Prolegomena to the preservation of the Site of al-Wu’ayra (Petra) and to the Restoration of the North-East Tower

The authors describe the importance of the site of al-Wu’ayra, at the east border of the ancient town of Petra (Jordan) where the Archaeological Mission “Medieval Petra” (University of Florence) is working since 1986. From the archaeological point of view, the physical conformation of the site is the main condition for the formation, during nearly two thousand years, of a highly significant archaeological deposit with a continuous chronological extension from Nabataean time up to Late Islamic and a high scientific potential. On the other hand, the site itself preserves the only still standing 12th century tower of the whole area of Petra, thus being a very significant element of the historical landscape and the only monumental evidence of a short but important season of the long history of the town. During the last three decades, the addition of human disturbance to the spontaneous and natural decay of buildings makes urgent a restoration and a protection programme for the whole site.