Beyond the Treasury the valley opens up to reveal the centre of the city. This area is called the “Street of Facades” because of the many tombs to important people of Assyrian style to be found on the right hand side. To the left are tombs for ordinary people that are smaller and have less decoration.
Then comes the amphitheatre carved into the mountain by the Nabataeans. This theatre could hold 7,000 to 10,000 people and faced east to catch the morning sunlight. Since an altar was found at its centre it is believed to have been used for great religious celebrations. It was expanded by the Emperor, Trajan when the Romans seized the area and although the theatre resembles other Roman examples it is still thought to be Nabataean in origin since the Romans built with blocks of stone whereas the Nabataeans carved from the rock.
No comments:
Post a Comment