Treasury at Petra (100 BCE)

Architect: Unknown

Location: Petra, Wadi Mousa, Jordan

Style: Classical Roman/Hellenistic

Material: Sandstone

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“Petra is the stuff of true archeological fantasy. Its location in Jordan remained a mystery to Europeans until its discovery by Swiss explorer Johann Burckhardt in 1812. The Nabeteans, or “monument carvers,” are not famous for anything else apart from Petra. They built their city to be an important stop on a trade route that linked China and Rome. Petra covers 3.8 square miles (10 sq km) and boasts a 3,000-seat amphitheater as well as temples and a monastery. The origins of the so-called Treasury are shrouded in mystery. It is known to be one of the later buildings constructed at Petra. The Greco-Roman facade shows the influence of first-century Roman architecture, in contrast to earlier monuments at Petra, which do not have Classical antecedents. The Treasury was probably carved from the top, working downward. It has two levels. Corinthian columns divide the top level, which has a central circular tholos topped with a figure — possibly the goddess El-Uzza. The lower level is a pedimented portico with six columns and two sculptures believed to be the Roman deities Castor and Pollux. The facade has a Classical look, but is a completely original rendering of a Classical facade. The inner chamber is a huge space with three smaller antechambers. At the back of the main chamber is an ablution basin. The grandeur of the facade, the empty space, and the presence of the basin suggest that the building actually may have been a temple.” (WB)

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“Much me such marvel save in Eastern clime / A rose-red city half as old as time. . .”

John William Burgon, “Petra”

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