 - 1. Petra, the ancient city carved into rose-red cliffs, is one of the most extraordinary archaeological sites in the world, located in present-day Jordan. Often referred to as the 'Rose City' because of the color of the stone from which it is hewn, Petra was once a thriving trade hub in the Nabataean Kingdom, flourishing from the 4th century BC until the 2nd century AD. The city is renowned for its striking rock-cut architecture and sophisticated water conduit system, showcasing the ingenuity of its creators. Visitors are greeted by the iconic Al-Khazneh, or 'The Treasury', a majestic temple façade that towers over the narrow canyon called the Siq, which serves as the main entrance to the city. Petra's extensive ruins include a complex of tombs, a large amphitheater, and remnants of homes and public buildings, all telling the story of a society that mastered the art of living in a harsh desert environment. This UNESCO World Heritage Site attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists each year, eager to explore its more than 2,000-year-old history, stunning landscapes, and the enduring legacy of the Nabataeans, whose culture blended influences from the Arabian, Greco-Roman, and Eastern civilizations. Today, Petra stands not only as a testament to the ingenuity of human architecture but also as a symbol of the rich and intricate history of the ancient world.
What is Petra originally known as?
A) Raqmu
B) Silk Road
C) The Rock City
D) Wadi Musa
- 2. In which country is Petra located?
A) Saudi Arabia
B) Syria
C) Egypt
D) Jordan
- 3. What famous structure is the most iconic symbol of Petra?
A) Al-Khazneh (The Treasury)
B) The Monastery
C) The Royal Tombs
D) The Great Temple
- 4. When was Petra designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site?
A) 1990
B) 2000
C) 1978
D) 1985
- 5. What does the name 'Petra' mean in Greek?
A) Rock
B) Desert
C) City
D) Fortress
- 6. Which ancient trade route passed through Petra?
A) Incense Route
B) Spice Route
C) Silk Road
D) caravan Route
- 7. Who rediscovered Petra for the western world?
A) David Livingstone
B) Thesiger
C) William Robinson
D) Johann Ludwig Burckhardt
- 8. What type of rock is predominantly found in Petra?
A) Marble
B) Basalt
C) Sandstone
D) Limestone
- 9. What symbolizes Petra's connection to trade?
A) Ships
B) Trains
C) Aeroplanes
D) Caravans
- 10. What type of climate does Petra have?
A) Desert climate
B) Temperate climate
C) Tropical climate
D) Polar climate
- 11. How did the Nabateans primarily gather water in Petra?
A) Rainwater harvesting
B) Aqueducts from the sea
C) River diversion
D) Underground wells
A) A narrow canyon leading to Petra
B) An ancient trade route
C) A local dish
D) A type of stone
- 13. What architectural style is prevalent in Petra?
A) Baroque
B) Renaissance
C) Hellenistic
D) Gothic
- 14. What was Petra's primary function in ancient times?
A) Mining site
B) Trade center
C) Agricultural hub
D) Military base
- 15. What is Petra known for?
A) Industrial factories
B) Modern skyscrapers
C) Ancient rock-cut architecture
D) Lush gardens
- 16. What is the main entrance to Petra called?
A) The Valley
B) The Path
C) The Siq
D) The Gate
- 17. What do the rock formations in Petra offer?
A) Waterfalls
B) Tropical scenery
C) Urban structure
D) Natural beauty
- 18. What is Al-Deir commonly referred to as?
A) The Treasury
B) The Citadel
C) The Monastery
D) The Colonnade
- 19. What natural occurrence poses a threat to Petra?
A) Flash floods
B) Earthquakes
C) Tsunamis
D) Volcanic eruptions
- 20. What is the height of the Monastery in Petra?
A) 45 meters
B) 75 meters
C) 60 meters
D) 30 meters
- 21. Which flora is common in Petra?
A) Tropical trees
B) Various desert plants
C) Coniferous trees
D) Deciduous trees
- 22. What is the primary color of the rock formations in Petra?
A) Black
B) White
C) Gray
D) Red
- 23. What year was Petra rediscovered by the Western world?
A) 1600
B) 1492
C) 1776
D) 1812
- 24. Which of these is a major architectural feature of Petra?
A) Rock-cut facades
B) Steel buildings
C) Wooden structures
D) Concrete ruins
- 25. What event occurs annually in Petra?
A) Midsummer Festival
B) Petra by Night
C) Day of the Dead
D) Winter Wonderland
- 26. In which century did the Nabataeans settle Petra?
A) 4th century BC
B) 2nd century BC
C) 1st century AD
D) 7th century BC
- 27. What is Petra famously known as due to its sandstone color?
A) The Rose City
B) The Red City
C) The White City
D) The Golden City
- 28. When did Nabataea fall to the Romans?
A) 4th century BC
B) 106 AD
C) 1st century AD
D) 363 AD
- 29. What natural disaster contributed to Petra's decline in the 4th century?
A) A flood
B) A volcanic eruption
C) An earthquake
D) A drought
- 30. Which empire annexed and renamed Nabataea as Arabia Petraea?
A) The Byzantine Empire
B) The Persian Empire
C) The Roman Empire
D) The Ottoman Empire
- 31. What is one of the skills the Nabataeans were particularly known for?
A) Stone carving
B) Pottery making
C) Metalworking
D) Weaving
- 32. How many inhabitants did Petra have at its peak in the 1st century AD?
A) 20,000
B) 50,000
C) 10,000
D) 100,000
- 33. What was Petra's role in relation to the Edomites during the Iron Age?
A) An agricultural center
B) A stopping point for merchants
C) A religious site
D) A military stronghold
- 34. What did UNESCO describe Petra as?
A) The oldest city in the world
B) The largest archaeological site in Jordan
C) One of the most precious cultural properties of man's cultural heritage
D) A natural wonder of the world
- 35. What is Petra's status among the New 7 Wonders of the World?
A) It was never considered
B) It is one of them
C) It is not on the list
D) It was disqualified
- 36. What was Petra's estimated population peak during its flourishing period?
A) 10,000 inhabitants
B) 100,000 inhabitants
C) 50,000 inhabitants
D) 20,000 inhabitants
- 37. Which century did the Nabataeans make Petra their capital city?
A) Fourth century BC
B) First century AD
C) Second century BC
D) Third century BC
- 38. What is the Nabataean name for Petra?
A) Rekem
B) Garshu
C) Raqēmō
D) Sela
- 39. Which historian wrote about Rekeme being called Petra by the Greeks?
A) Diodorus Siculus
B) Eusebius
C) Josephus
D) Antigonus
- 40. Which ancient historian's work is associated with identifying Rekem as Petra?
A) Antigonus
B) Diodorus Siculus
C) Eusebius
D) Josephus
- 41. What was the original cultural influence on the Nabataeans before they were identified as a northern Arabian tribe?
A) Aramaic culture
B) Roman culture
C) Greek culture
D) Egyptian culture
- 42. What was found by workmen in 1964 at the entrance to Petra's gorge?
A) Statues of Nabataean gods
B) A map of ancient trade routes
C) Funerary inscriptions in Nabatean script
D) Gold coins from the Roman Empire
- 43. Who was the governor of Roman Syria when the Arabian Peninsula under the rule of Petra was absorbed into the Roman Empire?
A) Aulus Cornelius Palma Frontonianus
B) Sextius Florentinus
C) Septimius Severus
D) Trajan
- 44. Which road was built by Trajan between 111 and 114?
A) Petra Roman Road
B) Nabataean Caravan Path
C) Via Traiana Nova
D) Pax Romana Route
- 45. Which deity was honored with a feast on December 25 in Petra during Epiphanius of Salamis's time?
A) al-Uzza
B) Dushara
C) The virgin Khaabou
D) Allat
- 46. Which Byzantine emperor's reign is associated with the Madaba Map that lacks a section for Petra?
A) Constantine I
B) Theodosius II
C) Justinian I
D) Arcadius
- 47. Which emperor visited Petra and did not lead to a development boom?
A) Elagabalus
B) Hadrian
C) Trajan
D) Septimius Severus
- 48. Which Roman emperor's coins were found in Nabataean tombs?
A) Elagabalus
B) Hadrian
C) Septimius Severus
D) Trajan
- 49. What was the function of Petra's bishopric transferred to before 687?
A) Negev
B) Sinai Peninsula
C) Areopolis
D) Jerash
- 50. Who built fortresses such as Alwaeira Castle in the 12th century?
A) The Crusaders
B) The Mamluks
C) The Byzantines
D) The Bedouins
- 51. Which castle was seized by a band of Turks with the help of local Muslims?
A) El-Habis
B) Alwaeira
C) Qasr al-Bint
D) Al-Wu'ayra
- 52. Who was one of the first Mamluk sultans to visit Petra during the Middle Ages?
A) Saladin
B) Baibars
C) Al-Malik al-Kamil
D) Nur ad-Din
- 53. Who made the first accurate drawings of Petra in 1828?
A) David Roberts
B) Frederic Edwin Church
C) Agnes Conway
D) Léon de Laborde and Louis-Maurice-Adolphe Linant de Bellefonds
- 54. Which publication featured photographs of Petra by Missionary Archibald Forder in 1909?
A) Petra Journal
B) The Holy Land, Syria, Idumea, Arabia, Egypt, and Nubia
C) Traveler's Digest
D) National Geographic
- 55. In which decade were the Bedul Bedouin relocated by the Jordanian government?
A) 1990s
B) 1960s
C) 1970s
D) 1980s
- 56. What event affected Petra in December 2022?
A) Heavy flooding
B) Tsunami
C) Sandstorm
D) Earthquake
- 57. Which mountain is adjacent to Petra?
A) Mount Everest
B) Mount Sinai
C) Jabal Al-Madbah
D) Mount Kilimanjaro
- 58. What geographical feature forms the eastern flank of the Arabah valley near Petra?
A) Plains
B) Rivers
C) Mountains
D) Deserts
- 59. What is the name of the mountain associated with Aaron's Tomb?
A) Jabal Haroun
B) Mount Zion
C) Mount Nebo
D) Mount Sinai
- 60. From which direction do most modern visitors approach Petra today?
A) The east
B) The north
C) The south
D) The west
- 61. What figure is believed to be depicted on the tholos of the Treasury?
A) Athena
B) Isis-Tyche
C) Hera
D) Artemis
- 62. What was the original purpose of the space outside Petra's Monastery?
A) Market area
B) Theatre performances
C) Worship purposes
D) Gladiator fights
- 63. During which period was the area near Petra's Monastery used for Christian worship?
A) Byzantine period
B) Nabataean period
C) Hellenistic period
D) Roman period
- 64. How many people could the theatre in Petra hold?
A) Around 8,500 people
B) 50 meters wide
C) 24 meters wide
D) 45 meters tall
- 65. What was the original purpose of Colonnaded Street in Petra?
A) A residential area
B) A theatre
C) A religious site
D) A market area
- 66. What feature once stood at Colonnaded Street that is now in ruins?
A) A theatre
B) A large swimming pool
C) An island-pavilion
D) A semi-circle nymphaeum
- 67. Where is the High Place of Sacrifice located?
A) Near Petra's theatre
B) Atop Jebel Madbah Mountain
C) Outside the main area of the city
D) In the Nabatean version of Hellenistic architecture
- 68. Which tomb in Petra is speculated to be for the kings?
A) The Urn Tomb
B) The Corinthian Tomb
C) The Palace Tomb
D) The Silk Tomb
- 69. Which tomb was converted into a church in 446 AD?
A) The Palace Tomb
B) The Corinthian Tomb
C) The Silk Tomb
D) The Urn Tomb
- 70. What is the primary male god in Nabataean religion?
A) Musa
B) Aaron
C) Harun
D) Dushara
- 71. What was one of the first actions taken by PETA regarding working animals in Petra?
A) Building a veterinary clinic.
B) Organizing protests at the site.
C) Petitioning for stricter laws.
D) Releasing a video highlighting animal abuse.
- 72. In which year did John William Burgon win Oxford University's Newdigate Prize for his poem 'Petra'?
A) 1977
B) 1845
C) 2014
D) 1958
- 73. Which novel by Agatha Christie features Petra prominently?
A) The Eagle in the Sand
B) Appointment with Death
C) Bartleby
D) Last Act in Palmyra
- 74. Who married Mohammed Abdullah, a Bedouin in Petra?
A) Joan Ward
B) Agatha Christie
C) Marguerite van Geldermalsen
D) Meir Har-Zion
- 75. In which video game does a fictionalized version of Petra appear as a playable arena?
A) Civilization V
B) Overwatch
C) Mortal Kombat Annihilation
D) Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
- 76. Who wrote the lyrics for the ballad 'HaSela haAdom' about a fatal trip to Petra?
A) Joan Ward
B) Haim Hefer
C) Meir Har-Zion
D) John Yarbrough
- 77. In which year did John Yarbrough's play 'Petra' debut at the Manhattan Repertory Theatre?
A) 2015
B) 2004
C) 1979
D) 2014
- 78. Which novel by Blue Balliett features a character named after Petra?
A) Chasing Vermeer
B) Bartleby
C) The Moon Goddess and the Son
D) Appointment with Death
- 79. Which documentary examined Petra using laser scanning technology?
A) Living with Arabs: Nine Years with the Petra Bedouin
B) Jinn
C) Petra: Lost City of Stone
D) Time Scanners
- 80. Which Civilization game first included Petra?
A) Civilization V
B) Mortal Kombat Annihilation
C) Overwatch
D) Civilization VI
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