Petra
Petra
About this place
On a panel in situ : "It is the most perfect facade in Petra. It is situated at the end of the the Siq, with a height of 39.50m. The lower level is decorated with six Corinthian capitals that are spanned by a frieze of griffins and vases among scrolls. A vegetation goddess is carved in the central tempanon. The upper order consists of a central kiosk decorated with the relief of Isis and flanked by dancing Amazons and Victories. The kiosk is crowned by a capital supporting a funerary urn that was supposed to conceal Pharaoh's treasures according to local tradition. Although the original function is still a mystery, the Khazna is believed by many archaeologists to be the mausoleum of King Aretas IV (9 BCE - 40). Recently, three Nabataeans tombs were uncovered below the Khazna. They belong to the end of the first century BCE".
Brief description
Source : http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/326
Inhabited since prehistoric times, this Nabataean caravan-city, situated between the Red Sea and the Dead Sea, was an important crossroads between Arabia, Egypt and Syria-Phoenicia. Petra is half-built, half-carved into the rock, and is surrounded by mountains riddled with passages and gorges. It is one of the world's most famous archaeological sites, where ancient Eastern traditions blend with Hellenistic architecture.