Petra, capital of the desert

The city of Petra, which was the capital of a very wealthy kingdom, that of the Nabataeans, continues to offer new discoveries. Situated within the confines of three deserts, the Arabian Desert, the Syrian Desert and the Negev Desert, it was absorbed by the Roman Empire at the beginning of the Christian Era. During this period, a series of monuments excavated from local stone was created, giving it a unique personality. It was later abandoned and remained in the hands of the Bedouins, fading into obscurity until its rediscovery in the 19th century. However, as this documentary will demonstrate, Petra is part of a much wider cultural context, thanks to which we are able to understand many of its specific features.