Culture

Ancient Rose City of Petra: Madonna Visits the Jordan Site

by Amy Judd | September 4, 2009 at 10:14 am

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Madonna paid a visit yesterday to the Ancient Rose City of Petra in Jordan, and spent 15 minutes looking around the site with security and an armed bodyguard, but otherwise alone.

Photos of Madonna at the Ancient Rose City of Petra

The Queen of Pop was flown by helicopter into the ancient Roman-era city carved out in red stone in a trip arranged by Queen Rania, the wife of Jordan’s King Abdullah II.

Petra is an archaeological site in Jordan and is essentially a basin between Arabah and the larger valley from the Dead Sea to the Gulf of Aqaba. It has been named as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It dates back to around 100 before commen era.

Johaan Ludwig Burckhardt found the site in 1812 and got its name from John William Burgon, who wrote in a sonnet 'a rose-red city half as old as time'. In 1985 it was designated a World Heritage Site and has been described as 'one of the most precious cultural properties of man's cultural heritage'.

Archaeological evidence suggests that the building of this area began during the eighteenth dynasty in Egypt, which lasted from 1550-1292 BC and included the reign of Tutankhamun, and even though a city didn't always exist here, settlements have and some are even mentioned in the book of Exodus in the Bible.

It was under the Roman rule that Petra declined and in 363 an earthquake destroyed many buildings and the water system.

Due to the desecration of the buildings, in the Middle Ages and beyond many thieves stole treasures from the tombs that have since been lost forever.

The site is now featured in many films, such as Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.

There are a few ways to visit Petra today, Madonna flew in on a helicopter, but the most popular way seems to be on a camel but it is also possible to walk through the ancient site.