PETRA		Quality of Remains
		Ease of Access
		Atmosphere & Setting

History & Occupation:

As capital of the Nabatean kingdom, the bulk of Petra's history is pre-Roman, though at times the city and kingdom were allied to the Empire. The Nabatean King sent cavalry in 70 AD to support Titus' attack on Jerusalem. However, in 106 AD, the Emperor Trajan laid claim and annexed the Nabatean Kingdom, including its capital, Petra. The take-over and creation of the province of Arabia seems to have been a peaceful affair, rather than conquest, with coins being minted in the Nabatean lands to celebrate the 'aquisition' of the Kingdom. Indeed, Petra continued to prosper for some time, maintaining a fairly seperate persona. By 114 AD a major new road was constructed from Bostra in the north to Aqaba in the south, which ran through Petra. The city may have served as Rome's provincial capital for some time until the honour was passed to Bostra and was visited by Hadrian in 130 AD, who renamed the city Petra Hadriana. Despite a loss of prestige when Palmyra became the favoured city of the east in the later period, Petra continued to flourish as a trade and economic centre. As the economy of the region declined in the 3rd century, however, Petra began to lose its power and slid into its own decline. The Emperor Diocletian attempted to halt the region's decline and in 330 AD, the city fell under the rule of Constantinople. The Emperor Constantine rebuilt the city and churches were constructed. After this the decline continued and the city was abandoned by the time of Arabic rule and became a small community of poor arabs.

Remains and Visit:

Petra's great and famous remains date from the pre-Roman Nabatean period, and these are the closest to the site's main entrance. Given enough time and inclination, it's possible to see more than the theatre (the only major Roman site on most tours) but a stay in the area of several days would be required to visit all the Roman sites here, for they're numerous and impressive. Petra is one of the most astounding sites on earth when you take in the Nabatean city as well as its Roman extras.

Images:

Roman paving in the Siq	The theatre	Colonnaded street	Great temple & Propylaia	Nymphaeum
Columns	Byzantine church	Mosaics in Byzantine church	Aerial view (c/o Google Earth)