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how old is petra

Petra is not a person with a single fixed age, but an ancient city in modern- day Jordan that began developing many thousands of years ago, with major growth from around the 4th–1st centuries BC.

Quick Scoop: How “Old” Is Petra?

If by “how old is Petra” you mean the famous archaeological city in Jordan:

  • Human settlement in the Petra region dates back to roughly 7000 BC, based on Neolithic archaeological finds.
  • As a major Nabataean city (the Petra most people think of), it rose to prominence from about the 4th century BC and prospered especially from the 1st century BC.
  • Petra served as the capital of the Nabataean kingdom and a key hub on ancient incense and spice trade routes.
  • It was later incorporated into the Roman Empire and declined after a major earthquake in 363 AD and shifts in trade routes.

So, depending on what you count as the “start,” Petra’s history stretches back roughly 9,000 years for early settlement and about 2,300–2,400 years as the celebrated rock‑cut city associated with the Nabataeans.

A Quick Timeline (Mini-Sections)

  1. Early settlements (c. 7000 BC onward)
    • Neolithic communities lived in and around the Petra area, practicing early agriculture and settled life.
  1. Edomite and Iron Age period (c. 1200–600 BC)
    • The region was inhabited by the Edomites and sat on important trade routes, benefiting from its mountainous, easily defensible terrain and water catchment.
  1. Nabataean capital (from 4th century BC)
    • Nabataeans established Petra as their capital, enriching it through incense, myrrh, spice, and silk trade, and building monumental rock‑cut tombs and sophisticated water systems.
  1. Roman and later periods (from 106 AD)
    • Rome annexed Petra in 106 AD; the city remained important until earthquakes and changing trade routes led to decline and eventual abandonment.
  1. Modern “rediscovery” (1812)
    • Swiss traveler Johann Ludwig Burckhardt brought Petra to the attention of the wider Western world in 1812.

Forum / Trending Angle

On forums and Q&A sites, “how old is Petra” is often answered in two main ways:

  • “Petra is about 2,000+ years old” – referring to its peak as a Nabataean city in the last centuries BC and early AD.
  • “Petra’s history goes back about 9,000 years” – referring to the earliest known Neolithic settlement evidence in the surrounding region.

Both are technically correct; they just start the clock at different historical milestones.

In many recent travel blogs and history explainers (especially over the last few years as Petra remains a popular travel bucket‑list site), writers emphasize that it is “half as old as time” and highlight both its Neolithic roots and Nabataean grandeur to underline how deep its history runs.

If you meant a specific person named Petra (like a YouTuber, athlete, or forum user), I’d need more details (full name, what they’re known for) to look up their age accurately, since “Petra” is a common first name and not uniquely identifiable. Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.