Ancient Petra and the Nabataeans with Infiniti

Описание: The grandeur of this finely carved structure and its defiance of time over two millennia strikes a worthy site as the #Khazneh appears from between the narrow Siq... By far the most recognised monument it is widely known as the #Treasury’ that has seen Hollywood’s Dr. Indiana Jones looking for riches, in reality it is the mausoleum of Nabataean King Aretas IV.

Its 6 am on banks of the #deadsea and the floating sensation is very real. This is the second instalment of #QXploration and on this journey we’re celebrating 30 years of @infiniti by heading into the desolate lands of the Arabah Valley then up the scenic mountain road to #Petra.
The #infiniti #qx80 Limited is my vehicle of choice, coming into its own with the all-wheel-drive 5.6 litre 400 bhp V8 and a smoother than ever 7-speed automatic gear box that can handle the tough terrain with ease. As Petra comes closer one is transported into antiquity.

Ancient #raqmu, known to the world by the Greek name Petra was built by the Nabataean Arab traders around 4th Century BC. The city came into tremendous wealthy as its inhabitants took control over the trade routes along the Red Sea coast and all the way into the Hejaz trading frankincense and spices with civilisations of the ancient world. In its heyday with a population of 20,000 inhabitants it rivalled the grandest of Roman cities with water canals that turned one of the most barren landscapes into fertile lands.

This magnificent city may have all been lost forever if it wasn’t for the Swiss orientalist Johann Ludwig Burckhardt disguised as Bedouin who rediscovered Petra back in 1812. Today it survives in part of its former glory as a @UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the New 7 Wonders of the World.

00:00 The Dead Sea
01:08 The Cars
01:23 Wādī ʻAraba
02:20 Ancient Raqmu
02:40 The Rock-Cut Facade Tombs
03:01 The Ancient Theater
03:14 The Treasury (Al-Khazneh)
03:49 The Water Canals
04:56 In The Tomb
05:29 The Royal Tombs