Petra
Petra is an ancient city in southern Jordan, renowned for its rock-cut architecture and water conduit system. It is famous for its rose-coloured sandstone cliffs.
From the website description is “Inhabited since prehistoric times, this Nabatean caravan-city, situated between the Red Sea and the Dead Sea, was an important crossroads between Arabia, Egypt and Syria - Phoenicia, Petra is half-built, half-carved into the rock and is surrounded by mountains riddled with passages and gorges. It is one of the world’s most famous archaeological sites, where ancient Eastern traditions blend with Hellenistic architecture”.
One of the most spectacular archaeological sites in the world, the ancient city of Petra carved into rose-tinged sandstone is located around 145 miles south of Jordan’s capital Amman. It is now considered one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. Petra was known to be the capital of wealthy Nabatean Kingdom c.400BCE - 106CE, and the “city boasts elaborate architecture in its tombs and temples as well as a sophisticated water management system”.
It is commonly called The Rose City as Petra has an array of pink sandstone buildings carved directly into the surrounding hillside. The famous ruins include the Treasury, the Royal Tombs, and the Monastery.
It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985 with UNESCO itself describing Petra as “one of the most precious cultural properties of man’s cultural heritage”.
The area around Petra has been inhabited as early as 7000BC and the Nabateans may have settled in what would become their capital as early as 4th century BC. The Nabateans were nomadic Arabs who invested in Petras proximity to incense trading routes by establishing it as major regional trading hub.