The ancient city of Petra is in Jordan, where its buildings were carved into rose-colored sandstone cliffs.
Petra was established by the Nabataeans, an Arab people who controlled important trade routes across the deserts of the Middle East. Its location helped the Nabataeans manage caravan traffic carrying spices, incense, textiles, and other valuable goods. The city’s most famous monument is Al-Khazneh, often called the Treasury, although its original function remains debated.
Petra’s engineers built channels, cisterns, dams, and pipes to collect and control scarce rainfall. These systems supported residents in a dry environment and helped the city prosper. The site was later incorporated into the Roman Empire and gradually declined as trade routes changed.
Petra is sometimes mistakenly described as a lost city that was unknown to everyone until modern times. Local communities continued to know the site; Swiss explorer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt brought it to wider European attention in 1812. UNESCO listed Petra as a World Heritage Site in 1985.