11 days left, take time to make history [Archives:2007/1062/Last Page]

Petra is the only Arab wonder competing to win the title as one of the new seven wonders in the world. On the seventh day of the seventh month of the seventh year of this millennium, which means 11 days from today, history will be made again and only seven wonders will be chosen among the 20 candidates as the new wonders. This project was created in order to revive the wonders concept especially that only one of the old seven wonders made it through until today. This is the Pyramids in Egypt.

For Arabs and Yemenis it is especially important that an Arab candidate is selected among the new wonders. Not only will it be a source of pride, but it would defiantly boost tourism. Also, Petra deserves to win because it is truly an ancient wonder displaying magnificent sculptures on the mountains.

Last Friday, the Jordanian Society Club held a carnival to promote Petra in Sana'a and encourage locals to vote for Petra. The activity included a lecture by the executive director of the heritage protection foundation professor Mohammad Al-Noad, and professor Mohammad Ba Salama of the monuments department at Sana'a University.

Dr. Mohammad Noman, secretary general of the Jordanian Society Club explained that this activity has been organized to encourage Yemenis and Arabs to vote for Petra, especially that it is very likely that the city wins among the new seven wonders considering the high rank it has achieved so far.

“Petra is the cultural ambassador of the Arab countries to the rest of the world. It was originally created by the Napatin tribes who originated from Yemen,” he said.

Ahmed Jaradat, Jordanian ambassador to Yemen, gave a speech on the importance of this event and the participation of Yemenis to make Petra a world wonder.

In his opening statement he said: “Yemenis take pride in this city because it was originally created by them. Now their voting for it will strengthen the ties between the two countries even further.”



How to vote online

1- Go to www.new7wonders.com

2- Enter the site and click on vote online link at the top left

3- Register your details and select seven from the 20 candidates, make sure Petra is one of them

4- Submit your vote

5- Go to your email and activate the link to confirm your vote



Petra

Petra is the treasure of ancient world, hidden behind an almost impenetrable barrier of rugged mountains, boasting incomparable scenes that make it the most majestic and imposing ancient site still-standing nowadays.. It has been said “perhaps there is nothing in the world that resembles it”, actually, for sure, there is nothing in the world that resembles it. The rock-carved rose-red city of Petra is full of mysterious charm, it was “designed to strike wonder into all who entered it”.

Petra is considered the most famous and gorgeous site in Jordan located about 262 km south of Amman and 133 km north of Aqaba. It is the legacy of the Nabataeans, an industrious Arab people who settled in southern Jordan more than 2000 years ago. Admired then for its refined culture, massive architecture and ingenious complex of dams and water channels, Petra is now a UNESCO world heritage site that enchants visitors from all corners of the globe.

The approach through a kilometer long, cool, and gloom chasm (or Siq) a long narrow gorge whose steeply rising sides all but obliterate the sun, provides a dramatic contrast with the magic to come. Suddenly the gorge opens into a natural square dominated by Petra's most famous monument, The Treasury (El-Khazneh), whose intricately carved facade glows in the dazzling sun.

More facades beckon the visitor on until the ancient city gradually unfolds, one monument leading to the next for kilometer after kilometer. The sheer size of the city and the quality of beautifully carved facades is staggering and leads one to reflect on the creativity and industry of the Nabataeans who made Petra their capital.

Petra is always breathtaking, and never to be forgotten. It flourished for over 400 years around the time of Rome and Christ (pbuh), until it was occupied by the Roman legions of the Emperor Trajan in 106 AD.

The Petra basin boasts over 800 individual monuments, including buildings, tombs, baths, funerary halls, temples, arched gateways, and colonnaded streets, that were mostly carved from the kaleidoscopic sandstone by the technical and artistic genius of its inhabitants.

Petra sights are at their best in early morning and late afternoon, when the sun warms the multicolored stones, you can view the majesty of Petra as it was seen first when discovered in 1812 after being lost by the 16th century for almost 300 years!
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