Byzantine church
Description:
Petra is an impressive Nabataean ancient city in West Jordan. All its magnificent massive facades carved out of red sandstone and surrounding harsh landscape dotted with historical monuments are a real paradise for travelers. Petra was and is a great religious city. There are many tombs, temples, sanctuaries and altars.
One of these pearls is the Byzantine Church. It was built on Roman ruins around 450 AD. The church was a three-nave basilica with a total area of about 400 square meters. All the passages of the temple are paved with amazingly preserved mosaics depicting local and mythical animals. The cross-shaped font was surrounded by four columns, possibly supporting the dome. Around 600 AD, the church suffered a major fire and was abandoned until it was finally destroyed by earthquakes.
Excavations began in 1992 and 152 papyrus scrolls were discovered. The Byzantine Church is a unique historical monument of ancient civilization and is of great interest to tourists.