Stories about lost among the rocks and Sands of ancient nabtesco city agitated the minds of European scientists and travelers since the days of the crusaders. These lands in the middle ages controlled fierce Bedouin tribes, but because of their inaccessibility further fuels the imagination, until finally, almost by accident, Peter was not detected by Swiss Explorer Johann Ludwig Vardhana.

Hoping to find the lost city, he went together with a caravan from Damascus to Cairo. At the end of August 1812 traveler was close to the intended location of Petra. Because Burghard perfectly spoke in Arabic, was dressed as nomad and generally posed as a Muslim Ibrahim Ibn Abdullah, he did not make special work to beg local Arabs to take him to the grave of his brother Moses, the prophet Aaron, buried, according to legend, on top of mountains, allegedly for the sacrifices.

To the surprise of Burghard, the Bedouin took him up on the mountains in the distance seemed completely overwhelming, but when you approach them in one of the rocks suddenly found the narrow passage into a deep gorge. After a 20 minute promotion on the bottom of the winding canyon, the eyes of the astonished man opened the grandiose ruins of a dead city, in which he identified Peter, lost capital Nabatean. From this discovery, he was so excited that he almost gave himself, but it was a done deal and Burghard was the first European in the last 600 years, who saw this miracle.

About nabatiah today little is known. They left a no written evidence. All that we know about them, this is the story of a visiting travelers many hundreds of years ago, or poor data of archeological excavations. By the way, today in Petra investigated in detail only about 15% of the territory, so it is unknown what other discoveries await us in the future. Although it is unlikely that these excavations will shed light on the origin Nabatean.

Some believe their simple nomads settled in this convenient location only because of its advantageous geographical position: from ancient times there have passed major caravan routes that connected Europe, Asia and Africa. Others disagree, pointing out too extensive knowledge raboteau in the field of agriculture and irrigation. Still others call their homeland Assyria, North of the Arabian Peninsula, and even Yemen. Theories lot, but to understand which of them is correct, - it is difficult. One way or another, but it is known that the first ruler nebotazhko Kingdom was Aretha I, who ascended the throne in 169 BC, But the history of the state in the rocks, of course, did not start from this moment. It is known that in 312 B.C. it was already in existence: they speak about this Greek sources. During this year the Greek army, headed by Antigona made an unsuccessful trip to Petra. Most likely, with the accession of the first Governor began the rise of the state, which reached its apogee to 106 ad, when he died last nanotasi Potentate, the king Ravel II. Using this moment, Rome was easy to attach too rich and prosperous Kingdom to his Empire. Peter became part of the Roman province of Arabia.

With the conquest of the city of Rome began his discreet decline that lasted for 300 years. The fact that nabatei were, sort of, customs officers or border guards and they collected tribute from passing caravans. In doing this for centuries, and they amassed their wealth, fame of which did not give rest to many generations of hunters. But then began the rise of another "pearls" Middle East - Palmyra. Caravans went in other ways, and the inhabitants of Petra was only regrets Majesty and power.

Peter managed to work and part of the Byzantine Empire until the two terrible earthquake in 363 and 747 years not finally finished it. During the reign of the Arabs and the Crusades, the city was already dead and only treasure hunt that had to be hidden somewhere here, continued to attract here various adventurers. From that time on the main symbol of Petra - Treasury - left numerous traces from bullets: Bedouins thought that if the fall in the right place on the stone Treasury, they will spill the Golden rain. Alas, he was not shed, but who knows, maybe they were shooting in the wrong direction. It is possible that mysterious natascia treasures lie somewhere in pink ruins, because no one has ever seen that out of the city exported values.