Hello From Ottawa - Doubling Up On Antiquity At The Museum Of Civilization

Today culture was on my mind. After enjoying twowater system was disrupted. With the increase of
interesting exhibits at the Canadian Museum ofocean trade, the decline of land-based trade routes
Contemporary Photography, I made my way acrossthrough this area had already affected the city earlier
the river to the City of Gatineau (formerly Hull) to visitand it seems that Petra was unable to muster the
Canada's most popular museum: the Canadianresources to rebuild itself. In the early 7th century,
Museum of Civilization. This rewowned CanadianMuslim Arabs arrived in Petra from the south. The
institution is known for its unique architecture and istransition to Islamic rule appears to have been relatively
host to the Canadian Postal Museum, the Canadianpeaceful in Southern Jordan. By the seventh century
Children's Museum, an IMAX Theatre (which I wasPetra was finally abandoned and remained virtually lost
going to visit later today) and a variety of specialto the outside world. It was not until 1812 that a Swiss
exhibitions. The Canadian Museum of Civilization hasexplorer, Johann Burckhard, rediscovered the city.
three major galleries: the Grand Hall, which is theToday, less than five percent of the city has been
architectural centerpiece of the museum, Canada Hallunearthed, so this ancient city of stone still has many
as well as the First People's Hall. The 112 x 15 m (365secrets to reveal. The exhibit itself consists of many
ft x 50 ft) glass wall of the Great Hall features acomponents, including artifacts, architectural detailing,
magnificent view of Ottawa's Parliament Buildings andjewellery, vases and other objects. Some of the
hosts the world's largest collection of indoor totemhighlights of the exhibition are a striking gravestone
poles. My goal today was to see a special exhibition: abearing the likeness of a man's head, a recently
traveling exhibition organized by the Cincinnati Artdiscovered column capital with elephant heads, a relief
Museum and the American Museum of Natural Historycarving of a standing eagle and a recently
under the patronage of Her Majesty Queen Raniareassembled sculpted garland frieze from one of the
Al-Abdullah of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan."city's main temples. 19th century paintings, drawings
Petra - Lost City of Stone" is the most completeand prints illustrate the city's rediscovery by Burckhard
portrait ever assembled of the amazing and enigmaticin 1812 and Petra - Crossroad of the Ancient World is
city of Petra. This exhibit tells the story of aan 8 minute film that presents a brief cultural history of
once-thriving metropolis at the crossroads of thethis city. It also illustrates the Nabateans' unique
ancient trade routes. Its inhabitants, the Nabateans,rock-cutting process as well as their water
constructed a magnificent city in a harsh desertmanagement and storage techniques. This historical
environment. Petra only receives about 15 centimetersexhibition is augmented by a photo exhibit: The Bedouin
(6 inches) of rain a year. Ingenously its residents wereof Petra is a collection of 25 colour photographs by
able to control the water supply of the city byaward-winning photojournalist Vivian Ronay. The
capturing and collecting water from flash floods inphotos were taken at various times between 1986
more than 200 underground cisterns which would thenand 2003 and document the life of the Bedoul
be redistributed through the city through a system ofBedouins, and their transition from a pastoral life to a
clay pipes. This stored water was used during periodslifestyle based on tourism. The Bedoul had lived in tents
of extended drought and the city even prosperedand caves among the ruins of the ancient city until the
from the sale of the water. In effect the ancientJordanian government became concerned about the
Nabateans had created an artificial oasis. Originally thecity's preservation. They were then invited to move to
Nabateans were traveling merchants, but theya nearby village where modern housing and facilities
became even more prosperous once they settledwould be provided. The majority of them moved from
down and started serving and taxing other travelingtents and caves to conventional houses, giving up their
merchants. Being located at the intersection of severalold life as herders and farmers to work in the tourism
caravan trade routes, the Nabateans integrated artindustry. A fascinating look at an ancient people who
and architecture from other cultures. Asian elephants,have undergone an enormous change in lifestyle. As if
for example, were a popular symbol for strength,Petra wasn't fascinating enough, I decided to add
many carvings found show artistic elements from inanother encounter with antiquity. I walked over to the
the art and mythology of Ancient Greece. SeveralMuseum's IMAX Theatre to see a special presentation:
centuries later, Byzantine Christian art was widelyGreece - Secrets of the Past. This IMAX Theatre is
adopted. Petra's surrounding natural environment isthe first of its kind in the world and actually combines
visibly stunning and geologically unique. A dark andtwo IMAX technologies. The size of the vertical
narrow gorge called the Siq (the "shaft") cut intoscreen is 10 times the size of a conventional movie
sandstone forms the eastern access to the city. Inscreen and tilts into place to convey a multi-dimensional
some places the Siq is only 3 to 4 metres wide and itsexperience, as close as possible to actually being
end stands the magnificent ruin of the Treasury (Althere. This realistic quality was definitely appreciated
Khazneh), an absolutely stunning decoratedsince one of the movie's opening sequences starts
façade hewn out of the natural stone. In total,with a flight over the Mediterranean and a stunning
Petra had 3000 temples, tombs and dwellings andlook down on some of the Greek islands. In dramatic
during its heyday the population was an estimatedpictures I learned about the formation of the island of
20,000 people. Originally these structures wereSantorini and its volcanic eruption: the most powerful
covered with stucco and brightly painted, which mustexplosion in history. Images of Athens and the
have been a spectular view in this desert environment.Acropolis demonstrated that 2500 years ago Greece
Despite the abundance of temples we actually knowwas indeed the cradle of Western civilization. Art and
relatively little about the religion of the Nabateans. Theyarchitecture flourished while science, philosophy and
apparently had a small number of Gods, with Dusharaliterature reached impressive heights. The camera
being the most important male god, and Al-Uzzafollows in the footsteps a team of archeologists and
representing the most important female deity. Petraintroduced the audience to innovations in this scientific
celebrated its zenith between 200 B.C. and 200 A.D.field. Greece: Secrets of the Past is a MacGillivray
when it was one of the major trading centers linkingFreeman Film produced by Alex G. Spanos in
the Silk Road and the spice routes that connectedassociation with the Canadian Museum of Civilization
China, India and Arabia with buying consumers inand Museum Film Network with major funding
Greece, Rome, Egypt and Syria. In 106 A.D. Petra wasassistance from the National Science Foundation.
annexed by the Roman Emperor Trajan. During theIncidentally Nia Vardalos (from "My Big Fat Greek
Byzantine period the city had its own bishop and laterWedding") narrates the feature. The visual images are
large Christian churches were built. Being located in astunning and it's true: it's almost as good as being
seismically unstable area, Petra had experienced manythere...
earthquakes, but a tremor in 363 AD hit the citySusanne Pacher is the publisher of a web portal for
particularly hard. Half the city was destroyed and theunconventional travel & cross-cultural connections.