Great Petra in color photographs of the first half of the 20th century

Petra is a place where the sands of time carved their history on the pink-red rocks, turning them into a mysterious wonder. The capital of Idumea and the Nabatean kingdom, later an important city of the Roman Empire. In 1985, Petra was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, and in 2007 it was chosen as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.

These color autochrome images, taken by the Photographic Department of the American Colony (Jerusalem), show the fabled and ancient city of stone. Established in 1898, the photography department was based in the former home of Pasha Rabbah al-Husseini in East Jerusalem.

These color photographs of Petra and its surroundings were taken between 1907 and 1940 and were sold to tourists.

What makes Petra truly remarkable is its architecture, where nature and human craftsmanship combine in harmony. The city is known for its rock-hewn houses, crypts and temples made of stone blocks, which are a testament to the engineering skills of the Nabateans.

The name "Petra" itself comes from the Greek word for "rock" and is an apt description of the city, which is mostly carved into the pink-red rocks of the region. These rocks give it a surreal and almost otherworldly character, making Petra one of the most unique archaeological wonders of the world. The bright hues of the rocks, from dark red to pink, are especially mesmerizing during the soft light of sunrise or sunset.

As tourists pass through the cool one-and-a-half-kilometer-long Sik Canyon, they turn around and see the El-Hazme Temple, which translates from Arabic as "treasury" - a majestic building with a facade carved out of a huge rock. This is one of the best-preserved buildings of the first century. The building is crowned by a huge stone urn in which gold and precious stones were allegedly stored, hence the name.

The city of Petra, once the capital of Idumea and later the vibrant heart of the Nabatean kingdom, is a testament to human ingenuity, history and the boundless beauty of the natural world. Its enduring appeal as a place where past and present meet beckons to all who seek to explore the mysteries of the pink-red city.

Source: rarehistoricalphotos.com