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Petra: City of Riches (2019)
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Narrator: In the jordanian desert, an incredible ancient treasure still stands: The monumental city of petra. Built over 2,000 years ago by the ancient nabatean civilization, Petra's construction is colossal, with monuments, Tombs, and temples carved into the sides of cliffs. David: The nature of petra as a rock-carved city is really unique. There are no other places with these many tombs, and this kind of architecture. Narrator: To sustain this ancient desert city, Its engineers built a water supply system with channels And pipelines that transformes Filled with lush gardens, a pool, and a thermal spa. Tom: You just didn't have water that was available during seasons, You had water available all year. Narrator: Even today, the achievements of petra's engineers are astounding. They made a region of harsh, arid mountains into a prosperous city of over 20,000 people and an ancient trading capital. Now experts take us behind the scenes to finally see how this ancient culture carved Cliffside monuments that still stand today. Discover how this forbidding landscape became the amazing city of petra. The ancient city of petra stands a 100-mile journey south From jordan's capital, amman. Halfway between the red sea and the dead sea, petra is strategically located In a valley at the end of a narrow canyon. It's an astounding sight, with monuments carved into the rock face on all sides. Built over 2,000 years ago, The ancient people who constructed the city were known as the nabateans. (music) But why did these nomadic merchants build their city in a remote desert canyon? (music) Tom: Petra was the perfect crossroads; it was a nexus of commerce. So, you have north-south trade that involved frankincense And myrrh and then turquoise and peridot and gemstones coming from the south, Then you have the east-west trade coming Through which is now kuwait that would've brought silk And chinese goods in from the east. So, there's no coincidence that petra was the perfect location to build a city, And a city that would boom within hundreds of years to thousands of inhabitants. (music) Narrator: In addition to its location at the nexus of valuable trade routes, Petra also had other advantages. Its steep hillsides provided a natural defense against invaders. The city's builders constructed control towers at its highest points to secure the area. The entry point for the city passed through a narrow gorge formed by erosion, Called the siq. (music) Petra stood at the junction of multiple dry stream valleys, called wadis, Which the nabateans used to direct rain flow and spring water to the city. Tom: You're in a desert, water is scarce, and what you find Is a large basin where water drains from a couple of directions. So the original inhabitants of petra understood that where water converges Is probably the most important thing to look for a desert city. It's not a coincidence, it's not an arbitrary location, It's the perfect location where you have water and then trade, Commerce, a flat valley that would be ideal for a city center. Petra is the best location within one or 200 miles easily If not 1000 miles to build a city. Narrator: The nabateans built their hidden city in just 200 years. The entry point through the siq led to a vast plain that became the city center, Home to 20 to 30,000 people in the first century ad. Nearly 3,000 monuments and buildings decorated The city and its surrounding cliffsides. The 2.3 square mile city became the capital of the nabatean kingdom. These master architects built the lavish khazneh, Or treasury, near the entrance to the city. (music) The structure is decorated with details that show the influence Of greek and egyptian architecture. (music) High columns are topped with ornate corinthian capitals, And the entrance is flanked by statues Of the greek mythological figures castor and pollux. The second level features a tholos, a circular greek structure, Surrounded by sculptures of egyptian and greek deities Worn down by 2,000 years of erosion. At the top a massive urn stands 11 feet high. Inside lies a vast hall opening onto three large rooms. But unlike the exterior, the inside of the structure is plain, With the walls left completely bare. (music) David: The function of the khazneh remains a puzzling question. And it has been speculated that it was a tomb For one of the nabatean kings, Possibly, it was a tomb for the great nabatean king Aretas the 4th. But this is only guesswork, we really don't know who was buried there, And there are no inscriptions at any of the tombs to give us some idea Of who this tomb represents. Narrator: The khazneh was carved out of a sandstone cliff That stands 250 feet high. (music) For workers to carve out this massive structure, Petra's architects had to rethink their usual building methods. A typical bottom-to-top plan would be impossible when carving from a cliff. Narrator: So, they carved the khazneh from top to bottom. But the structure's sides soar nearly 130 feet high. How did the workers get to the top to even start carving? Scaffolding makes sense, but in the desert wood was scarce. (music) Tom: If we look at the pollen record in petra We notice that trees were not much more abundant than they are today. And the trees that did exist in the area are similar to trees we see today Juniper and oak. The climate hasn't changed enough to change the variety of trees. So trees did grow then but they grew sparsely, they were not common at all. So the use of scaffolding would've been A very, very rare luxury for the nabateans to have. Narrator: Without wood to build scaffolding, petra's architects got creative, And their methods are still visible on the mountain today. Narrator: After climbing the first part of the staircase, visitors reach a huge cave: A shelter carved out by workers at the start of construction. Narrator: Even the preparation for the monument was impressive, But it was all to set the stage for the construction to come. Experts say the ancient architects used certain methods To carve the khazneh straight out of the rock. The first step was to carve a ledge in the cliffside. Then, the workers could use the ledge to access the face of the rock And began carving the gigantic urn at the top. (music) Next, they dug two vertical trenches on either side. Then the ledge was carved further and another section of the khazneh Began to take shape. A series of indentations likely served as ladders, So workers could reach the different levels of the structure. They continued this process until they finally reached the bottom. (music) There was no room for mistakes. Once they completed a level, they couldn't reach it again later. The smallest mistake would stay carved into the rock for thousands of years. The remnants of the vertical trenches and enclaves are still visible today, Reminders of this massive undertaking by petra's ancient architects. Experts believe the builders finished the job in less than four years. A mile from here, another one of the city's monuments was also carved Entirely from the rock. It's called ad deir. (music) It's not an easy place to reach Through a narrow path and up over 800 stone steps. The colossal structure towers over the city below. The exterior of ad deir is less ornate And more abstract than the khazneh's figurative decoration, But both structures feature imposing columns supporting two levels Of pediments and a tholos. Ad deir also features a 30-foot-high urn at the top of its tholos. David: During the christian period, it was developed into a monastery, But in the earlier period, its purpose seems to have been originally a tomb. Who was buried there, and when, is a matter speculation again, But it is one of the most magnificent tombs at petra, Along with the khazneh. Narrator: At first, it seems ad deir was built the same way as the khazneh, Since both monuments were carved entirely from the rock. But the cliffs are less steep than the khazneh. The sides of the rock around ad deir slope more gently toward the ground, So workers could use different methods to carve this structure. Getting started was also relatively easier: Workers could climb the slope to the top, Making the carving of the urn a much simpler task. Building the rest of the structure took two stages. The first was to create a giant set of steps across the face of the rock, Eliminating the excess rock so the vertical facade could take shape. Then, workers carved ad deir step by step from top to bottom. The columns and their capitals are simple and abstract, And the pediments are sparely decorated. But the structure's simplicity belies a superior level of mastery. Narrator: Ad deir's smooth columns and refined lines Are the result of incredible skill. Even more impressive, they were all carved out of the mountain in one piece. When a structure is made of stone blocks assembled together, Carvers can choose them individually before beginning their work Not possible here. The sculptors worked up against the rocky wall, digging inch by inch. Every step had to be perfect. Narrator: The lost city of petra is home to over 2,700 Monuments and structures carved from the rock. Millions of years of erosion shaped the landscape before it was sculpted by human tools, Revealing the many layers of sandstone in all their colors. (music) David: The nature of petra as a rock-carved city is really unique. There are not other places with these many tombs, And this kind of architecture. The number of these rock-carved areas is unparalleled Anywhere in the mediterranean world. Petra is unique, exceptional in this regard. (music) Narrator: In addition to the rock-carved monuments, The city also housed many more stone structures Built using traditional construction methods. The sandstone used to build the freestanding structures Came from nearby construction sites. When carving their cliffside monuments, workers shaped and reused the large amounts Of stone removed from the mountains. Many of the more traditional buildings have been destroyed Or buried in the sand after 2,000 years. The number of budings petra once contained remains unknown, But experts say they were more than just the leftover stone extracted From cliffside constructions. The builders also drew from sources outside petra. (music) Archaeological excavations have found 14 stone quarries around the city, Where workers extracted tens of thousands of cubic feet of multicolored sandstone. Southeast of the city at the summit of jebel al-madhbah Lies one of the biggest stone quarries. The extraction of huge stone blocks, Weighing hundreds of pounds would have taken years. The workers' only tools were a pick, a mallet and an iron wedge. Two stone obelisks Each over 20 feet high are all that remain To show the rock's original height. (music) Hani m.K: These columns left behind are sign and witness About the volume of the rock that were extracted From this particular quarry which counts for at least Tens of thousands of cubic meters. Here, workers dug out the floor to extract almost 100 feet of rock. But at the bottom, they discovered sandstone of much higher quality. So they dug further, directly into the bottom of the cliff, Carving out an opening over 25 feet long. Hani m.K: This kind of sand is quite hard, so it is more resistant than the others. It is characterized by its yellowish brown color. So huge amounts of rocks were excavated from this quarry. It is estimated that the quantities of the rock Which is extracted from this quarry alone more than 31.000 meter cube. Narrator: Even after removing the blocks of sandstone from the mountain, The workers still had to move them to the city. How they did that remains a mystery. (music) Narrator: That hasn't stopped archaeologists From offering theories based on local topography. Tom: The quarries are all found above the valley. They are not at the lower portion of the valley. So the quarries where the rock was removed to use for construction in petra Are all found either at the same level or above. So simple roller tools Could've been used to haul the rock down. Narrator: The workers probably used simple wooden rollers to move the stone. Logs would have been placed on top of two larger parallel tree trunks. The stone blocks could then be rolled down the slope to the city. One of the most impressive monuments built using sandstone blocks Mined from the quarries is the great temple. The enormous building stretches to 76,000 square feet. Despite its name, it was probably not used as a temple, But as a central administrative building, Or as the public section of the royal palace. The massive entrance porch leads to a series of rooms And hallways surrounded by columns. Was this a courtroom? Or an assembly area? Its intended purpose has been lost to time. Now, only ruins remain of this once imposing building. But its massive stone blocks raise another archaeological mystery: How did the builders raise these stones 100 feet into the air without scaffolding? Petra's architects left no written record. But the methods used by the romans and other civilizations provide a few theories. Narrator: Another type of lifting device is called a derrick. Made up of a single large wooden beam, It is placed in a hole in the ground to anchor it. On the other end, pulleys are connected to two cords Attached to the ground and a third cord tied around the rock. Using a pendulum-like movement, the ro can be lifted And positioned anywhere in the construction site. Narrator: Using these ancient tools, The builders probably spent years constructing the great temple. Some estimate that all of petra must have taken at least 200 years to build. Narrator: On top of everything else, Ancient nabatean architects faced one more natural obstacle around petra. A 700-mile fault line marks where two tectonic plates meet: The arabian plate and the sinai subplate. The seismic risk is very high along this fault line. Several earthquakes have struck petra through the years, Leading to the destruction of structures not built Into the surrounding cliffsides. Except for one: Qasr al-bint. In bedouin arabic, the name means "the palace of the pharaoh's daughter", But it was also thought to be the city's largest place of worship. Narrator: This temple was no ordinary construction It was built to withstand nature itself. The temple of qasr al-bint is a perfect square, so in an earthquake, Pressure hits evenly across all four sides of the monument, Reducing the overall impact. To further protect their place of worship, the nabatean builders also used Another strategy, traces of which are still visible on the temple walls. These horizontal grooves are actually the remains of ancient wooden beams. When building the temple's load-bearing walls, The architects added cedar beams at various levels. Connecting to each other, the beams served as reinforcement throughout the structure. Since wood is more flexible than stone, The beams could help absorb part of the pressure of an earthquake. Narrator: These unusual techniques allowed qasr al-bint to remain standing For 2,000 years in the heart of the ancient city. Earthquakes weren't the only challenge petra's builders faced. To survive, the desert city also needed to carefully manage its water supply. The average rainfall is about 6 inches a year here. When the rain finally falls between December and March, It can lead to devastating flash floods. The city's architects had to capture any rainfall They could so they could supply the population with water throughout the year, While also protecting themselves from flash flooding. The walls of the siq, the narrow gorge marking the entrance to petra, Hold clues to how the ancient builders controlled the flow of water. Qais: This carving channel came all the way from the entrance of the siq Till the treasury facade, which is about 1 200 meter. Narrator: The siq is marked by channels in the cliffsides, And more sophisticated systems: Clay pipes actually built into the cliffs, Assembled in sections connected by waterproof coating. Their diameter allowed for natural pressure within the pipes. This meant the water could naturally flow toward the city center unobstructed, And even go up gentle slopes. Further north of the city, another site reveals the complexity Of this ancient city's infrastructure. These were once petra's water purification reservoirs. Qais: If you look to the edge of the cliff here, you can see a curving channel, Which is mostly destroyed. The idea of this channel is to collect water from the top of the cliff, And then firstly feed that big basin here, which we can call it as the collection basin And the main use for this basin is to let silt settle down for a while And in this case they can be sure the water is getting somehow filtered, And out of dirt. And after that when they are sure that some of the water is getting filtered and is good, Through a small valve in this wall between the two basins, The water go to this next small basin, And is kept for the next step, which is going again through this dam here And another small valve in the dam, and then through more cisterns, Water channels and pipes to feed the rest of many water cisterns in this area. Narrator: Passing through multiple basins, the water would settle little by little, Losing its impurities. The final reservoir held clean drinking water, Which would then be piped into the city's water system. Years of archaeological excavations have found that petra's water system Was tremendously complex. The city was surrounded by dams and a network of reservoirs For storage and purification, along with long diversion canals, All helping to avoid flooding while also storing The city's precious rainwater supply. The city center contained miles of canals. Water was routed along the cliffsides, passed through the streets in aqueducts, Flowed over walls and fed into the city's many cisterns and reservoirs. Qais: If we connect all the pipes together, we can reach Something like 170 kilometers of pipes in one line. So, this gives us an idea of How much work done to protect the site, and the region. Tom: Once they learn how to engineer that water for storage and built cisterns And storage facilities and reservoirs, Suddenly you just didn't have water That was available during seasons, You had water available all year. Next to the great temple in the city center, The nabateans even built a large, Luxurious bathing complex using hundreds of gallons of water. Narrator: The complex was fronted by a lush garden with numerous trees, Leading to a basin as large as an olympic-size swimming pool. In the middle stood a richly decorated pavilion. Thousands of years later, the site lies in ruins. When archaeologists first began excavating here decades ago, They never expected to find something so lavish. Narrator: But this wasn't the only luxurious use of water in this 2,000-year-old desert cit. Further away, at the top of jebel khubthah, Was an even more sophisticated spot: A gigantic thermal spa. (music) Its entrance was through a wide courtyard, Which opened onto a banquet room on one side and a frigidarium on the other. The frigidarium held a pool of cold water, the first stop for spa visitors. The next room was the tepidarium, a warm-water pool. It helped visitors aust to the following hot rooms, Equipped with group basins large enough for two or three people. The discovery of this thermal spa was a surprise to archaeologists. It was unusual to find such a complex site on the plains overhanging the city center. Narrator: In the section containing the hot baths, Excavations uncovered a complex heating system inspired By the romans called a hypocaust. A hearth in a ventilated service room served as the main heat source. Small openings connected it to the floors of the spa rooms, Funneling hot air and smoke underneath the hot bath In an underground chamber constructed from stacked bricks, Allowing heat to freely circulate. The walls also held a network of clay water pipes, Which were connected to outlets on the roof of the building. Other excavations revealed the ruins of nearby buildings, Part of a complex that covered the entire plateau. Narrator: The baths of jebel khubthah drew inspiration From greco-roman thermal culture. But this small sanctuary indicates that thermal practice here May not have been simply for leisure, But was likely connected to ritual. In this complex towering over the city, The wealthiest of petra's inhabitants relaxed in Luxurious style, while taking in the view of their capital. (music) The nabateans overcame nature's obstacles, From the unforgiving desert and sheer cliffsides to tectonic instability. In only 200 years, in an inhospitable landscape, This ancient civilization built a luxurious and extraordinary city. Narrator: In 106 ad, the roman empire annexed the nabatean kingdom. Over time, the city's structures were modified, transformed, Or even destroyed by roman engineers. The city was slowly abandoned and its location lost to history. It would only be rediscovered in the early 19th century by a swiss explorer. Ever since then, petra has captivated its visitors. Tom: It's easy for us to think that people in our past Were not as clever and knowledgeable as we are now But when we look at the engineering expertise of the nabateans then, I really think we're looking at a society, a community of amazing engineering skills. They knew how to use the rock to their advantage for storage, for decoration, They knew how to use a landscape covered with a beautiful soil That would've been ideal for agriculture, And they knew that water was the key and the source to their livelihood. David: We don't have any parallel for the nabateans And their architecture elsewhere, so it is fairly unique. Their engineering skill, their artistic skill, Their architectural skill, All of these are very impressive. Narrator: Two thousand years later, mysteries still remain at petra. Archaeologists, historians and geologists continue To study the city's incredible structures. (music) Petra endures as an unparalleled monument To the architectural mastery of its ancient builders. (music) Captioned by subtitlepro llc |
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