Petra | Caravan City

The Nabataeans growing prosperity came from Petra's location at an important junction on the incense, spice and silk trade routes, which linked China, India and Southern Arabia with Egypt, Syria, Greece and Rome.

As a caravan city, Petra provided a perfect stopping place with a plentiful supply of water and became a vast enrapt for exotic goods from all over the World. It's inhabitants grew wealthy by imposing taxes on goods which passed through the city and in return offered protection from marauding tribes. There is a certain irony in this, as no doubt in their earlier nomadic days; The Nabataeans themselves would have been caravan raiders.

Once settled, the Nabataeans realized that trade needed peace and security, so they adopted a policy of avoiding confrontation wherever possible with neighbors jealous of their wealth. An interesting local product in which the Nabataeans traded was bitumen from the Dead Sea. Used for caulking ships and by the Egyptians for embalming the dead.

petra Caravan City