Discoveries: Petra: Lost City of the Ancient World

by Christian Auge, Jean-Marie Dentzer

This rich narrative history surveys the art, culture, and stunning architecture of the ancient city of Petra, whose hidden monuments are carved out of Jordan's rocky cliffs, and whose rare beauty steadily draws tourists to this remote site in the Arabian desert. 125 illustrations, 108 in full color, 5 x 7"

Genres: Nonfiction, Travel

127 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2000

Reviews

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Petra is a really fascinating ancient city. In popular culture, it's probably best known as the setting for the final scenes of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. The site is in Jordan, and was a trading center uniting the Mediterranean and Arabian worlds. It was a vibrant city and a hydrological marvel. Being in an arid environment, the book explains how the Nabataeans were able to store the water necessary to provide for the population and make the desert bloom. The art is eclectic, combining Arabian styles with the Hellenistic. While the book is small, there are an amazing amount of photographs which showcase the grandeur of a unique ancient city.

[Tanya Brodd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice short but fairly scholarly introduction to the World Heritage site Petra. Lots and lots of gorgeous pictures. The book is divided into two parts. The first part is a history of the Nabataeans and Petra itself. The second part is called documents and has some writings by others (including Lawrence of Arabia) about Petra or the people who lived there.

[Sheila · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting history of the Nabateans, with great photos of Petra.

[Chaundra · Rating 3 out of 5]

I

[Space-2 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Petra is such a fascinating subject that it's hard to get it wrong. Lots of drawings and photos made this book very enjoyable.

[keereads · Rating 4 out of 5]

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