Petra+of+Jordan

1.Where is Petra located? Petra is located deep within the deserts of Jordan, at a crossroads of the ancient Near East.

2.Who were its inhabitants? It's inhabitants were a group of Arabian nomads called the Nabataeans, who led fruitful lives as desert traders.

3.What is/are its characteristics? Petra has a lot of espectacular monuments, chiseled by hands, into sandstone cliffs. It also has large decorated entrances and a main street that fitted with the roman's urban grid.

4.How important were tombs in Petra? What did they mean? The tombs were one of the most elaborated structures in Petra, because they were used to honor those laid to rest inside. Building one single tomb required the work of one or two teams of masons supervised by a master architect that designed it's facade according to the owner's desires.

5.How did this city become an urban center? The Nabateans paved their main road, which enabled them to import locally quarried limestone used for city construction.They also had a treasury, temples and theaters.

6.How was this city organized/planned? Petra grew along the natural contours of the landscape, but when the romans occupated the city, they tried to impose their urban grid, so they built a straight main street along the central market place.

//** PETRA **//

The ancient city of Petra is located deep within the deserts of Jordan, at a crossroads of the ancient Near East. It was inhabited by a group of arabian desert traders called the Nabateans, who carried incense, spice and perfume along the major routes of commerce. They took advantage of the precious water, which enabled the growth of the population and the flourishment of the city.

Petra has a lot of monumental tombs to memorialize their kings and honor their leaders, and they stand out because of the carved entrances that were made by a whole group of masons. Their main idea was to display wealth, so the rich families hired master architects to design their funerary monuments.

This beautiful city became an urban center thanks to the paved road through the Siq, which allowed all the wheeled vehicles to import limestone used in construction of the buildings. After that,Roman planners tried to impose their urban grid on this sprawling settlement, so they created one straight road along the central marketplace.

For all these reasons, Petra is nowadays one of the cities that has captured the attention of many archaeologists who have been discovering new clues and facts about its past.

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2 examples of comparison and contrast 1. From its origins as a tent encampment, Petra had become an urban center by the end of the first century BC. 2. If shaping the natural world is a sign of civilization, the Nabataeans were one of the most civilized peoples of antiquity (What is being compared or contrasted in these examples?)

__ 2 examples of cause and effect __ 1. But over time political control changed, and so did trade routes. Eventually the city fell silent, forgotten by the outside world.

2. Two thousand years ago, Petra stood at a crossroads of the ancient Near East. Camel caravans passed through, loaded with spices, textiles and incense from distant regions—and through such commerce, the city flourished.

__ 2 examples of adjectives in the superlative form, and 2 in the comparative form __ 1. The Nabataeans were one of the most civilized peoples of antiquity. (good) 2. Flanked by colonnaded porticos, this linear street clearly served as an architectural imprint of Rome (incorrect).

__Examples of comparative form__. 1. Based on Hellenistic Greek architecture, towering flat columns called pilasters topped with carved capitals supported the upper stories of rock-cut tombs. (????)