Jordan is the country home to Petra, the ancient city famous for its rock-cut architecture.
Petra lies in southern Jordan, between the Dead Sea and the Gulf of Aqaba. The Nabataeans established it as their capital around the 4th century BCE, developing it into a major trading center linking Arabia, the Levant, Egypt, and the Mediterranean world. Its location in a narrow canyon called the Siq helped protect the settlement and control access to important routes.
Petra is especially known for the Treasury, whose elaborate façade was carved into rose-colored sandstone. Despite its nickname, the building was probably a temple or royal tomb rather than a treasury. The city also contains tombs, temples, theaters, water channels, and the Monastery. Petra was later absorbed into the Roman Empire in 106 CE and declined after trade routes changed and earthquakes damaged its infrastructure. It became widely known internationally after Swiss traveler Johann Ludwig Burckhardt visited it in 1812.