Jordan is the country where the ancient rock-cut city of Petra is located.
Petra lies in southern Jordan, in a basin surrounded by mountains and reached through a narrow sandstone gorge called the Siq. The Nabataeans, an Arab people who controlled important trade routes, developed Petra into a major city and political centre. Its most recognizable monument is the Treasury, carved into a sandstone cliff.
Petra’s buildings, tombs, temples, and water systems reflect a combination of Nabataean, Hellenistic, and Roman influences. The city’s elaborate channels, cisterns, and dams helped its inhabitants manage scarce water in a dry environment.
Petra was annexed by Rome in 106 CE and gradually declined as trade routes changed. It became widely known in the modern world after European exploration in the nineteenth century. UNESCO added Petra to its World Heritage List in 1985, and it was named one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in 2007.