Al-Masri was waiting for us at the entrance to the hotel, with whom we had agreed on the trip the day before.

In order for us to get from Aqaba (where we lived) to Petra, it was necessary to overcome over 100 km. The roads in Jordan are for the most part decent (not like ours), there are few cars, the driver is experienced (with a lot of experience), so in terms of time, moving in its pure form would take no more than an hour and a little. But even during the negotiations, Reid told us that on the way to Petra he would make several stops from which a wonderful view opens up. He kept his word. True, the first stop was unscheduled. At the pass we saw snow and asked the driver to stop. Snow for Jordan is perhaps also a kind of miracle.... Reid told us that a week ago the height of the snow cover here was about a meter, so many roads were completely closed to traffic.

Then everything went according to plan. The next stop is at a souvenir shop located nearby. It offers a wide range of Jordanian handicrafts, including numerous cosmetic products with Dead Sea components at very attractive prices...

After tasting local tea and coffee, warming up a little in camel skins (in Aqaba the air temperature was +20 o C, and here it is about 0), we continued our trip ....

After driving a couple more kilometers, we ended up at the observation deck. This is the highest place in the area. The wind was so strong that we were afraid to approach the edge of the site - it could blow away ....

The driver says that there are only a few kilometers left to Petra, and because of the next turn, a wonderful view of some town opened before us .... We stop (according to the plan) and begin to look around ....

Where is Petra? The driver explains that we are looking in the wrong direction. This town is called Wadi Musa, but what we need is located away from it.

He makes us turn to the side and, pointing to the rocks in front of us, repeats uncontrollably: "Petra, Petra!"

We began to peer into the distance more intensely. But alas, we didn't see anything. Now it became clear why, until 1812, for many centuries, alien travelers could not visit the ancient city .....

We go down by car and in a few minutes we are at the entrance to the famous open-air museum.

We buy tickets (to be precise, the driver did it) and .....

Let's digress a bit here. About tickets. Petra is considered one of the most expensive museums in the world. This is not accidental, because the museum is one of the few sources of Jordan's income. So the ticket prices are different here. If you come to Petra, for example, from Israel or Egypt (that is, for one day), then you will be charged 90 dinars for entry (1 local dinar is only 70 US cents). If you got here while in Jordan, they will require only 50 dinars from you. To do this, you will have to present your passport or have such a cunning driver as our Reid as a friend, who, bypassing the queue (it really was not very long), poked his head into the ticket office window and in a couple of seconds explained to the cashier that he had brought a group of tourists from Aqaba, who are there live in one of the hotels (or maybe he said something else to them - fluent Arabic is unknown to us).

A minute later we were already inside the complex, called "Petra".

Before you go further, on a small island of civilization, you can, for example, stock up on water, wash your hands, and in the "Tourist Information" section, get a map of Petra for free (it is advisable not just to take it with you, but try to understand the map a bit, so that later already consciously walking around the city), etc., etc.

Well, now that all everyday problems have been settled, having cast a farewell glance at today's time

we, having passed the control, find ourselves in the distant past ....

Having passed the control, we find ourselves in the Wadi Musa Valley (1) (Valley of Moses). The road to the past is long enough. Parallel to the pedestrian path, there is a road for local transport: donkeys, horses, etc. If you carefully read the rights of a tourist, which he receives when buying an entrance ticket, then its cost includes the delivery of your person on this transport to the center of Petra. Many do not know about this (the information is given in very small print on the inside of the ticket) and despite the inviting cries of the drivers: "All inclusive!", which are quite intrusively offering this service, they prefer walking. Others, who know about this service, refuse to use it due to the fact that, as follows from the numerous reviews of tourists, all this local brethren will still try to charge you money for delivery. For this they will give you a lot of reasons. Starting from the fact that they only deliver for free to a specific place that you have already accidentally passed, and ending with a noisy showdown in their own language, as a result of which you still fork out ...

In general, we went on foot, but not based on the above factors. Firstly, the weather was amazing - the air temperature is somewhere around 15 degrees Celsius above zero (in the summer it can be over 40 - that's when you think about transport), the sun is shining, a little cloudy, a breeze is blowing ... Secondly, we were interested to see everything slowly ....

Already literally behind the first turn in numerous low rocks, man-made structures are visible ...

Ahead on the course on the right side rise the Djinn blocks (5).

Here they are in front of us .... There are several opinions about them. Someone says that these are stone gods, someone else says something else.... We will adhere to the official version, which can be found on the information board. It follows that these are peculiar tower tombs....

Behind a small turn, but already on the opposite side, another structure is visible in the rock....

This is none other than the Obelisk Tomb (6). There were five graves in the upper tier, and the basement was a mourning (ritual) hall .... There is another interesting, but not official version: some believe that four sons of one of the rulers of Petra were buried in this tomb (by the number of pillars above the entrance)....

Some have already managed to inspect everything and are returning "to the base" with the breeze ....

And we continue our acquaintance with Petra ....

Opposite the Obelisk tomb there is another burial room.... Its purpose can be judged by a peculiar ornament located above the entrance - two steps converging to the bottom....

And this is the confirmation of our words. Connoisseurs of English can get acquainted in detail with the opinion of the museum management regarding the purpose of certain structures....

While we are moving along the Valley of Moses, in literally all the numerous rocks that surround us, you can find traces of an ancient civilization...

"Prospect" ends with another stronghold of law and order

and one more information for tourists....

We are on one of the oldest dams, which was erected by the Nabataeans during the construction of Petra. Subsequently, in 1964, the dam was restored. Its purpose is very practical and very important for Petra. As we will find out later, the entire ancient city is located at the bottom of a deep gorge. Accordingly, during the rainy season (and they are decent here + water from all the surrounding mountains flows into the gorge), Petra could simply be washed away. Smart urban planners of the past solved this problem quite simply and ingeniously: they built a dam in front of the entrance to their gorge, and on the side (to drain water) they cut down a tunnel called Nabataean or Dark (8). On it, all the "extra" water went to another gorge ....

Behind the dam, two warriors of Petra guard the entrance to the Siq gorge (9)..... This main road leading to Petra is the bottom of a split rock with a length of about 1200 meters. The height of the sheer walls reaches 80 meters, and the width of the "tract" is from 3 to 12 meters (so be careful in narrow places, otherwise you will find yourself an easy prey for a dashing chaise).

Once the entrance to the gorge was decorated with arched gates, but it was not possible to save them - they were destroyed in 1895. However, if you look closely, you can see the remnants of the former luxury...

And on the next "cheat sheet" you can get to know them better ....

And here we are "plunging" into the pleasant coolness (although it's not very hot outside anyway) of the Siq gorge...

If you look closely, then on the left side along the entire gorge stretches a trench carved into the rocks. This next invention of the Nabataeans is a water supply system. They managed to collect fresh water from the mountains within a radius of up to 25 kilometers for their needs. Moreover, they thought through everything to the smallest detail: the constant slope of the drain, which allows you to adjust the flow rate, and the numerous tanks (there are over 200 of them), and ceramic pipes, and laying water pipes at a height, and much more, which at that time was beyond the power most other nations...

It is no coincidence that it was on the edge of the drain that this lonely tree found "refuge" ....

Before us is perhaps one of the narrowest places in the gorge ....

And now there is no light overhead...

And here is what we warned you about above. True, we were lucky - we collided with a "cabriolet" in a fairly wide part of the gorge. And if this happened a few minutes earlier - we would have to take the form of a wall ...

According to our estimates, we have already overcome half of the way to the Siq gorge ....

And here we will linger a little. If you pay attention - a huge cracked piece of rock hangs over the gorge to the right....

Many scientists believe that this is a real danger that can manifest itself at any moment. The Jordanians are doing their best to avoid the collapse. A lot of sensors are installed on the rock, which record all changes in the crack. In addition, the authorities of the country turned to other states for help, and according to some information, the Germans seem to have some kind of project to protect the rock ... (So hurry up to visit Petra, otherwise the entrance to it will suddenly be blocked)

We were lucky again - the rock did not fall off and we continued our movement forward ....

In this part of the gorge, hand-made works of ancient masters begin to appear....

But this has already taken the soul of nature .... If you look at this creation of hers from this side, it resembles some kind of terrible fish ....

And from here - a couple of elephants ....

It turns out that everything that we saw above was the creation of the hands of a man named Sabinos, who was engaged in certain religious ceremonies .... True, time, or rather the strong winds and rains that affected for 18 centuries, did not spare his masterpieces ...

The Siq expanded again. By the way, very often on the ground you can find the remains of that ancient paving stone....

Increasingly, traces of civilization began to be encountered along the way ...

Suddenly, the passage narrowed completely, it became dark, and in the distance, in the gap between the rocks, the outlines of some structure appeared ....

In a few seconds, the most famous building of Petra El-Khazne (10) opens up to our eyes....

Al-Khazneh is the visiting card of Petra, and of the whole of Jordan...

Once upon a time, Europeans who first visited these places, she appeared in the following form .....

(Photo taken from the Russian edition of "Jordan" Geographic&Co)

During this time, a lot has changed in Al-Khazne: something for the better - the collapsed column was restored, something for the worse - time has done its job and many sculptures have worn out ....

What is this building? The height of the facade is 39 meters (this is the height of our 12-storey building), the width is 25 meters. This structure was carved into the rock. Until recently, scientists did not have exact information about how the Nabataeans managed to do all this. Many believed that the classical method of construction was used, i.e. scaffolding was erected and builders were located on their scaffolds, who hollowed out building elements in the rock. However, this version quickly lost its relevance: there are mountains and desert around for many kilometers. Each tree counts. After many years of research, it was found that all the work was carried out in a completely new style for architecture - not from the bottom up, but vice versa: from top to bottom. Ancient builders climbed to the top of the cliff and from there they began to build their masterpiece. Making ledges in the rock and gradually going down, at the first stage, they created something like a perfectly even canvas. At the second stage of construction, again working from top to bottom and using a system of phased cutting of cornices (instead of scaffolding), elements of the main structure were created. If it were possible to use modern means of video recording at that time, then we would have the following video fragment: you are a spectator and, as it were, you are in the auditorium. There is a curtain in front of you, which begins to fall from top to bottom, and at this time, Al-Khazneh begins to appear in front of you ....

First its upper fragment,

and then the lower part...

As they say, everything ingenious is simple. Although with this method of building it, so to speak, the chief architect must have tremendous knowledge ...

Most of the buildings in Petra were built in this way. By the way, this production was virtually waste-free. The cutting of the building was carried out in blocks (something like bricks, only of large sizes), which then went down and were successfully used in the construction of other structures...

For a long time it was not possible to determine the purpose of this building. At first they thought it was a treasury. After all, Petra was at one time a fairly rich city. It was located at the crossroads of two major trade routes: the first - connected the Red Sea with Damascus, the second - Persian Gulf with Gaza. It was in Petra that numerous caravans stopped to rest after long and tiring journeys. At that time, Petra was a real oasis in the desert: there was a lot of greenery, fountains, places to relax, etc. The Nabataeans were good traders and, accordingly, the city treasury was constantly replenished. Here, according to one of the versions, it was decided to build a building of amazing beauty at the entrance to the city, in which the latest innovations in the advanced world architecture would be used (hence we observe elements of the Greco-Roman style in Al Khazne), and which would make newly arrived guests of the city immediately understand where they are. Accordingly, they planned to store all their wealth in this building. By the way, Al-Khazneh is translated from Arabic as a treasury, treasury ...

Another version of the appointment of Al-Khazne is a temple, a tomb. The thing is that if you go inside the building, then there are no architectural excesses except for bare walls. In addition, an analysis of the sculptures on the facade of the building showed that they are all connected in one way or another with the afterlife. But the main sign of the tomb - no burials were found.

Literally not so long ago, it seemed strange to one scientist who was conducting a study of Petra that the slope under which we leave the Siq gorge to Al-Khazne in front of the building abruptly changes its level (i.e. levels out). Then there was an assumption that the base of the building was simply covered with sand over time. The scientist's assumption was justified: during the excavations at the visual base of the building, at a depth of 6 meters, the lower floor was discovered, in which burials of 11 people were found. Based on their remains, it was possible to accurately determine the time of burial and finally determine the exact purpose of this grandiose structure - the tomb of the Nabatean king Aref IV....

If you get closer to the building, then you can see some of the results of these excavations ....

And here another caravan left the gorge

and settled down to rest....

Yes, donkeys have no place among the ships of the desert ....

The square in front of Al-Khazneh is a favorite place for tourists. But today there are not many people and we manage to calmly examine and photograph everything without crowding and turmoil ....

Even on the wall near the building we managed to see such a balcony....

However, one should not forget that Al-Khazneh is only the beginning of the glorious city of Petra. Therefore, if you want to have time to see its other sights, then it's time for you to move on .... That's what we do.

Passing through a small gorge

and before us is a new creation of the Nabateans - the street (wall) of Facades ....

These are numerous burials, the entrance to which is a true monument of architecture....

In fact, among many scientists there is a version that Petra is the city of the dead. Too many objects of the city are connected with this event. True, their opponents also have quite strong arguments in their favor: why do the dead need such a powerful and developed water supply system, why do they need a theater, etc., etc. Agree this is a pretty solid argument. Again, if you take a closer look at the culture of the Nabataeans, they were very sensitive to the afterlife and believed that the deceased should not need anything. From here, perhaps, the large tombs (which are much better than their dwellings), and many of the ritual complexes that we see today in Petra. Otherwise, history is relative. Perhaps soon, some lucky from this brotherhood will be able to find such an artifact that will turn all official ideas about this, and it may happen that Petra is really the city of the dead ....

In the Wall of Facades, you can also find open openings, although today access to tourists is closed there - specialists are still working there ...

Directly in front of us is the Nabataean theater. It is also carved into the rock, although some of its parts are made from those blocks that remained from Al-Khazneh. The theater has 45 rows. The average length of one row is about 95 meters. It was designed for 7-10 thousand spectators....

On the left side of the square, we again see a lot of tombs and some other rooms. Yes, another household moment. The fact is that before the trip, having studied many sites, we realized that in Petra there is a certain problem with WC - everyone unanimously stated: "Be careful! There is only one toilet, which is located at the entrance! ". So, ladies and gentlemen, let me disagree with this. There are many of them in Petra more: there are both at the entrance, and at the entrance to the gorge (combustion closets), and on this square (hospital), and further along your path in several places. So don't worry too much about this. The only place where these amenities of civilization are missing is if you go to the mountains...

Speaking of mountains... While we were looking around on this square, a couple of tourists (foreigners) with a local guide stopped near us. After he told them something about this area, the guide suggested that the couple make an ascent to enjoy the amazing views of Petra .... Since we became unwitting witnesses of this fluent communication in English, we had no choice but to follow them example

Let's start climbing...

We climbed literally a few tens of meters, and Petra looks different already ....

Well, let's continue our experiment....

I still have strength, my breath doesn't seem to get lost, so it's getting higher and higher....,

and camels are getting smaller and smaller...

And this is how the tombs of the Assyrian type opposite the theater look from a height (at a fairly large approximation) ...

It seems that we have already climbed high, but our mountain does not end there .... Well, at least the weather is favorable (at +40, such a climb would not be a joy) ...

After the next turn - another long climb ... As for the road itself, it is quite decent: 50 percent are fairly well-preserved steps, 25 percent of its length is a fairly compacted surface, and the remaining 25% - as usual in the mountains .. Of course, in rainy weather, climbing in some areas would be very problematic ...

Once again looking back .... Maybe it's time to go back? But the guide somewhere and for some reason led our foreign colleagues up ...

But these steps delight the soul, and the body too ....

In some places, the walls of rocks along which we move look very good...

And here is the first living creature on our mountain path.... Meet - in front of you is a Jordanian pigeon with an alpine residence in the city of Petra...

Through the camera lens with a good approximation, we consider our starting point .... Now, until we know the purpose of our ascent, it’s definitely stupid to go down ...

So imperceptibly, quite often being distracted by photography, we caught up with the initiators of our ascent. Local Bedouins make their life much easier by making this way on donkeys... True, there are places in this section that you experience a lot of thrills on foot, but if you overcome these sections on horseback... In short, comments are unnecessary.

Even at such a height there are points for the processing of tourists, i.e. sale of local handicrafts....

Prices here are much lower than below. We offer you various amulets with stones, items supposedly made of pure silver, etc...

On a small flat area there is an alpine cafe. Here they offer Bedouin tea, local coffee with coriander, and some other non-alcoholic drinks. We don't have them yet...

Poor donkey, how he breathes heavily, and it looks like he's sweating .... Or maybe I'm already breathing like a steam locomotive? Although foreigners are already somewhere far behind ...

I'll tell you a little secret. In view of the fact that only one path goes further, we decided to go around them (we won’t get lost anyway) ...

We somehow got carried away with the process of conquering the summit and forgot that there could be faster walkers on this path besides us .... We had to give way ...

We go around the next turn and .... but there is no more road above! We are at the top!!!

Why are we here to put it mildly dragged?

Maybe in order to enjoy the music of this Bedouin at such a height?

Or drink some water from this alpine well?

While we cannot find the answer to our question, but with all this, we no longer regret that we climbed here and spent a lot of time on it.

Firstly, it offers a magnificent view of the mountains surrounding Petra....

Secondly, where else will you meet cats at such a height and in such a deserted place?

By the way, they feel quite well here and lead a very active lifestyle....

Thirdly, only here you can meet real modern residents of Petra, who absolutely do not care about the level of local sales (they will study stock news better) .....

who, in the absence of an influx of tourists, will develop their abilities as a guide by expounding all the charms of Petra to their favorite donkey ...

And at the same time, the latter, we must give him his due, will be a worthy listener ...

Only on this peak, hoisting the flag of Jordan (while risking their lives), local residents discuss the global geopolitical situation...

Only from this peak can one see a modern city in which life is seething from one side,

and on the other hand, observe the dwelling of the Petruan Bedouin ...

Only on this peak, our esteemed donkeys bow before religious buildings and in silence, probably, think about something vital....

Agree, it’s painfully on some specific mountain we are with you ....

As it turned out a little later (when we had already descended and analyzed our route), we ended up on Mount Attuf (mountain of sacrifice)

Having carefully looked around, we also found facts confirming that we are in this very place ...

First of all, these are two obelisks - symbols of the deities Dusshara and Al-Utsa....

and, of course, these ruins of ritual temples....

But as it turned out, even this was not the goal of our ascent....

Everyone says that donkeys are stupid animals. I think it's not. Does a stupid animal just walk to the edge of the abyss?

They clearly knew that being in this somewhat dangerous place, you can see most of Petra at a glance ....

Well, if you get to the other side of the top,

then you will see a view of that part of Petra, to which, as they say, 99% of the tourists who visited it have not set foot ....

In order to make it clear in the future exactly which places we are visiting from the Mount of Sacrifice, we will make a reference to the area ....

In front of you, in the upper right corner, is a fairly well-known building - the Qasr Al-Bint Palace (we still have time to examine it from below).

and then to the left...

If you take a closer look at the above photographs, you can see a lot of different tombs and structures. To our great regret, we did not find any information about this part of Petra. Being at the top for about half an hour, we could not see the tourists who would have gotten there ... We note right away that most of the photos on this page were taken with a telephoto lens, so the real distance to the objects is quite decent....

Here is our Kasr again,

Before reaching the palace - a little to the left and up the slope you can see the columns of the pharaoh...

To the left of the columns is an incomprehensible building. Most likely this is already a modern building, because. glass is visible in the openings ....

And now we will “walk” near those distant mountains (from right to left) that were discussed above ... (We will not comment on anything here. You just see for yourself how long Petra is and how little we really know about it)

So, you yourself were able to see for yourself that tourists unfortunately do not visit the largest part of Petra, where hundreds of various ancient structures of antiquity ....

Although there is nothing strange in this. On the one hand, on the maps that give out at the entrance, these objects are not marked at all, on the other hand, it takes a lot of time and effort to get here, and then also to return ....

And now let's return to the other side of our mountain, which offers a view of the places known to history ...

From this square (Street of Facades) we once began our ascent ....

Yes, there are fewer people...

What else did we manage to see from above?

Here in front of us, or rather below us, is the tomb of Uneishu (19). It has been fairly well preserved. Unlike other tombs, this one has its own courtyard... When excavations were carried out here, they found a coin of the Nabatean king Malk II and a number of fragments of plates with inscriptions, from which it followed that there was a burial place of a royal person ...

Well, what else can you see from here? The supply of time is limited, therefore, having breathed in the fresh mountain air, we begin to think about the descent ...

The descent was quite fast (in relation to the ascent) and without long stops, so after .... minutes we were already at the bottom .....

Here is our amphitheater... By the way, it, like many other buildings of Petra, suffered quite a bit from the earthquake in its time...

We continue our journey through Petra towards the Royal Tombs.... The people have increased...

If you still have the strength, you can slightly deviate from the route and drop by the light to the Nabateans...

And here's another place for a sanitary stop ....

A little away from the main caravan route is the Urn Tomb, already known to us.

It is said that it got its name due to the fact that a small urn is located on its top. Here it is (top) in front of you. Where is the urn?

True, the tomb also has another (local) name: the Bedouins, due to the grandeur of the architecture of the building, called it the Court ....

Squeezing through another caravan

Let's start another climb...

On the site at the base of the Urn, there is a rather brisk trade in souvenirs...

A little more and we will be at the goal ....

All have arrived...

You can go inside the tomb. Archaeological excavations are still underway here, so some part is closed to the public...

Immediately striking is the peculiar color scheme of the ceiling ....

When you leave, you will again be haunted by the tourist service ....

Some sellers can be seen have been sitting on this tourist route for a very long time ....

The Tomb of the Urn is followed by a whole series of rich tombs that are part of the Royal: the Palace-Tombstone and to the right of it - the Corinthian Tomb. All of them are built in 1st century AD

We took a breath, looked around and found that we still have a long road ahead, and not back, but forward and forward ....

After all, there are a lot of people at that rock that is on the horizon. So there is something to see...

We go down to the main square of Petra ....

Finally, you can take a breath: relax a little, after sitting on a bench for a couple of minutes ....

It turns out that not only we are tired, but also the Bedouins, who are comfortably located near a lonely tree,

moored for rest and "ships of the desert" .....

Yes, to rest is not to work .... Something too early, we relaxed. Gotta get up and move on...

We are immediately offered to use local transport ... But we decide not to change our principles ...

To our right, the Royal Tombs lined up in all their glory...

Our route passes along Colonnadnaya Street (24).... At one time it was the main street of Petra, along which there were numerous shops, markets, temples....

Another and another caravan descends from the mountains to the "shopping center"....

At the end of Colonnadnaya Street, on the left side in the direction of our movement, there is the Great Temple of Petra .... (for some reason, this "small and inconspicuous" structure was not marked on our map. Perhaps due to the fact that archaeological work is being carried out in this place and to this day, historians have not fully decided on the purpose of this object ...). The temple is really great in the truest sense of the word - it covers an area of ​​​​over 7.5 thousand square meters. and is the largest building in the city...

We make the next stop near Qasr Al-Bint (27) - Temple of the Pharaoh's Daughter. If you look around, this is the only more or less preserved building. It turns out the whole thing in its design. Unlike its counterparts, this building is made using a unique technology: its brick blocks are interconnected with juniper twigs. It was thanks to this design that he managed to withstand a strong earthquake ...

Ahead appeared, let's say, the original rock....

Ask: "What does it mean?" See for yourself: All openings are closed with modern elements of architectural design (doors, glass), there is quite civilized ventilation, etc. New residents of Petra? Everything turned out to be somewhat more prosaic - this is the new Archaeological Museum of Petra ...

Near the museum, you can have a bite to eat in an open-air cafe, and if you wish, well, if you haven’t seen everything yet, spend the night right there at the hotel.

Another feature of this place is a fairly large number of green spaces....

The Archaeological Museum is not the end point of Petra. Roads lead from its walls both to the left and to the right. If you move to the left, then after a few kilometers (I don’t know exactly how many of them) you will come to that part of the city that we examined from the Mount of Sacrifice. If you go to the right, then overcoming the level difference of 350 meters (and this is a winding path, and a steep staircase ...) you can get to the monastery of Ad-Deir. We did not have enough strength for such an ascent. Yes, and time too. After all, do not forget that there is still a road to go in the opposite direction, and this is still a few kilometers of the way ....

We go back...

Before us again "float" the Royal Tombs,

the central square of Petra (although now it is completely deserted)

and the Siq Gorge.

And here we are at the finish line...

Well, now that everything is behind me, I will tell you a little secret.

We have been to Petra several times: the first time was in excellent sunny weather. Then we spent in this beautiful city about 5 hours, but unfortunately we did not have time to see many interesting moments. The second - three days later (then the weather deteriorated somewhat, swimming in the Red Sea was not very comfortable and part of our small group decided to slip into Petra to see the sights). On this day in Aqaba (where we lived) it was about 15 degrees. above 0 (sea water temperature - 21 degrees) and quite cloudy ...

And here is what my "colleagues" faced on the way to Petra...

On the one hand, the local driver was incredibly happy - after all, snow is a big holiday for them (although there has been a noticeable increase in such holidays in Jordan recently), and on the other hand, he repeatedly tried to turn around (because he had no skills to drive on a snowy track, and even in mountainous conditions and on summer tires, he, like 99.99% of other local drivers, does not).

In fact, this trip was close to completion (fog was all over the mountain section),

but already in the city of Wadi Musa, in the immediate vicinity of the entrance to the Petra Museum, it was removed as if by hand ....

Then our travelers decided to see Petra after all ... (you yourself can find some differences in the photographs of those that were taken on a sunny day from a cloudy one). By the way, in their opinion, and according to the footage, on a cloudy day, many objects in Petra look much better than in clear weather...

If you want to get acquainted with all of Petra, then you will either need a whole day (hours from 6 am to 4 pm - the museum is open at this time in winter) and at the same time you will be on the move all the time and by the end of the day completely unsettled (and this pace is not feasible for every tourist), or split the visit into several days. At the same time, Petra's employees themselves recommend visiting it in three days (the museum's official website even lists the recommended daily program). In this case, the price of the entrance ticket changes significantly: if a one-time visit costs 50 dinars (for those who stay in Jordan for more than a day), then for three days the ticket price will be only 60 dinars. So everything is in your hands.

In conclusion, I would like to say only one thing - Petra is not in vain considered one of the seven wonders of the world!

Jordan is famous not only for the wonderful beaches of Aqaba and the healing mud of the Dead Sea. Petra is its main attraction, hundreds of thousands of tourists from all over the Earth come to see it. The architects who built this city, in an incomprehensible way, gouged caves in the rocks, turning dead stone into majestic temples and tombs. But then there were no modern tools, and technologies did not reach even half of the current level. Nevertheless, people, figuratively speaking, with their bare hands managed to create masterpieces that have survived the centuries.

Nabateans - the founders of the fairy tale city among the rocks

According to legend, the Nabataeans are the descendants of Shem, the son of the world famous Noah. In the III century BC, they formed the state of Nabatea. The most important caravan routes for the economy of those times passed through its lands. Therefore, the territory of the Nabatean kingdom was a tasty morsel for many neighboring states and was often attacked. But the Nabataeans not only managed to defend their land from the invaders, but also subjugated part of Syria and remained independent during the time of the might of the Roman Empire. The Nabataeans had a great hatred for the Jews and not only fought endlessly with them, but even ransomed other captive Jews in order to subject them to severe torture and then kill them. Jordan is now located on the territory of the majestic Nabatea. Petra - the former prosperous capital of the disappeared ancient state. Now it is a unique museum created by nature and human genius.

lost city

The lost cities of fantasy novels seem to be written off from Petra, hidden in the rocks of the city. Who knows, humanity would have known anything about this place, if in 1812 an orientalist from Sweden, Johann Burckhardt, traveling in the Middle East under the name of Ibrahim ibn Abdallah, had not stumbled upon an unusually beautiful gorge, had not walked through it and opened it for mankind ancient city of Petra. Jordan tremblingly protects its shrine, which is included in the list of wonders of the world. Petra - in Greek means "stone, stone." The city got its name because at some point in its history it was associated with ancient Hellas. This is also evidenced by numerous elements in the architecture of buildings, colonnades and porticos, reminiscent of parts of ancient Greek temples, but with their own details not characteristic of the Hellenes. Burkhardt himself did not look for the lost city, but was going to cross the Sahara to the sources of the Niger. This man died on the threshold of his 33rd birthday, having become famous for centuries thanks to his unexpected find.

Geographical position

Hot dry climate, the only small area of ​​the Gulf of Aqaba and the Dead Sea and 90% of the desert plains interspersed with lifeless rocks. That's Jordan. Petra, a unique historical heritage and the pride of the country, cannot boast of blooming gardens. It strikes the imagination with the harsh beauty of the silent rocks, rushing their arrays to the sky for tens of meters. The city is located at an altitude of 660 meters above the Arava valley and communicates with the world through the narrow Siq gorge. Arava is a desert plain where there is almost nothing living. In the old days, travelers who accompanied camel caravans crossed the Arava, languishing from heat and lack of water. Like a life-giving mystical oasis, there was majestic Petra for them, where they could drink plenty of water and relax. The Nabataeans chose one of the most impregnable places for their capital. You can get into the city only through a narrow canyon from the south or from the north. According to legend, it turned out because Moses hit the rocks with his staff. According to another legend, the Nabataeans did not let the Jews through their city, whom Moses led through the desert.

Siq Gorge

Both the passage along the Arava and the advance along the gorge are included in the program excursion tour called "Jordan, Petra, Landmarks". For those who do not want to bother their feet, enterprising Arabs rent horses, camels, donkeys and even small carriages. The entrance to the gorge is paid. If you didn’t manage to see everything in one day, you will have to pay again the next day. The price until recently was 20 dinars (approximately 20 euros). However, the money spent is worth the beauty that you will not see anywhere else in the world. The amazing begins with the first steps along the gorge. It is a narrow winding canyon about one kilometer long. Why not equal? The Arabs say because he was crooked. The width of this natural masterpiece varies. In some places, the gorge is so narrow that a horse-drawn carriage can barely pass, and in some places it reaches a width of 3 meters. It is more interesting to walk along it, lagging behind the group and left alone with the rocks, these eternal guardians of the lost city. Their sheer, and in some areas bizarrely overhanging slopes rush up, almost closing overhead. And only the blue stripe of the sky does not allow to cut off the connection with the real world. The color of the slopes changes depending on the time of day. It is especially beautiful at sunrise and sunset. But even during the day, the multi-colored layers of sandstone that form these monoliths look wonderful.

Al Khazneh

At the exit from the gorge, a wonderful creation of the human genius opens up to the eyes. This is a mausoleum-temple carved right into the rocks. Petra in Jordan, especially this great building, can delight anyone. Its height is 39 meters and its width is 25. Outwardly, the facade resembles. However, on the walls there are figures of the Amazons, the heads of the Egyptian goddess Isis and the mythological Medusa. Also on the facade you can see the figures of eagles, according to the beliefs of the Nabataeans, carrying away the souls of the dead. That is, several architectural styles intertwined during construction. El-Khazne is crowned with an urn, in which, according to legend, the treasures of the pharaohs were put. That is why such a name of the temple arose - "the treasury of the pharaohs." Inside the temple consists of three small rooms without any decoration. Only bare walls.

Tombs of Petra

Many researchers tend to believe that the pharaohs have nothing to do with Al Khazne, and the building served as the tomb of the rulers of Petra. In front of the temple there is a small round recess with a groove, in which, perhaps, sacrifices were made. Blood trickled down the groove. But this detail does not confirm the theory about the tomb at 100%. There is nothing inside Al-Khazneh that could shed light on what the building served. The Nabataeans took this secret with them. From the great civilization we have left the city of Petra. Jordan considers it its main pearl. Even dilapidated by time, the city is grandiose. From Al-Khazneh, a short street of facades extends, leading to other monumental structures. Some of them were also cut into the rocks, others were built from hewn stone blocks. There are many tombs in the city, but they are all much smaller and more modest than the great Al-Khazneh.

Water supply in the city

The entire Arabian Peninsula is considered an arid region. So is Jordan. Petra is a city where only 150 mm of precipitation fell during the year, which is negligible for the life of 40 thousand inhabitants. However, the Nabateans built a network of canals and reservoirs in the city, in which all the collected water was stored. In addition, the irrigation system of Nabatea made it possible to collect water in the vicinity of the city. The townspeople always had water in abundance. There is an assumption that during rare but heavy downpours, streams more than a meter deep could rush through the Sik Gorge. To prevent such an amount of water from flooding the city, the Nabataeans built something like a dam, diverting the water flow to the side and preventing water from rushing into the gorge.

Other sights of Petra

Not only the unique temple of Al-Khazne is famous for Petra, its beautiful coastline in the Gulf of Aqaba, and the many surviving buildings of the glorious Petra will forever keep the memory of visiting this great place on Earth. One of them is the monastery of Ad-Dair. It is located just above the main city buildings and is also carved into the rock. The facade of the monastery resembles in its appearance the facade of the Al-Khazne temple. It is somewhat larger in size and reaches a height of 45 meters with a 50-meter width. There are many steps leading to it. Perhaps that is why it is not visited as often as Al-Khazneh. In addition to the monastery, in the stone city, the Palace-Tombstone deserves attention, the Temple is a huge arena. It was created in the likeness of Greek theaters and served, according to historians, for cult and religious rites.

Jordan. Peter. Tours, hotels, souvenirs

Jordan is a great place for tourism. In many travel agencies you can order tours of various durations and destinations. Those who choose to visit Petra can stay in the suburb of Wadi Musa, located one and a half kilometers from the stone city. There are no hotels in Petra itself. It is open to the public for only a few hours a day. There are plenty to choose from in Wadi Musa, hotels are available for different tastes and budgets. In addition, in the suburbs, tourists are waiting for numerous restaurants, shops, bars and even a nightclub. In addition to Wadi Musa, you can stay in the central city. From there, Petra is about 3 hours away.

When visiting this historic city, every tourist buys souvenirs as a keepsake. They sell them here literally on every corner. Women's jewelry, ceramics, utensils of Arab craftsmen and small bottles of colored sand are very popular.

A trip from Amman, Israel and Egypt to Petra will be much more tiring and expensive. Stops at the border are inevitable, moreover, moving from Egypt requires crossing the Israeli border, and Israeli border guards are famous for their corrosiveness and slowness. In addition, a border tax has recently been collected from those passing through the Israeli border.

In summer, the temperature reaches 50 degrees along the way, which is not very conducive to curiosity. The ideal time for a thoughtful visit to Petra is late autumn, winter, spring. At this time it is not hot, you should even stock up on a jumper.

The place is so interesting that it is worth devoting more than one day to it, although, of course, you can fit into a one-day excursion. The fact is that in order to even just get from the entrance to the city to the main interesting places, you need to walk several kilometers along the narrow (in some places about a meter) Sik canyon. Very lazy and rich tourists hire donkeys or a stroller. Pauses are inevitable for taking pictures and scratching the back of the head in astonishment.

You can stop for rest in the town of Wadi Musa near the rock city, or in several hotels directly on the territory of Petra.

City `s history

Petra, despite its unusual appearance, is historically the city - the capital of the Nabataean kingdom, which lasted seven centuries. The city had houses carved into the rock, temples, tombs. During these centuries, no one managed to take the city by storm. It's all about the right location and a fantastic communications system.

The city of Petra, in Nabataean “Nakmu”, is located at an altitude of more than six hundred meters above the surrounding area. Climbing the steep cliffs surrounding the city is very difficult. To this day, water remains the main resource of the Middle Eastern countries. The nameless builders of the city provided a system for collecting and concentrating all possible precipitation. In the Petra region, the average monthly rainfall in the wettest month, January, is 45 mm; in June, there is no precipitation at all. All the water that flowed in the spring months from the surrounding mountains, through channels carved into the rocks, flowed into pools and reservoirs, providing residents for the whole year.

The city stood at the crossroads of two trade routes - the Mediterranean - the Persian Gulf and Damascus - the Red Sea. The spice trade brought fantastic income to the Nabataeans. Only the discovery by the Romans of new trade routes to the east led to the decline of Petra.

Walk around Petra

All visitors get off the buses in front of the entrance to the canyon. Souvenirs are sold here (inhabitants of Bedouin settlements in several factories in the district process ornamental stone under the state program), there are several coffee houses, you can hire a carriage to travel through the canyon.

Having passed the canyon with vertical (thirty meters high) walls, you exit to the main square of El Ghazne. Usually the guides deliberately “talk their teeth” in order to guess the spectacular moment of the exit to the facade of the Treasury. The canyon makes a turn before entering the square, so all beginners look in the wrong direction. The effect is enormous.

Made famous by the Indiana Jones TV series, the building is said to have housed the treasures of the pharaohs and, later, Mediterranean pirates. No one is allowed inside. The dimensions of the Treasury are amazing - 40 meters in height and 24 in width.

At every step, Bedouin kids offer to buy souvenirs, even simple stones. Depending on the time of day, the surrounding rocks change color - from pale pink at dawn to orange at sunset. The territory of the city is gigantic, so you can walk here for several days. Some come with their tents and mountain gear to spend a few days in the surrounding mountains. Only the cost of staying on the territory of Petra changes.

The places here are harsh, therefore, when planning a trip for several days, you need to provide yourself with a supply of water, food (we strongly do not recommend taking alcohol), strong shoes, warm clothes for the night, learn a few Arabic greetings - no one guarantees that you will be understood in Russian (although in the same Aqaba, all young people speak Russian fluently).

If you ask any local guide - how people could build such grandiose buildings without cranes, without forty-meter scaffolding (after all, there is nowhere to get so much wood here), they will answer you - they were lowered from above on ropes. Maybe. But a believer will immediately remember the words from the sixth chapter of the biblical Book of Genesis: "At that time there were giants on earth." Maybe they really lived here?