ISLAM’S HIDDEN HISTORY: THE PETRA THEORY | THE SACRED CITY

Cinemavixion Review

This documentary, 'Islam’s Hidden History: The Petra Theory,' delves into a provocative and controversial hypothesis presented by historian Dan Gibson. The film posits that the ancient Nabataean capital of Petra, rather than Mecca, may have been the original sacred city of Islam. Employing a multidisciplinary approach, the documentary scrutinizes archaeological findings, ancient cartography, and the directional alignments of early mosques. It highlights perceived discrepancies, such as the scarcity of early Islamic archaeological evidence in Mecca and the Qibla (prayer direction) of early mosques pointing towards Petra. The narrative suggests that these elements, combined with modern technological analysis, could potentially overturn centuries of established Islamic tradition and historical understanding. 'The Sacred City' aims to present Gibson's meticulously researched evidence, drawn from Islamic and ancient historical texts, to uncover what it suggests is one of the most significant historical misidentifications of the past millennium, and to explain the potential origins of this widespread misunderstanding.