An ancient historical and archeological city in southern Jordan, Petra is famous for its rock-cut architecture and complex water management system. Established as early as 312 BC, its residents’ advanced ability to control flash floods with an array of dams, cisterns and water conduits led to a city that thrived at the center of a trading network connecting Petra with Gaza in the west, with Bosra and Damascus in the north, with Aqaba on the Red Sea, and across to the Persian Gulf. Today, as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, and as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Petra has thrived again as a tourist destination described by Smithsonian Magazine as one of the “28 Places to See Before You Die.”
An ancient historical and archeological city in southern Jordan, Petra is famous for its rock-cut architecture and complex water management system. Established as early as 312 BC, its residents’ advanced ability to control flash floods with an array of dams, cisterns and water conduits led to a city that thrived at the center of a trading network connecting Petra with Gaza in the west, with Bosra and Damascus in the north, with Aqaba on the Red Sea, and across to the Persian Gulf. Today, as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, and as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Petra has thrived again as a tourist destination described by Smithsonian Magazine as one of the “28 Places to See Before You Die.”
Despite its ability to withstand more than two millennia of floods, earthquakes and invasions, Petra is now more under threat than ever before. This beautiful historical city, known as the Rose City for the alluring color of the stone from which it is carved, is now visited by such a large number of tourists that its ancient structures and rock-cut architecture are in danger of being damaged – a threat both to the cultural heritage of the region, and to the tourism and economy of the state of Jordan. Acting against these threats, the Petra National Trust was founded in 1989, and has worked together with international organizations to protect this valuable site. Recently, it was decided that the entire site must be monitored in a way that ensured the protection of the ancient city, while blending in with the natural beauty of the surroundings. Luminus Technology, Jordan, was brought in to investigate how such a system could be established. Under the leadership of managing director, Hamzeh Labadi, Luminus set about looking for surveillance systems that were powerful enough to provide protection across the great site, durable enough to withstand the elements, and discrete enough to blend into the beautiful ancient city of Petra. VIVOTEK, the total IP surveillance provider, was chosen to protect this ancient city.
VIVOTEK’s wide range of multi-purpose and specialist IP cameras, combined with their advanced network video recorders (NVR) and self-developed network video management software, VAST, offered Luminus Technology a way to bring technological advancement back Petra’s natural environment for the first time since the ancient city thrived two millennia ago. 550 VIVOTEK IP network cameras were installed strategically around Petra’s majestic ancient structures and natural valleys.
VIVOTEK’s NVRs and VAST enabled the team monitoring and protecting the city of Petra to seamlessly operate and maintain the fleet of cameras. Like the advanced water management system of ancient Petra, surveillance imagery would now flow harmoniously around the great Rose City, protecting and serving its natural beauty for generations to come. Hamzeh Labadi, managing director of Luminus Technology, said "We are proud to be able to make a considerable contribution to protect the Seven Wonders of the World-Petra through VIVOTEK's advanced IP surveillance solution. From network cameras, network video recorders and PoE solutions to VAST, VIVOTEK provided a total surveillance solution for this massive and difficult project."