Petra - Burckhardt's Epic Journey to Rediscover the Lost City - Documentary

Rediscovering the Lost City of Petra - Burckhardt's Epic Journey

Johann Ludwig Burckhardt (1784-1817) was a fearless explorer who rediscovered two of the Ancient world’s most awe inspiring sights - the lost city of Petra in modern day Jordan and the colossal statues of Rameses II at Abu Simbel in Egypt.

He was completely dedicated to seeking out the hidden corners of forbidden lands and willing to put his life on the line to do so - a real life Indiana Jones.

Disguised as a travelling merchant, he was the first European to set foot in the Ancient Nabatean city of Petra in 1812 but could only spend a short time there, otherwise he risked being put to death as a spy.

Find out what made a young man from a wealthy Swiss family devote his life to venturing into unknown countries that were so famously hostile to outsiders.

Copyright Disclaimer
The primary purpose of this video is educational. I have tried to use material in the public domain or with Creative Commons Non-attribution licences wherever possible. Where attribution is required, I have listed this below. I believe that any copyright material used falls under the remit of Fair Use, but if any content owners would like to dispute this, I will not hesitate to immediately remove that content. It is not my intention to infringe on content ownership in any way. If you happen to find your art or images in the video, please let me know and I will be glad to credit you.

References

Burckhardt, Johann Ludwig (1822) Travels in Syria and the Holy Land. London, J. Murray.

Burckhardt, Johann Ludwig (1822) Travels in Nubia. London: Association for Promoting the Discovery of the Interior Parts of Africa.

Burckhardt, Johann Ludwig (1829) Travels in Arabia; comprehending an account of those territories in Hedjaz which the Mohammedans regard as sacred. London: Henry Colburn

Sim, Katharine (2000). Desert Traveller: The Life of Jean Louis Burckhardt. Phoenix Press.

Cavendish, Richard (2012). "The Discovery of Petra". History Today. Volume 62 Issue 8.

Images
Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons
Wellcome Foundation
Internet Archive
Library of Congress
Other images and video samples Fair Use

Music

Desert Caravan Aaron Kenny. YouTube Audio Library
Arabian Nightfall Doug Maxwell. YouTube Audio Library
Anunnaki Return Jesse Gallagher. YouTube Audio Library
Arabian Epic Music - Copy Right Free Music -YouTube Attribution
Ever Mindful by Kevin MacLeod CC 3.0
Lob froh den Herren: Hans Georg Nägeli Herbstcyklus des Glockenspiels des historischen Rathauses Höxter. Psychogerd CC4.0 Via Wikimedia Commons
Saint Saens: Carnival of the Animals Tortues Pianos: Neil and Nancy O'Doan, Seattle Youth Symphony, conducted by Vilem Sokol. CC2.0 Via Wikimedia commons
John Field: Nocturne in B flat major. Constantin Stephan, piano. CC4.0 Via Wikimedia Commons

Video produced by Graeme Yorston and Martin Gale

[gijsv]

I visited Petra, while it was not yet a tourist trap. I climbed a mountain, and was invited by a woman to drink tea. The site is not that big, you can cover it in one day. Petra was on bucketlist since I was a child inspired by the comic of Herve, Tin-Tin.

[WendiintoancientHistory]

It is my utmost dream to visit and see Petra. Ive read SO much about it and studied it over the years. Ive never been outside of the U.S, and it is expensive to go, holy cow. But one can dream ❤

[JohnIsles-irsj]

Super again Greame. Most interesting and very well presented

[norazamudinazam]

Dear Prof, Thank you 😊 so much for the excellent explanation, I am so eager to learn more this historical knowledge.

[CSchaeken]

Great video and so well researched and illustrated, as always! Thanks Dr Yorston 👍👍

[jkbab-bi]

I was looking for a travelling-video about Petra and ended up in psychology...very interesting thought at the end of the video.

[markholland]

Thought provoking and excellently done video. Thank you very much

[prototropo]

I have a gorgeous, 19th-cent volume of Burckhardt's notes, and also have a guilty attraction to the travels & writings of all the European and American Arabists--T. E. Lawrence, Leonard Wooley, Gertrude Bell, etc. It was wonderful seeing in this video the sights Burckhardt visited. My only visit to Jordan happened to coincide with Eid celebrations, so travel to Petra was not possible. But I saw the amazing Temple of Hercules overlooking Amman, itself an amazing city.
Today I so grieve the loss of countless opportunities to establish a concorde, a relationship between EuroAmerican polities and the Arab-speaking world. The tensions should never be facetiously chalked up to religion; it's so much less--and more--than Christianity, Islam or Judaism, with all the wrong people in charge of, and fouling, the dialog ever since Burckhardt's days.

[OffRampTourist]

Recently discovered your channel. Another fascinating video.

[PeriwinklePotter]

❤Fascinating, I want to go to Petra one day👑

[shellyirby]

He seemed unafraid to do this dangerous and extraordinary journey. Reminds me a bit of my daughter, who has high functioning autism. She really wants to go to Mars, and also is cery interested in different people.

[skatedd]

Documentaries by David Drew footsteps great documentaries

[EclecticDD]

I would like very much to visit Petra. I never researched it, so I did not know that it was a "lost" city.

[claudiaradusch]

I‘d love you to cover the artist known as Tiny Tim, if you should be interested at all.
Thank you for your posts. I always enjoy every new episode

[margiesoapyhairbillian]

I was actually thinking as i watched this if he had autism. ( high functioning) Very interesting and also sad that he died so young, but he got to live his life how he wanted to live it.

[jamesleonard]

The clip of the folks from prehistory near the end reminds me of the discussions about how flint napping could have been developed by such brain diversity. I especially like the blade found in the UK with a fossilized shell right in its center. Most modern mappers seem to not be neuro ly diverse, quite jovial it seems. But I’d love to see what a modern napper on the spectrum could accomplish 🌊🌊🏄‍♀️🏄‍♂️

[cats]

Great videos music a bit loud in parts.

[catrinelwright]

He may have been an INTJ; loners, disciplined, very good at planning ahead and at seeing the bigger picture, very quick to learn in most situations.

[PetraStaal]

"I 've been to paradise but I have never been to me."😢😄

[AdrienneReneau-kysc]

A SWISS PERSON INTERESTED IN THE MIDDLE EAST IS STRANGE he seemed to want Solitude High Functioning Autism great photography great photos of Middle East great view of PETRA after 9 11 I AM AN INFIDEL