Al-Khazneh [1] ( Arabic. الخزنة Chaznat al-Firʿaun - “the treasury of the pharaoh ” [1] ) - Nabataean temple of the Hellenistic era in Petra on the territory of modern Jordan . It is one of the monuments of UNESCO and the " New Seven Wonders of the World " [2] .
| temple | |
| Al Khazneh | |
|---|---|
| Arab. الخزنة | |
| A country | Jordan |
| Location | |
| Type of building | rock temple |
| Architectural style | Hellenistic |
| Founder | Aretha IV Filopatris |
| Height | 40 m |
| Material | sandstone |
Toponym
According to the first legend, the Egyptian pharaoh pursuing Moses created this temple with magic and hid his treasures in the highest urn (Khaznet Far'oun). On it today you can see the traces of the Bedouin shots, which at the beginning of the 20th century tried to get the legendary treasures. In fact, the urn is carved entirely from sandstone [3] .
According to another local legend, the robbers attacking the caravans hid the loot on the second floor in a stone urn.
Description
According to one version, the temple was built by the Nabataean king Areth IV Philopatris as his own tomb [3] [4] . Over time, the original purpose of the building was forgotten.
It is a monumental building carved entirely from sandy rock in the 1st century. The facade of the building is 40 meters high and 25 meters wide. Above the portico of six columns of the Corinthian order rises a small tolos - the dome vault. There is no burial in the building, although there may have been a sarcophagus in the right chamber
Many sculptures on the facade have been lost over time [2] . Two figures of an eagle on the roof of the building, according to legend, carried away the soul of the deceased. On the second floor are dancing Amazons with two-sided axes. The entrance is guarded by the statues of the mythological twins Kastor and Pollux , who, according to legend, lived simultaneously on Olympus and in the underworld.
In 2003, Professor Suleiman Farajat discovered 3-4 tombs above ground level (4-6 meters below the present level) with human remains. Due to funding problems, excavations are temporarily suspended [5] .
Tourism
In 1812, the Swiss traveler Johann Ludwig Burkhardt rediscovered the place for the world. European tourism was gaining momentum, and by the 1920s the first hotel opened next to Petra. Tourism significantly influenced the infrastructure and economic development of the region, the lifestyle of the Bedouins, since in addition to the main historical attraction, there were no other attractive places for travelers [6] . It is the most popular attraction in the area. Often confused with another Nabataean temple of Ad-Deir .
In ancient drawings of travelers, a stream is visible next to the temple. In the 1960s, the water flow was directed along the ancient channel, and the site in front of the temple was leveled for the convenience of tourists [5] .
As a result of tourist activity, sights deteriorate from touching - white stains of stearic acid appeared on the columns and walls, and the wall thickness over 40 years wore off by 40 mm [7] .
Al-Khazneh Temple is widely known in the world thanks to the film by Stephen Spielberg “ Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade ”, where the facade of the building appeared; interiors were filmed at a studio in the UK.
Gallery
Color lithography by David Roberts , 1849
A colorized photograph taken between 1900 and 1940
Temple View from El Sik Gorge
The modern look of Al Khazneh
Tholos
Central sculpture
Round windows above the entrance to the side room
See also
- Madain Salih
Notes
- ↑ 1 2 L.A. Golofast. Petra . The Big Russian Encyclopedia is an electronic version . bigenc.ru. Date accessed August 11, 2019.
- ↑ 1 2 Petra, Jordan . atlastours.net. Date of appeal October 13, 2017.
- ↑ 1 2 Petra: History, Myth, and Earthquakes // Stanford University. - 2004. - P. 2-3. Archived December 28, 2004.
- ↑ Business Optimization Consultants BOC Jordan - Touristic Sites - South of Amman . www.kinghussein.gov.jo. Date of appeal October 13, 2017.
- ↑ 1 2 Petra: The Treasury Mystery . nabataea.net. Date of appeal October 13, 2017.
- ↑ Shoup, John. The Impact of Tourism on the Bedouin of Petra (Eng.) // Middle East Journal. - 1985. - No. 39 . - P. 277-291.
- ↑ Mairna Hussein Mustafa, Sultan N. Abu Tayeh. The Impacts of Tourism Development on the Archaeological Site of Petra and Local Communities in Surrounding Villages // English Social Science. - 2011. - Vol. 7 , iss. 8 . - P. 88 . - ISSN 1911-2025 .