New Seven Wonders of the World:
Petra
312 BC
Ma'an Governorate, Jordan
Welcome to the NEW Seven Wonders of the World Series. New7Wonders of the World was an initiative started in 2000 as a Millennium project to choose Wonders of the World from a selection of 200 existing monuments. It was a popularity poll and the Foundation claimed that more than 100 million votes were cast through the Internet or by telephone. Winners were announced in 2007.
Petra is a historical and archaeological city in the southern Jordanian governorate of Ma'an. Another name for Petra is the Rose City due to the color of the stone out of which it is carved. Declared a World Heritage Site in 1985, Petra was the capital of the Nabataean empire of King Aretas IV, and likely existed in its prime from 9 B.C. to A.D. 40. The civilization proved to be early experts in manipulating water technology, constructing intricate tunnels and water chambers, which helped create an pseudo-oasis. A number of incredible structures carved into stone, a 4,000-seat amphitheater and the El-Deir monastery have helped the site earn its fame.
One of the most elaborate temples in Petra is Al Khazneh or "The Treasury." It was originally built as a mausoleum and crypt at the beginning of the 1st Century AD. Its Arabic name Treasury derives from one legend that bandits or pirates hid their loot in a stone urn high on the second level. Another legend is that it functioned as a treasury of the Egyptian Pharaoh at the time of Moses.
Perhaps even more famously, The Treasury has appeared in many Hollywood movies, gaining particular fame after being featured in climactic scenes in the popular 1989 film Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, in which it is represented as the entrance to the final resting place of the Holy Grail. The El-Deir monastery is featured in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen as the hidden Tomb of the Primes.
Fellenz Woods is a 162-acre parcel of undeveloped land, protected and preserved by the Ozaukee Washington Land Trust (OWLT). PLEASE STAY ON THE TRAILS.
*** Permission to place this cache granted by Shawn Graff, Executive Director of the OWLT.