The Treasury - Petra
Petra, Jordan
(May 7, 2010)
The Treasury is one of the most elaborate temples in Petra, a city of the Nabatean Kingdom inhabited by the Arabs in ancient times.
As with most of the other buildings in this ancient town, this structure was carved out of a sandstone rock face.
The Treasury has appeared in many Hollywood films, gaining particular fame after being featured in climactic scenes in the popular 1989 film "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" in which its facade is represented as the entrance to the final resting place of the Holy Grail.
The structure is believed to have been the mausoleum of the Nabatean King Aretas IV in the 1st century AD. It is one of the most popular tourist attractions in both Jordan and the region.
It became to be known as "Al-Khazneh", or The Treasury, in the early 19th century by the area's Bedouins as they had believed it contained treasures.
Many of the building's architectural details have eroded away during the two thousand years since it was carved and sculpted from the cliff. The sculptures are thought to be those of various mythological figures associated with the afterlife.
On top are figures of four eagles that would carry away the souls. The figures on the upper level are dancing Amazons with double-axes. The entrance is flanked by statues of the twins Castor and Pollux who lived partly on Olympus and partly in the underworld.
In 1812, the city of Petra was rediscovered by Swiss explorer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt.
The Treasury - Petra
Petra, Jordan
(May 7, 2010)
The Treasury is one of the most elaborate temples in Petra, a city of the Nabatean Kingdom inhabited by the Arabs in ancient times.
As with most of the other buildings in this ancient town, this structure was carved out of a sandstone rock face.
The Treasury has appeared in many Hollywood films, gaining particular fame after being featured in climactic scenes in the popular 1989 film "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" in which its facade is represented as the entrance to the final resting place of the Holy Grail.
The structure is believed to have been the mausoleum of the Nabatean King Aretas IV in the 1st century AD. It is one of the most popular tourist attractions in both Jordan and the region.
It became to be known as "Al-Khazneh", or The Treasury, in the early 19th century by the area's Bedouins as they had believed it contained treasures.
Many of the building's architectural details have eroded away during the two thousand years since it was carved and sculpted from the cliff. The sculptures are thought to be those of various mythological figures associated with the afterlife.
On top are figures of four eagles that would carry away the souls. The figures on the upper level are dancing Amazons with double-axes. The entrance is flanked by statues of the twins Castor and Pollux who lived partly on Olympus and partly in the underworld.
In 1812, the city of Petra was rediscovered by Swiss explorer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt.