Lessons from Petra: Trade and Cultural Exchange

A Culture of Blending, Borrowing, Innovating Location of Petra in southern Jordan, showing its position in the modern world. Map © Sting / Wikimedia Commons, CC‑BY‑SA 3.0. Source How can studying ancient trade cities help students understand the ways cultures influence one another? Modern brands like Coke, Disney, Netflix, and Amazon show that cultural exchange is... Continue Reading →

January 13, 2026 0

Nabataean Legacy: Trade, Power, and Lessons for Today

Trade routes connecting Petra to the wider world.

Introduction What can a city lost to the desert for centuries teach students about trade, culture, and human ingenuity? In 1812, Johann Ludwig Burckhardt, guided by a Bedouin, rediscovered Petra, a city hidden in the canyons of what is now Jordan. He found the ruins of a once-thriving trade center that connected the riches of Arabia... Continue Reading →

January 6, 2026 0