Petra was the capital of the Nabataean Kingdom in present-day Jordan.
Petra was built partly into rose-coloured sandstone cliffs in a basin between the Dead Sea and the Gulf of Aqaba. The Nabataeans controlled important trade routes linking Arabia with the Mediterranean, and Petra prospered by managing commerce in incense, spices and other valuable goods.
The city’s water systems were remarkably sophisticated. Channels, cisterns, dams and reservoirs helped capture and store seasonal water in an otherwise dry environment. Petra’s most famous façade, Al-Khazneh, was carved into a cliff and probably served a funerary or ceremonial purpose rather than functioning as a treasury.
The Romans annexed the Nabataean Kingdom in AD 106. Petra later declined as trade routes changed and earthquakes damaged its infrastructure. It became widely known internationally after its rediscovery by European travelers in the 19th century and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.