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Experts Reveal the Full Beauty of Petra's 2,000 Year-Old Cave Painting
ArtDaily ^ | Thursday, September 30, 2010 | unattributed

Posted on 09/29/2010 7:28:25 PM PDT by SunkenCiv

Experts from London's Courtauld Institute of Art recently completed the conservation of a rare and exquisite Nabataean wall painting at the World Heritage site of Petra in Jordan, for the Petra National Trust. Conservators Stephen Rickerby and Lisa Shekede from the Courtauld's Conservation of Wall Painting Department worked on the project for three years.

The remarkable painting, that can now be clearly seen for the first time in many years, was unveiled on Wednesday 18 August 2010 in a ceremony marking the conclusion of the fifth and final phase of conservation work...

Dating from around the 1st century AD, the painting is the most important surviving example of Nabataean wall painting and a unique in situ example of figurative painting from the culture of the Nabataeans who were among the most successful merchants of their day... Petra flourished as an economic and religious centre from the 3rd century BC for some 400 years and was at an important crossroads for the silk, spice and other trade routes that linked China, India and Southern Arabia with Egypt, Syria, Greece and Rome.

The paintings, among Petra's most remarkable treasures, are in a cave complex at the canyon of Siq al-Barid in Beidha, known as 'Little Petra', about 5 km away from the main site. They are located within a 'biclinium' which comprises a principal chamber and a recess, where ritual dining is thought to have taken place. The most outstanding painting covers the vault and the walls of the recess. When the Courtauld team started work, it was in a state of severe deterioration, blackened by smoke from fires lit when Petra's caves were inhabited by local communities. It was also damaged by graffiti and attempted thefts of sections of the vault painting had led officials to fence off the cave.

(Excerpt) Read more at artdaily.com ...


TOPICS: History; Science; Travel
KEYWORDS: archaeology; epigraphyandlanguage; godsgravesglyphs; history; nabataean; nabataeans; petra; romanempire
Experts Reveal the Full Beauty of Petras 2,000 Year-Old Cave Painting
Experts Reveal the Full Beauty of Petras 2,000 Year-Old Cave Painting Sheekede (L) restore 2,000-year-old Hellenistic-style wall paintings in a cave complex, nicknamed "Little Petra", at Siq al-Barid in Beidha, about five km (three miles) away from the rock carved city of Petra, southern Jordan. The two British conservators from the Courtauld Institute of Art in London, will complete removing black grime from these masterpieces created by the Nabataeans this week, after three years of restoration work. REUTERS/Ali Jarekji.

1 posted on 09/29/2010 7:28:28 PM PDT by SunkenCiv
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To: Pharmboy; StayAt HomeMother; Ernest_at_the_Beach; 1010RD; 21twelve; 24Karet; 2ndDivisionVet; ...

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2 posted on 09/29/2010 7:30:53 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (Democratic Underground... matters are worse, as their latest fund drive has come up short...)
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To: SunkenCiv

At the First Baptist Church of Dothan, Alabama, our Sunday School teacher was a top surgeon. One day he invited the class to his home to view his slides of the Holy Land when he visited.

He turned out to be an excellent photographer. Of all the places he visited, Petra was by far the most fascinating. It would only be entered by very narrow path in the wall of stone. Every house public building etc. had been carved from sheer rock. An extraordinary place.


3 posted on 09/29/2010 7:36:31 PM PDT by yarddog
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To: SunkenCiv

Spectacular 2,000-year-old Hellenistic-style wall paintings have been revealed at the world heritage site of Petra through the expertise of British conservation specialists. The paintings, in a cave complex, had been obscured by centuries of black soot, smoke and greasy substances, as well as graffiti.


4 posted on 09/29/2010 7:38:32 PM PDT by JoeProBono (A closed mouth gathers no feet - Visualize)
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To: SunkenCiv

Those are stunning, Thank You for posting them!


5 posted on 09/29/2010 8:15:43 PM PDT by wazoo1031
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To: wazoo1031

The one that looks smaller was forced into much smaller width, try saving it or opening it in a new tab. Alas, that’s all the photos I could find there.


6 posted on 09/29/2010 8:22:06 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (Democratic Underground... matters are worse, as their latest fund drive has come up short...)
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To: yarddog

Thanks yarddog! The stuff that was carved into the cliff-face survived the earthquake that knocked down most of the town in the (I think) 6th c AD.


7 posted on 09/29/2010 8:25:57 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (Democratic Underground... matters are worse, as their latest fund drive has come up short...)
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To: yarddog

It’s a beautiful place. One can spend days there. I visited last year. They carved a mini-aqueduct into the rock wall on the main path into town which brought water down from the river they dammed. I particularly enjoyed snooping around the excavated Roman temple (built later) and finding yellowish-beige and maroon paint in several areas.


8 posted on 09/29/2010 8:40:24 PM PDT by Justa
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To: SunkenCiv

They’re beautiful. Those conservators did a great job.


9 posted on 09/30/2010 1:43:40 PM PDT by colorado tanker
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To: colorado tanker

Somewhere on FR there’s a topic with a bunch of very nice interior shots from the “Treasury”; the facade is huge (I’ve not been there, this is based on the photos), and the rooms carved inside are palatial.


10 posted on 09/30/2010 6:11:23 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (Democratic Underground... matters are worse, as their latest fund drive has come up short...)
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To: JoeProBono

Thanks JPB!


11 posted on 09/30/2010 6:17:23 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (Democratic Underground... matters are worse, as their latest fund drive has come up short...)
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