Jordan is home to Petra, the ancient city famous for its rock-cut Treasury.
Petra lies in southern Jordan, between the Dead Sea and the Red Sea. The Nabataeans established it as a major centre by at least the fourth century BCE, using its position near important caravan routes.
The city was carved and built in a narrow sandstone landscape. Its best-known facade is Al-Khazneh, or the Treasury, although the building’s original purpose was probably a royal tomb rather than a treasury.
Petra was annexed by Rome in 106 CE and gradually declined as trade routes changed. It became widely known in the modern world after European exploration in the nineteenth century and was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985.