Petra is the ancient city in Jordan famous for buildings carved into rose-colored sandstone cliffs.
The Nabataeans established Petra as their capital, probably by the fourth century BCE. Its position between the Arabian Peninsula, the Levant and routes toward the Mediterranean allowed the Nabataeans to control and tax trade in incense, spices and other valuable goods. They also engineered channels, cisterns and dams to manage scarce water in the surrounding desert.
The best-known façade is Al-Khazneh, or the Treasury, although its elaborate front was probably associated with a royal tomb rather than a storehouse of treasure. Other important monuments include the Monastery, the Street of Facades and a large theater cut into the rock.
Petra declined after trade routes changed and a major earthquake damaged the city. It became widely known in the modern West after European exploration in the nineteenth century and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.