Petra
Find Out More About Petra
A Nomadic Beginning Creating an Oasis in the Desert Controlling Trade Routes A City Carved in Cliffs The Roman Empire Takes Charge Christianity Comes to Petra Timeline

In A.D. 330, over 200 years after Rome took control of Petra, a radical event took place in the Roman Empire. The first Christian emperor, Constantine I, moved the main capital from Rome to the city of Byzantium. Rulers of this new Byzantine Empire wanted to spread Christianity.

Over the next century, the people of Petra slowly abandoned their pagan gods for this new religion. The city's main cathedral, the Petra Church, was a dazzling symbol of this new era. Even a few once-sacred tombs, like the Urn Tomb, were turned into churches.

The city's power as a trade center had been falling. Trade routes were shifting north or toward the sea. In A.D. 363, Petra suffered another blow when a massive earthquake destroyed many of the city's buildings and its water-supply system.

This natural disaster marked a turning point for the Nabataeans . By A.D. 700, only a few people lived in and around Petra. Over time, the city was lost to the outside world.

More than 500 years would pass before the ancient city was rediscovered by Western explorers.
 

A stone block inscribed with a cross was found at the Petra Church. Today, Bedouins inhabit the area of Petra.
Rome moved it's capital eastward to Byzantium in A.D. 330 to allow for more control over the eastern provinces. (click to see map)