Amman - A charity concert for Luciano Pavarotti kicked off at the site of the ancient Jordanian city of Petra on Sunday night as a tribute to his music and his humanitarian work, Jordanian state-run media reported.

The concert for the Italian tenor who died from cancer aged 71 in September 2007, was being held under the patronage of Jordan's Princess Haya, a United Nations Messenger of Peace and daughter of the late King Hussein.

Proceeds from the event, that included a memorial ceremony, will fund projects in Afghanistan by the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) and its World Food Programme.

Jordan's Queen Rania, other members of the royal family, UN ambassadors, Jordanian and Italian officials, international artists and the Maestro's friends and family were in attendance.

Participants remembered Pavarotti's role in the world of music and his dedication to humanitarian work, particularly as a UN Messenger of Peace.

"It was Luciano's dream to sing in Petra," Pavarotti's widow Nicoletta Mantovani said. "I am very happy that this dream, thanks to Princess Haya, is now turning into reality," she added.

Some of the greatest names in opera were among the performers in the concert, including Sting, Roberto Alagna, Jose Carreras, Angela Gheorghiu, Andrea Bocelli and Cynthia Lawrence as well as the Italian rock singer Zucchero.

In the decade to his death, Pavarotti actively supported UNHCR projects in Kosovo, Pakistan, Zambia and Iraq, earning the UN body's Nansen Refugee award.

"Pavarotti was not only an extraordinary tenor but also a man who did a lot for those in need, in particular for refugees," said Laura Boldrini, UNHCR spokesperson in Italy.

"We are grateful to Nicoletta Mantovani for keeping her husband's commitment alive," she said.