Ancient Megastructures - Petra

Al Khazneh or The Treasury at Petra

Today on Far Future Horizons we present an episode of the acclaimed National Geographic television series Ancient Megastructures and explore the mysteries of the ancient city of Petra, the city of stone.

The Treasury, as seen from al-Siq, right before the passage ends.

This documentary reveals how an ancient Semitic people known as the Nabataeans turn the history of architecture on its head to create one of the most awe-inspiring monuments in the world, the Khazneh, built between 100 BC and 106 AD.

  

Johann Ludwig Burckhardt

Petra was rediscovered in modern times by the Swiss explorer Johann Burckhardt in 1812. Many of Johann Burckhardt’s written works are available from Project Guttenberg. 

 

Location of Petra: The Rich and Powerful City of Ancient Times

The ancient city of Petra sits between the Red Sea and the Dead Sea, an important trading point between Arabia, Egypt and Syria-Phoenicia. Inhospitable mountains and desert surround this ancient archaeological site, described as a mixture ancient Eastern traditions and Hellenistic architecture.

 

The narrow passage (Siq) that leads to Petra

 

Ancient Megastructures–Petra also reveals the engineering behind the construction of Petra and how the Nabataeans held back flash floods to protect their great monument, and why clues hidden deep in the building reveal a great king whose vision created this masterpiece. 

 

Geographic Location of Petra

All the episodes of the National Geographic Channel's Megastructures and Ancient Megastructures are available on a DVD megaset from Amazon.com.

 

National Geographic Channel unlocks the secrets of revolutionary structures in the series Ancient Megastructures.

Certain landmarks have captured the imagination and awe of modern day architects and engineers around the world as they work to solve the mystery of how their ancient forebears were able to construct such beautiful, timeless and revolutionary structures with none of the machines and materials available to modern engineers.

From the dreams that inspired them, to the blood and sweat that built them, discover the full story behind six magnificent structures that forever changed the landscape of architecture: Petra, Alhambra, St.Paul s Cathedral, Hagia Sophia, Machu Picchu and Angkor Wat.

Ancient Megastructures - Petra

ANCIENT MEGASTRUCTURES - PETRA - Discovery... by valeriivankov

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