PETRA: THE MASTERPIECE! Land of The Prophets (Part 4 of 5).

Land of The Prophets (Ardh al-Anbia)

(Part 4 of 5)

Petra: The Masterpiece!

Amazing Rock-Carving

By Thamudian Nomads

In 2019 Million-Plus Tourists Visited

The UNESCO World Wonder

(M. Javed Naseem)

The historic “rose city” of Petra (in Arabic: ‘al-Batra’) is a symbolic identity of Jordan, and it is located in Wadi Musa (The Valley of Moses). It is referred to as ‘stone’ because of its amazing rock-cut dwellings and mountain-carved houses. It was originally known to its inhabitants as Raqmu. This city is a historical and archaeological wonder of the world. Petra lies on the slope of Madbah Mountain (Jabal al-Madbah) in the south of Jordan, in Arabah valley that runs from the Dead Sea to the Gulf of Aqaba. It’s about 300km from the capital Amman city.

Petra is believed to have been settled as early as 9,000 BC, and it was possibly established in the 4th century BC as the capital city of the Nabataean Kingdom. The Nabataeans were the nomadic tribes of Arab people who traveled between Hijaz/Arabia and Syria via Egypt, Jordan and Palestine. The Nabataeans worked marvelously hard and established trade routes in the rough terrains and deserts. Through the trading business, the Nabataeans earned a lot and became wealthy and prosperous. They established Petra as their capital and the business hub.

According to Wikipedia, the earliest historical reference to Petra was an unsuccessful attack on the city ordered by Antigonus-I, in 312 BC, and recorded by various Greek historians. The Nabataeans were, unlike their enemies, accustomed to living in the barren deserts, and were able to repel attacks by taking advantage of the area's mountainous terrain. They were particularly skillful in harvesting rainwater, agriculture and stone carving. Petra flourished in the 1st century AD, when its famous Khazaneh (Treasury) structure – believed to be the mausoleum of Nabataean king Aretas-IV – was built, and its population peaked at an estimated 20,000 inhabitants.  

Although the Nabataean kingdom became a client state of the Roman Empire in the first century BC, it was only in 106 AD that it lost its independence. Petra fell to the Romans, who annexed Nabataea and renamed it as Arabia Petraea. Petra's importance declined as sea trade routes emerged, and after an earthquake in 363, destroyed many structures. In the Byzantine era several Christian churches were built, but the city continued to decline, and by the early Islamic era it was abandoned except for a handful of nomads. It remained unknown to the world until it was rediscovered in 1812 by Johann Ludwig Burckhardt.

The city is accessed through a 1.2-kilometre-long (0.75 mi) gorge called the Siq, which leads directly to the Khazneh (Treasury). Famous for its rock-cut architecture and water conduit system, Petra is also called the Rose City due to the color of the stone out of which it is carved. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985. UNESCO has described it as "one of the most precious cultural properties of man's cultural heritage". In 2007, Al-Khazneh was voted as one of the New7-Wonders of the World. Petra is a symbol of Jordan, as well as Jordan's most-visited tourist attraction. Tourist numbers peaked in November 2019, when the figure exceeded one-million mark.

(Courtesy: Wikipedia.com)

Chronological Order of Major Prophets

The Middle East hosted most of the major Prophets of Allah. There were also many other Prophets who passed before or in between those mentioned in the list below. The Quran mentions about 25 of the Prophets but Allah made it clear in the Quran that there were many others about whom we don’t know anything. The tradition says there were a total of 124,000 Prophets/Messengers of God that passed in the universe since its inception. Only Allah knows best, man can only guess.

Major Prophets: Noah, Hud, Saleh, Ibrahim, Loot (Lot), Yaqoub (Jacob), Shoayb (Jethro), Joseph (Yousuf), Musa (Moses), Isa (Jesus) and Muhammad. May Allah bless the souls of all of them!

Prophets Noah, Hud and Saleh passed in succession. The people/nation of Prophet Hud were called ‘Aad’. Actually they were the people who survived the great floods of Noah.

After the great floods during the period of Prophet Nouh (Noah), survivors fled the affected areas and settled on the higher land or mountains. The nations of Prophets Hud and Saleh, were, as a matter of fact, the same people of different generations, settled on the mountains in the region between Hijaz (today’s Saudi Arabia) and greater Palestine (now Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine and Israel) area. In the Quran, they are referred to as the nation of Thamud. Historians call them “Thamudians”. They traveled from the southern lands of Arabia, via Egypt, to the north in Syria. The main area of activities for the Prophets of Allah was generally (but not limited to) the Dead Sea, Palestine, the Jordan Valley and Syria.

The Quran Says:

“To the Aad people, (We sent) Hud, one of

their (own) brethren. He said: O my people!

Worship Allah! You have no other god but

Him; will you not fear (Allah)?"

(al-Quran 7:65)

Before the Aad people were destroyed for their corrupt, sinful way of life and rebellion to Allah, the pious/righteous people, along with their Prophets, were saved. They migrated to safer places. Allah says in the Quran:

“We saved him and those who adhered to him.

by Our mercy; and We cut off the roots of those

who rejected Our signs and did not believe.”

(al-Quran 7:72)

After the Aad people of Prophet Hud were destroyed, the survivors flourished, multiplied and spread over mountain areas. They were called Thamud people. They became the nation of Prophet Saleh. The Quran says:

“To the Thamud people (We sent) Salih, one of

their own brethren. He said: "O my people! Worship

Allah! You have no other god but Him….”

(al-Quran 7:73)

Prophet Saleh pleaded with his people and we learn from those pleas that they were very skilful people who built castles and palaces in the plains, and also carved out homes in the mountains. In the Quran, we see these verses:

"And remember how He made you inheritors

after the Aad people and gave you habitations

in the land. You build for yourselves palaces and

castles in (open) plains, and carve out homes in

the mountains; so bring to remembrance the

benefits (you have received) from Allah, and

refrain from evil and mischief on the earth."

(al-Quran 7:74)

But like their ancestors Aad, the people of Thamud also adopted corrupt and evil ways of life, disobeying Allah. Therefore, they were punished and their towns were destroyed, sparing those who were righteous. The Quran tells us:

“Then they hamstrung the she-camel, and insolently

defied the order of their Lord, saying: "O Salih! Bring

about your threats, if you are a messenger (of Allah)!"

So the earthquake took them unaware, and they lay

prostrate in their homes in the morning!”

(al-Quran 7:77-78)

Prophet Loot or Lut (Lot) was also sent to the same region, southern Jordan, to the people of Sodom, Gomorrah and neighboring towns.

In the Bible, we also find the references to the people of Aad and Thamud, who lived in the houses carved in the mountains and rocks.

The Bible Says:

“The terror you inspire and the pride of your heart have deceived you, you who live in the clefts of the rocks, who occupy the heights of hill. Though you build your nest as high as the eagle’s, from there I will bring you down,” declares the Lord. “Edom will become an object of horror; all who pass by, will be appalled and will scoff because of all its wounds. As Sodom and Gomorrah were overthrown, along with their neighboring towns,” says the Lord, “so no one will live there, no people will dwell in it.” – (Jeremiah 49:16-18)

“He will also invade the Beautiful Land. Many countries will fall, but Edom, Moab and the leaders of Ammon will be delivered from his hand.” – (Daniel 11:41)

“The man’s name was Elimelek, his wife’s name was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Kilion. They wwere Ephrathites from Bethlehem, Judah. And they went to Moab and lived there.” – (Ruth 1:2)

Mada’in Saleh (Saudi Arabia)

Petra is known by many names. It has a long history and has seen many rules including Roman and Byzantine. Its ancient name was Hegra (or al-Hijr) meaning the Stone-land or the Rocky Place. Saudi Arabia claims that the real home of Nabataean people (or the Thamudians), the nation of Prophet Saleh, was the “Mada’in Saleh” – an archaeological site 20km north of the town al-Ula, which is 400km north-west of Madinah (Hijaz), the town of Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.). This site is about 500km south-east of Petra (Jordan).

Al-Hijr is a small village. It belongs to Wadi al-Gura and is located inside the Ithlib mountains. It was the homeland of the Thamudians. The mountains and their carvings are very similar to Petra site. There are also signs of Lihyanite and Roman occupation, apart from Nabataean rule.
With the immense influx of Western tourists, the Pyramids of Egypt and Petra of Jordan are making endless money from tourism. Saudi Arabia wants to exploit the opportunity too and has started promoting Mada’in Saleh as a tourist attraction.

In 2008, UNESCO declared Mada’in Saleh a site of patrimony, thus becoming Saudi Arabia’s first World Heritage Site. It was chosen for its well-preserved Thamudian remains, especially the 131 rock-cut monumental tombs, with their elaborately ornamented façades, of the Nabataean Kingdom.

**************