The ancient rock-cut city of Petra is located in Jordan.
Petra was the capital of the Nabataean Kingdom, an Arab kingdom that flourished in the region from the fourth century BCE. Its buildings were carved into rose-coloured sandstone cliffs, while its position along caravan routes helped it become a major centre for trade in incense, spices and other goods.
The famous approach passes through the Siq, a narrow natural gorge. At its end stands Al-Khazneh, commonly called the Treasury, whose elaborate façade was cut into the rock. Despite its name, there is no firm evidence that it served as a treasury.
Rome annexed the Nabataean Kingdom in 106 CE. Petra later declined as trade routes shifted and earthquakes damaged its water systems and buildings. It became widely known in the modern West after its rediscovery by Johann Ludwig Burckhardt in 1812 and was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985.