The ancient city of Petra is in Jordan.
Petra was established by the Nabataeans, an Arab people who controlled important caravan routes across the deserts of the Middle East. Its most recognizable monument is Al-Khazneh, often called the Treasury, whose elaborate façade was carved into a sandstone cliff. Petra also includes tombs, temples, water channels, and a theater.
The city’s location helped it prosper because Nabataean engineers captured and stored scarce water in a dry environment. Petra later came under Roman control and gradually declined as trade routes changed and earthquakes damaged its infrastructure.
Petra is sometimes incorrectly described as being in Egypt because of its association with ancient desert civilizations. It is actually in southern Jordan, near the modern town of Wadi Musa. UNESCO added Petra to its World Heritage List in 1985, and it became one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in a 2007 global poll.