The first modern European to see Petra was Johannes L. Burckhardt, a Swiss geographer and scholar who traveled in 1812 disguised as Ibrahim bin Abdallah, a Muslim pilgrim. His drawings and descriptions of Petra brought it to the attention of the west. The publishing of paintings during the eighteen hundreds caused a stir in the western world and a renewed interest in the ancient city. However, even today, many westerners know little of the ancient Nabataeans and their kingdom. Few are acquainted with the concept that the Nabataeans traded goods from China to Italy, and built their city in a hidden desert canyon.
Today the hidden city of Petra is again gaining attention, this time as a tourist center. Each year thousands of tourists make the long trip through the crack in the canyon wall to stand in awe before the Nabataean Treasury, and then to move on through the ancient city streets lined with tombs, temples and warehouses.
While there is some record of the northern Nabataean transition from the worship of pagan deities to embracing Christianity, the transition of the city of Petra and places south is not clear. Even more puzzling has been the role that Petra played during the transition from being ruled by the Ghassinids, a client tribe of the Byzantines, to be ruled by Muslims. This subject is dealt with in the section: The Founding of Islam.
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