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Petra the swan reunited with her pedalo lover Last Updated: 1:13am GMT 29/03/2008 Petra the swan, who fell in love with a swan-shaped boat only to abandon it for a real bird, has returned to her faux friend after being cruelly dumped. Officials at a zoo in Munster, Germany, where Petra has been spending the winter, took her to a nearby lake to be with the white paddleboat. Petra the swan and her plastic pedalo lover In recent months, Petra, a black swan, had struck up a relationship with a real white swan. However, he abandoned her last weekend –...

[A]archaeologists are discovering that ancient Petra was a sprawling city of lush gardens and pleasant fountains, enormous temples and luxurious Roman-style villas. An ingenious water supply system allowed Petrans not just to drink and bathe, but to grow wheat, cultivate fruit, make wine and stroll in the shade of tall trees... And scholars now know that Petra thrived for nearly 1,000 years... Constructed during the first century B.C. and the first century A.D., it included a 600-seat theater, a triple colonnade, an enormous paved courtyard and vaulted rooms underneath. Artifacts found at the site -- from tiny Nabatean coins to...

"Petra: Lost City of Stone" will be displayed from April 4 to Aug. 15. It will be the third American stop following its opening in New York and current stop in Cincinnati. To prepare for the exhibit, Calvin administrators plan to renovate the 2-year-old Prince Conference Center to include a museum-quality heating and cooling system, improved security and viewing spaces with special lighting... Bierling, an archaeologist, teacher and photographer, approached Calvin about sponsoring the multimillion-dollar exhibit that was turned down by other West Michigan venues, including the Van Andel Museum Center.

In the 7th century BC, the Assyrian king Sennacherib constructed an 80-kilometre-long, 20-metre-wide stone-lined canal to bring fresh water to his capital Nineveh. Compared to 20th century standards, one is surprised to learn that the project, which included a 330-metre-long aqueduct, was completed in only one year and three months time.

A city carved in stoneWONDERS OF THE WORLD--THE SEVEN WONDERS OF MAN Petra Location: Southwestern Jordan, between the Red Sea on the south and the Dead Sea on the north. Size: About 40 square miles, but main sights are in a compact area. Population: Petra is no longer officially populated. A separate town has been built for natives who used to occupy the surrounding caves. Geography: Sandstone hills and broad desert plateaus, cleft by valleys. Ancient name for Nabateans: Arabians. By Robert Cross Chicago Tribune staff reporter Originally published January 11, 2004 WADI MUSA, Jordan -- First, one should understand...

Jordan becomes new R&R spot for occupation troops serving in Iraq International troops based in Iraq will have the opportunity to vacation in Jordan during designated rest and recreation (R&R) breaks. The Kingdom could end up replacing Kuwait and Qatar - their current R&R destination -as the holiday destination for soldiers granted leave. According to Mena Report sources, European and US troops will head for Jordanian cities such as Petra once the Baghdad-Amman route opens for traffic. With a price tag estimated at $100 a day per soldier, the guests will be spending either four, seven or fourteen-day breaks...

The writing on the rocks The ancient Nabataeans are chiefly remembered for their breathtaking rock-carved capital of Petra in southern Jordan. Jane Taylor traces their fascinating story, from absurd theory to identification and decipherment of their inscriptions in Sinai In their heyday some 2000 years ago the Nabataeans were known throughout the Middle East and in parts of Europe -- in other words, wherever they travelled to trade. At Alexandria and Rhodes, at Puteoli near Naples and other places along the sea routes to Greece and Italy, Nabataean merchants established trading settlements and built temples in which to worship...

GOTTA SEE THIS - War for Enduring Freedom 11/6/02 - Channel, Baghdad, Kabul, Kandahar, Kfar Saba, Lebanon, Petra, Ramallah, Sana'a, southeastern Afghanistan BREAKING: Southeastern Afghanistan - 82nd Airborne with more successful seizures. BREAKING: Kfar Saba, Israel - Palestinian terrorist explosion BREAKING: Red Cross Immigration Control at Channel Tunnel Kabul, Kandahar Petra, Sana'a ========= Somewhere in southeastern Afghanistan ========= In southeastern Afghanistan, heroes of the 82nd Airborne continue their seizures. This time, more success including small weapons caches, one hundred 107mm rockets, a dozen land mines and rocket propelled grenades, and several thousand rounds of ammunition.. ========= Kabul ========= In Kabul,...