What do you think?
Rate this book
Petra: The True And Surprising History Of The Lost City Of Stone
This book contains information about a rich historical site in Jordan. This ancient site was crafted using the cliffs of sandstone in the south of the country. The word “Petra” is of Greek origin and means “rock”, which perfectly suits a city carved into the cliffs of Jordan. The Rediscovered City of Just a few hours south of the country’s capital, Amman, the area was officially founded by the Arab tribe of nomads. This occurred centuries before Christ was born. This tribe was well known for their impeccable engineering, agriculture, trading, and of course, stone-carving skills. Much is still unknown about this ancient culture, but we know for sure that they were incredibly talented artists and engineers. At this city, a people called the Nabataeans created tombs, temples, halls and houses, aqueducts, and prestigious altars. They created a civilization that existed right in the midst of the Near East, an ancient area for trading and commerce since the routes for transporting spice and traveling trails all existed within the city of Petra. In its hay day, Petra housed about 20,000 people, called the Nabataeans. These ancient humans were known for coming up with a way to create a waterway system to fuel their city, perhaps the most impressive fact about this is that it was right in the middle of the desert. The lost city was discovered again in the 1800s, and more information as to how the ancient inhabitants lived are still being unearthed. We are now coming to discover exactly how this impressive city appeared thousands of years back. Scroll to the top of the page and click Add To Cart to read more about this extraordinary chapter of history
- GenresHistoryNonfiction
61 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 17, 2016
86 people are currently reading
79 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
October 18, 2019
This book is very informative ..very much precise to the information ..so that you just get the facts quickly instead of searching it in a long story.very much recommended
October 23, 2024
Was recently touring Petra and this provided a good framework towards appreciating the site.
October 15, 2019
Quick Read
Fast read, however was expecting more. More history, more detail, but i guess that shows how much of Pete's is still unknown.
Fast read, however was expecting more. More history, more detail, but i guess that shows how much of Pete's is still unknown.
August 31, 2017
Petra: The True And Suprising History Of the Lost City of Stone — Patrick Auerback (Introduction + 9 chapters + Conclusion) - August 1-10, 2017
This has to be the longest 1 hour and 3 minute book I read. Not that it was long, dry and boring, mind you. But that I could only read this in pieces, on my way work, on the commuter bus, so it took a lot longer!
Actually, this book was a very fascinating and enjoyable read. I did not read it for historical biblical reasons. I read it because it’s archeology, and those non-fiction book always interest me; being short was an added bonus. As I read it, the geniuses of these people astounded me. The whole history of these people is interesting. [Aside: I am not religious or [c]hristian, so take this with a grain of salt, if you are: it seems to me that the old testament bible shuns persons and peoples (yes, I have read the bible in it’s entirety more than once,) that are well advanced of their own race.]
I went online in the course of reading this book, and the images of their creations, including builds and the oasis, are jaw-dropping. It especially fascinates me how archeologist have discovered the way in which Nabataeans stone-carved their buildings. The aqueducts systems that they created out of natural landscape is something rather special too. The details in this book is another aspect that really added to the authenticity of the account.
The religion of these people indicate they borrowed heavily from their surrounding neighbors; had gods and goddess, and worshiped centered around sun and moon occurrences.
I did notice atleast two typos (soon instead of sun; hole instead of whole) and grammatical errors (semicolon instead of colon.)
One of the better non-fiction archeology books I have read. Short, concise, and full of little details.
Four stars.
This has to be the longest 1 hour and 3 minute book I read. Not that it was long, dry and boring, mind you. But that I could only read this in pieces, on my way work, on the commuter bus, so it took a lot longer!
Actually, this book was a very fascinating and enjoyable read. I did not read it for historical biblical reasons. I read it because it’s archeology, and those non-fiction book always interest me; being short was an added bonus. As I read it, the geniuses of these people astounded me. The whole history of these people is interesting. [Aside: I am not religious or [c]hristian, so take this with a grain of salt, if you are: it seems to me that the old testament bible shuns persons and peoples (yes, I have read the bible in it’s entirety more than once,) that are well advanced of their own race.]
I went online in the course of reading this book, and the images of their creations, including builds and the oasis, are jaw-dropping. It especially fascinates me how archeologist have discovered the way in which Nabataeans stone-carved their buildings. The aqueducts systems that they created out of natural landscape is something rather special too. The details in this book is another aspect that really added to the authenticity of the account.
The religion of these people indicate they borrowed heavily from their surrounding neighbors; had gods and goddess, and worshiped centered around sun and moon occurrences.
I did notice atleast two typos (soon instead of sun; hole instead of whole) and grammatical errors (semicolon instead of colon.)
One of the better non-fiction archeology books I have read. Short, concise, and full of little details.
Four stars.
July 19, 2024
Despite the lack of visual aids, the eBook conveys the awe-inspiring nature of Petra, a historical site in southern Jordan where people carved magnificent structures in the sandstone. The word 'Petra' itself, derived from Greek, means 'rock.' The only issue was the absence of photos showcasing Petra's intricate work, as words accompanied by images are often easier to comprehend.
The author's detailed description of the Nabataeans and their remarkable skills in building tombs, temples, houses, aqueducts, and ornate altars is genuinely appreciable. The discussion on life in Petra, particularly the impressive aqueducts in the desert, further adds to the reader's admiration.
The author describes religious life in Petra, including the arrival of Christianity and the move to Islam. The rest of the book discusses various facts and how the site was discovered. I found the book's piecemeal approach to be uninteresting.
The author's detailed description of the Nabataeans and their remarkable skills in building tombs, temples, houses, aqueducts, and ornate altars is genuinely appreciable. The discussion on life in Petra, particularly the impressive aqueducts in the desert, further adds to the reader's admiration.
The author describes religious life in Petra, including the arrival of Christianity and the move to Islam. The rest of the book discusses various facts and how the site was discovered. I found the book's piecemeal approach to be uninteresting.
November 30, 2017
I've always wanted to see and read about Petra. It's a beautiful city, but this but was way too boring. I've read some of Patrick's books before. A couple of them have been really good, but others have been too dry. This was one of them. He chooses really good subjects, but I think he forgets about his audience when he's trying to get all the facts out there. It doesn't have to be so dry!
December 23, 2017
Petra revisited
A very informative and interesting read which brings back vivid memories of our visit to Petra in 2010 .I would recommend this book to anyone planning a visit to this amazing site.
A very informative and interesting read which brings back vivid memories of our visit to Petra in 2010 .I would recommend this book to anyone planning a visit to this amazing site.
January 8, 2019
Fascinating history
This history of Petra is not only interesting but also thought provoking. This is a worthy read for anyone interested in history.
This history of Petra is not only interesting but also thought provoking. This is a worthy read for anyone interested in history.
October 4, 2019
Interesting read i really enjoyed it
December 21, 2021
I never knew about this city. (I guess I didn’t pay attention to Indiana Jones.) Interesting story, but the book would have been a lot better with pictures.
February 13, 2024
A very interesting history of Petra, including its rediscovery. But I'm an ancient history geek, so I really loved this!
December 24, 2016
Interesting....I learned a lot!
July 28, 2016
This was a short book, 67 pages but full of interesting information. I've been fascinated by Petra since I first saw "The treasury" in Indiana Jones. There was a whole city there carved as far back as 3 AD. It thrived for many years as a crossroads. It was rediscovered in the 1200's and not again until 1812.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews