Petra is the ancient city famous for the rock-cut Treasury shown in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.
Petra lies in modern-day Jordan, in a basin surrounded by mountains and reached through a narrow gorge called the Siq. The Nabataeans developed it into their capital from around the 4th century BCE. They controlled important caravan routes linking Arabia with the Mediterranean, and Petra prospered as a trading and water-management center.
The building known as Al-Khazneh, or the Treasury, is Petra’s most recognizable monument. Despite its popular name, archaeologists believe it was probably a monumental tomb rather than a storehouse of treasure. Its elaborate façade was carved directly into rose-colored sandstone, giving Petra its nickname, the “Rose City.”
Petra was annexed by Rome in 106 CE and later declined as trade routes changed and earthquakes damaged its infrastructure. The city became widely known in the West after its rediscovery by Europeans in 1812. It became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985 and one of the New Seven Wonders in 2007.