Ancient Petra (1953)

[Music] in ancient times the riches of Arabia and the Far East on its way to Western markets passed through this rocky wilderness dust rose above endless camel caravans winding through the canyons the now still air rang with shouts of tired drivers and tinkling camels bells [Music] in this arid region in a place with extensive freshwater springs became a crossroads there were such springs in and around a certain Hidden Valley the nomadic Raiders who looted the caravans first used the valley to hide their plunder control of the valley was won from them by the Nabataeans another nomadic tribe [Music] by 200 BC it became a crossroads of the ancient trade world the ambitious Nabataeans collected tolls from caravans in return for water protection and facilities for exchange of goods as they grew in numbers and power they developed the valet with it's easily defended Heights into a permanent stronghold and finally into a city called Petra never thien artisans cut steps leading up to religious and strategic high points [Music] crude Rock human caves were utilized by the growing population for shops and storehouses where frankincense Gold myrrh aloes cinnamon and spices were unloaded and re Caravan to points north and west [Music] from these humble beginnings grew Pietra beautiful capital of the Nabataean trade empire the thriving yet remote city [Music] [Music] as Peter expanded its far-ranging traders were exposed to the culture of many lands they saw and admired Egyptian and then Greek architecture and returned to carved imitations of the designs into the colored sandstone at length Petra's wealth and power challenged and tempted the Romans and in the 2nd century AD Petra fell to Roman legions [Music] but the Nabataeans absorbed their conquerors culture their most recent temples are in the Roman style [Music] a single Gorge was the main highway into Pietra channels cut into the steep sides brought fresh water into the city from nearby Springs deep down in this Gorge protected from wind and rain stands the temple of el khazneh a magnificent two-story facades the temples interior is scarcely more than a cave but al qasas exterior remains an astonishing symbol of late Hellenistic design buried in the wilderness of the Middle East [Music] [Music] with the Roman triumph the east-west Caravan route was replaced by a north-south route which bypassed Petrus [Music] it's lifeblood cutoff Pietra gradually withered the industrious life of the Valley City came to an end caravans no longer stopped the great center of a trading empire became a city of the Dead [Music] today flowers cover the level valley floor where Holmes once stood [Music] [Laughter] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] occasionally a lone Bedouin might drive his flocks to one of the valleys Springs [Music] or archaeologists arrived to probe further into patrons crowded history [Music] but the only living things that still take nourishment from Petrus Springs are the flowers mutes and vivid in the silent valley of red sandstone tombs and a dead civilization [Music]