Links to Petra Web Sites

Scroll down for the Petra Photo Exhibit

For more information about the history and archaeology
of PETRA and the NABATAEANS,
follow these links:

General Histories and Descriptions	Archaeological Excavations
A City and a People - Lost and Found (The Ancient History Bulletin)	ez-Zantur (Basel University) [in german]
Focus Online Magazine: Petra	The Great Temple Excavations (Brown University)
Forgotten Wonders: Petra	Interactive Dig: Petra's Great Temple (Archaeology Magazine)
The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan: Petra	(see also: Mystery in Sand and Stone)
The Khazneh at Petra (Palestine Exploration Fund 1911)	International Wadi Farasa Project
Mysterious marvels in Jordan's ancient city of Petra	Medieval Petra (University of Florence)
The Nabataeans: Between Two Great Hellenistic Empires	Monastery on the Mount of Aaron (University of Helsinki)
National Geographic's Petra: Jordan's City in the Rock	Temple of the Winged Lions (American Expedition to Petra)
National Geographic's World Wonders: Petra	Wadi Araba Archaeological Research Project
Petra Map and Tour
Petra (Encyclopedia of the Orient)
Petra (Hidden Trails tours)	Architecture
Petra, Capital of Nabataea (Jordan, On the Footsteps of Archaeologists)	Chrys's Gallery of the Free-Standing Petra Monuments
Petra: Capital of the Nabataeans (Middle East Quarterly)	Nabataean Tombs in Saudi Arabia
Petra in the Old Testament	Photogrammetric Digital Reconstruction in Archaeology The Great Temple at Petra, Jordan
Petra: The Drama of History	SHAPE : SHape, Archaeology, Photogrammetry, Entropy
Secrets of a Desert Metropolis (Discovering Archaeology)


Ancient Texts	Ethnography
ACOR Petra Scroll Update	Archaeologist studies Bedouins
Ancient History Sourcebook: Ancient Accounts of Arabia, 430 BCE - 550 CE	Bedouls of Petra
Fragments of Time...(Mainstream)	The Last of the Bedu, by Michael Asher (Book)
Koenen: Papyri shows historians may be wrong about ancient city	Vivian Ranay's Petra Photos


	Books, Videos, and Other Petra Paraphernalia
Nabataean Language	Archaeology/History:
Arabic Alphabet	Ancient Mysteries Series: The Hidden City of Petra (Video)
Early monumental and cursive Nabataean script chart	Hidden Glory of Petra (Video)
MT Worldtype Arabic	Journey Through Arabia Petraea, to Mount Sinai, and the Excavated City of Petra, the Edom of the Prophecies (Documenta Arabica) by Leon De Laborde (Book)
	The Lost Civilization of Petra by Udi Levy (Book)
	"Paradise Found: Petra's Urban Oasis" by Leigh-Ann Bedal & "Mapping Petra" by Paul Zimmerman in Expedition 42/2 (Magazine)
	Petra by Jane Taylor (Book)
Satellite Imagery	Petra Great Temple, Vol. I by Martha Joukowsky (Book)
Cultural Site Research and Management (CSRM)	Petra: Lost City of the Ancient World by Christian Auge and Jean-Marie Dentzer (Book)
SIR-C/X-SAR Image: Petra Region, Jordan	Petra: A Traveller's Guide by Rosalyn Maqsood (Book)

	Fiction set in Petra:
	Appointment with Death, by A. Christie (Book)
Conservation and Preservation	The Sudden Wings, by T. B. Swann (Book)
Petra, Jordan: Conservation in an Ancient City	Tin Tin, Coke en Stock (Comic Strip)
Petra National Trust
Petra's New Invaders	Filmed in Petra:
US Support for the World Heritage Site: Petra	Arabian Nights 2000 (TV miniseries / Video)
World Heritage Newsletter: Petra	Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade 1989 (Video)
World Monuments: Petra	Mission to Mars 2000 (Video)
	Mortal Kombat 4: Annihilation 1997 (video)
	Passion in the Desert 1997 (video); view trailer

Discussion Group	David Roberts' 19th Century Lithographs:
The Ancient Vine: Nabataea	The Holy Land: Today and Yesterday text by Fabio Bourbon (Book)
	Petra Fine Art and Lithographs (Art)
	"Royal Tombs" Lithograph (Art)

Bibliography	Souvenirs:
Literatur zu den Nabataearn	Olive wood carvings of al-Khazneh, Petra

Even MORE LINKS can be found at The Complete Petra

Favorite images of Petra...
Jebel Haroun
(Aaron's Mountain)
Jebel Haroun from the NE

At 1350 meters above sea level, Jebel Haroun is the highest peak in the Petra area. One can easily pick out Jebel Haroun from miles around topped by a whitewashed mosque that stands out against the rose-red landscape and aqua blue sky.

Wadi Araba', looking southwest from Jebel Haroun

Wadi Sabra, south of Petra, as seen from Jebel Haroun

From the summit, there is a magnificent view of the rugged landscape that forms the eastern border of the Great Rift Valley (Wadi Araba') and across the "Wilderness of Zin" to the Negev desert.

Jebel Haroun is believed by many to be the Biblical Mount Hor, the place where Moses' brother, Aaron, died and was buried during the Exodus out of Egypt (Haroun is the arabic form of Aaron).

At Mount Hor, on the boundary of the land of Edom, the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, "...Take Aaron and his son Eleazer and bring them up on Mount Hor. Strip Aaron of his vestments and put them on his son Eleazer. There Aaron shall be gathered unto the dead." Moses did as the Lord had commanded. They ascended Mount Hor in the sight of the whole community... and Aaron died there on the summit of the mountain. (Numbers 20:23-28)

As a holy place, Jebel Haroun is a common destination for pilgrims of the Jewish, Christian and Muslims faiths.

In 1998, Finnish archaeological team began to excavate in the ruins of a large structure visible on the large plateau just below the summit (right, at center). The Monastery of the Mount of Aaron dates to the Byzantine period (4th-7th centuries CE).

Ruins of St. Aaron's Monastery from the summit

The weli (small mosque) that currently tops Jebel Haroun is dated by an inscription above its door which states that the building was erected by Mohammed, son of Calaon, Sultan of Egypt, at his father's command, in the year 739 of the Islamic calendar (mid-13th century CE), and that it was restored in year 900 (1495 CE). This modern structure rests atop the ruins of an earlier church, probably dated to the Crusader period.

The mosque is cared for by a member of the Bedoul tribe named Mohammed (father of Suleiman Mohammed, one of the workers on the Great Temple and Lower Market excavations). Mohammed guards the site and protects it from vandals. He uses a large old skeleton key (seen above, hanging from the keyhole) to open the wooden door for pilgrims and tourists who want to visit the shrine.
Inside is a sarcophagus honored as the symbolic tomb of Aaron and an underground chamber with a small niche that is believed by some to be the original burial spot.

Hussein Hamed and Fatima Dakhilallah on the ride up to Jebel Haroun

Jebel Haroun is a favorite retreat for archaeologists working in Petra. After a full work day, a group combined of bedouin and archaeologists hike (or ride donkeys) to the top -- a three to four hour trip depending on one's hiking skills or the laziness of one's donkey. We arrive in time to enjoy the view and witness an incredible sunset that is appreciated by man and beast alike.

A camel enjoys the sunset from Jebel Haroun

It is impossible for any visitor to Jebel Haroun not to experience the peace and tranquility of the setting and not to appreciate its sacredness to all those who come to pay homage to Aaron and their God.

Prayer in silhouette

This is a changing photo exhibit.
Return again soon to see new images of Petra,
and don't miss the People of Petra photo gallery.

Return to Petra 'Lower Market' Survey
Camel at Sunset