Petra is the ancient city in present-day Jordan known as the “Rose City” because of its sandstone.
Petra was the capital of the Nabataean Kingdom, whose people controlled important caravan routes linking Arabia, the Levant, and the Mediterranean. Many of the city's monuments were carved directly into rose-coloured sandstone cliffs, including the famous Treasury and the Monastery.
The city declined after Roman annexation and changing trade routes, and it was largely unknown to Western visitors until Johann Ludwig Burckhardt's visit in 1812. Petra is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and became one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in a 2007 public campaign. Its Treasury was a tomb or ceremonial monument, not a literal storehouse of treasure.