Petra

An ancient Armenian legend of the oral tradition tells that thousands years ago a heavy star rain fell down from the sky. One by one the stars, bright and beautiful, began to touch the ground. The night grew dark and quiet, and the stars of heaven turned into small star-shaped stones to rest at the bottom of little lake of crystalline water. In reality the stone stars that look so hand made, are fossils of marine animals, Crinoids, also known as sea lily. The scientific name of those is Pentacrinus Blumenbach, 1804. This species found in the Upper Jurassic limestones are about 190-240 million years old. Yet the magic spell remains intact. Fruit of time and history these small star-shaped stones tell of a land full of charm and mystery, proud and religion where the traditions and legends resonate in music and art, in nature and people.