Petra "Atlantis in the sands"

Through the al-siq a wonder - click to enlarge
www.wikipedia.org photo
See the Treasury Building inside

  Back in 1812 a Swiss explorer, Johann Ludwig Burckhardt was in present day Jordan; he slipped through an al-siq (a narrow opening) and saw the wonder of Petra.  Hidden from view the city date from 312BC (that's a long time ago).  The City of Petra was inhabited by the Nabataeans, a nomadic tribe that all of a sudden settled in one spot.
  How?  They were the first recorded "speculators".  They made most of their money with Frankincense, gold, and spices.  They alone could manipulate the price because they controlled more of those goods than anyone else.  Just like "oil speculators" of today they controlled the price of goods in high demand.
  The City had streets, gardens and tombs (a cemetery).  They had little regard for the dead but did keep track of the bodies.
  Traders. High rollers. Successful and rich.
  Is there a lesson here?  In Petra, on the the "New wonders of the world", protected by the United Nations, and scientists for the US, England, Jordan and others are actively working the site.  Interesting in deed.
  Read in www.wikipedia.org or ABC News using the search boxes for "Petra".

And I thought Petra was just a girls name in Dutch!

The Monastery - click to enlarge

The Umm (tombs) - click
 

All photos from www.wikipedia.org