Petra declined rapidly under Roman rule, in large part from the revision of sea-based trade routes. In 363, an earthquake destroyed many buildings and crippled the vital water management system. The old city of Petra was the capital of the Byzantine province of Palaestina III and many churches from the Byzantine period were excavated in and around Petra. In one of them, the Byzantine Church, 140 papyri were discovered, which contained mainly contracts dated from 530s to 590s, establishing that the city was still flourishing in the 6th century. The Byzantine Church is a prime example of monumental architecture in Byzantine Petra.
The 363 Galilee earthquake
The earthquake of 363 was a pair of severe earthquakes that shook the Galilee and nearby regions on May 18 and 19. Its maximum perceived intensity was estimated to be VII (Very strong) on the Medvedev–Sponheuer–Karnik scale. The earthquakes occurred on the portion of the Dead Sea Transform (DST) fault system between the Dead Sea and the Gulf of Aqaba.
For its impact, Sepphoris, north-northwest of Nazareth, was severely damaged. Nabratein and the Nabratein synagogue (northeast of Safed) were destroyed. The earthquake may have been responsible for the failure of the plan of the Emperor Julian to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem.
Petra, in what is now Jordan, was fatally damaged.
The Byzantine Church (3D Model)
The Byzantine Church at Petra (also known as The Petra Church) is a prime example of monumental architecture in Byzantine Petra. It sits on elevated ground in the city centre, north of the so-called Colonnaded Street. It is one of three Byzantine churches on the hillside, the other two being the Ridge Church (or Red Church) and the Blue Chapel, the 5th-6th century chapel north of the main church, so-called because it was fashioned with blue Egyptian granite.
Archaeologists have concluded that the Church was originally built in the second half of the fifth century CE. It continued to be used as a religious structure until about the early seventh century CE, when it was destroyed by fire.
In the sixth century, the atrium of the church was built to connect the cathedral portion of the church to the baptismal complex, joining them into one building. After the fire, materials from the Church were reused, including the glass tesserae (small cubes that make up mosaics) from the mosaics.
The Byzantine Church is notable for its lavish and well-preserved mosaic decoration.
The Byzantine Church is the find spot of 140 papyri that have provided scholars with valuable information about life in both Byzantine Petra and in its rural surroundings. These are referred to by scholars as the Petra papyri.
The church was excavated by the American Center of Oriental Research (ACOR) between 1992 and 2002.
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Mosaics are one of the most well-known features of the Church, found on some portions of its walls. The floors of the nave are decorated with opus sectile floors, while the two smaller side aisles are decorated with colorful figurative mosaics.
The mosaics in the aisles depict the seasons, animals, people, pottery, and plants. The mosaic’s style is very similar to that of the Gaza school, and also shares similarities with Hellenistic and Roman iconography.
Conservation work has been done to preserve the mosaics. Conservators list the following as challenges they encountered throughout restoration: the detachment between mosaic layers, swelling, deterioration of the preparatory layers, the efflorescence of soluble salts to the surface, and the poor condition of tesserae due to fracturing, exfoliating, and erosion.
The last reference to Byzantine Petra comes from the Spiritual Meadow of John Moschus, written in the first decades of the 7th century. He gives an anecdote about its bishop, Athenogenes. It ceased to be a metropolitan bishopric sometime before 687, when that function had been transferred to Areopolis. Petra is not mentioned in the narratives of the Muslim conquest of the Levant, nor does it appear in any early Islamic records.
Crusaders and Mamluks: The Story Afterwards
In the 12th century, the Crusaders built fortresses such as the Alwaeira Castle, but were forced to abandon Petra after a while. As a result, the location of Petra was lost for the Western world until the 19th century.
Two further Crusader-period castles are known in and around Petra: the first is al-Wu’ayra, situated just north of Wadi Musa. It can be viewed from the road to Little Petra. It is the castle of Valle Moise which was seized by a band of Turks with the help of local Muslims and only recovered by the Crusaders after they began to destroy the olive trees of Wadi Musa. The potential loss of livelihood led the locals to negotiate surrender. The second is on the summit of el-Habis, in the heart of Petra, and can be accessed from the West side of the Qasr al-Bint.
The ruins of Petra were an object of curiosity during the Middle Ages and were visited by Baibars, one of the first Mamluk sultans of Egypt, towards the end of the 13th century.
Zamani Project: the Digital Documentation of Petra
The project is part of the African Cultural Heritage Sites and Landscapes Database. Zamani is a research group at the University of Cape Town, which acquires, models, presents and manages spatial and other data from cultural heritage sites. The present focus of the Zamani project is Africa, with the principal objective of developing “The African Cultural Heritage Sites and Landscapes Database”. Zamani comes from the Swahili phrase “Hapo zamani za kale” which means “Once upon a time”, and can be used to mean ‘the past’. The word is derived from Arabic root for temporal vocabulary, ‘Zaman,’ and appears in several languages around the world.
A list of Sites Which Have been Documented in Petra:
- Petra: Siq
- Petra: Treasury (Al-Khazneh)
- Petra: Monastery (Ad Deir)
- Petra: Urn Tomb
- Petra: Tomb of the Roman Soldier
- Petra: Palace Tomb
- Petra: Corinthian Tomb
- Petra: Silk Tomb
- Petra: Theater
- Petra: Qasr al-Bint
- Petra: Great Temple
- Petra: Facade Tombs
- Petra: Temple of the Winged Lions
- Petra: Turkmeniyeh Tomb
- Petra: Soldier Tomb (Wadi Farasa)
- Petra: Garden Tomb (Wadi Farasa)
- Petra: Renaissance Tomb (Wadi Farasa)
- Petra: Triclinium (Wadi Farasa)
- Petra: Djinn Blocks (before Siq entrance)
- Petra: Obelisk Tomb (before Siq entrance)
- Petra: landscape of Wadi Musa and the landscape of Wadi Farasa