This Fine Art America puzzle by Ilan Rosen measures 18 X 24 inches and includes 500 pieces. It is made from premium 0.2 inch thick paper and includes a semi-gloss coating on the top surface.
Petra is undoubtedly one of the most spectacular and unmissable sites in the Middle East. The Treasury is one of the best-known monuments in Petra.
The walk from Petra entrance to the Treasury is 2 km long. Our group hiked to get there and some of us, including me, returned on horseback.
Excerpts from Wikipedia: "Al-Khazneh (The Treasury) is one of the most elaborate temples in Petra, a city of the Nabatean Kingdom inhabited by the Arabs in ancient times. As with most of the other buildings in this ancient town, including the Monastery, this structure was carved out of a sandstone rock face.
The Treasury is believed to have been the mausoleum of the Nabatean King Aretas IV in the 1st century AD. It is one of the most popular tourist attractions in both Jordan and the region. It became known as "Al-Khazneh", or The Treasury, in the early 19th century by the area's Bedouins as they had believed it contained treasures.
Al-Khazneh was originally built as a mausoleum and crypt at the beginning of the 1st century AD during the reign of Aretas IV Philopatris.
Many of the building's architectural details have eroded during the two thousand years since it was carved and sculpted from the cliff. The sculptures are thought to be those of various mythological figures associated with the afterlife. On top are figures of four eagles that would carry away the souls. The figures on the upper level are dancing Amazons with double axes. The entrance is flanked by statues of the twins Castor and Pollux who lived partly on Olympus and partly in the underworld.
In 1812, the city of Petra and Al-Khazneh was rediscovered by Swiss explorer Burckhardt. As Western Europe continued to explore the Middle East, tourism became more common, and by the 1920s, a small hotel had opened near Petra. While Petra was not as popular as larger, more central cities like Cairo, tourism started changing the economy and social structure of the nearby Bedouin people.
Tourism is now a significant source of income in Jordan, comprising around 20% of the GDP. Hotels, souvenir shops, restaurants, and horse rental services are all found within a few-mile radius of Petra itself. While the economic effects have been largely positive, the site faces threats from increased tourism.
Humidity from large crowds of people visiting the site can cause damage to the dry sandstone. White spots have appeared on walls and columns from stearic acid deposition due to hands resting against the walls. The Khazneh surface itself has receded by 40 mm in less than ten years from touching, leaning, or rubbing on the walls.
The Treasury has appeared in many Hollywood films, gaining particular fame after being featured in climactic scenes in the 1989 film Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, in which its facade is represented as the entrance to the final resting place of the Holy Grail. The interior scenes of the temple were filmed at Elstree Studios in England.
The Treasury was spatially documented in 2012 by the non-profit research group Zamani Project, which specializes in 3D digital documentation of tangible cultural heritage. A 3D model can be viewed at zamaniproject.org. The data generated by the Zamani Project create a permanent record that can be used for research, education, restoration, and conservation." (
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