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300BCc. 300 BC – AD 106 · Petra

Petra, caravan capital of the Nabataeans

The rock-cut Monastery facade at Petra, Jordan
Photo: Teo Gomez. Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The Nabataeans, Arab traders who controlled incense routes between Arabia and the Mediterranean, carved their capital's tombs and temples into the sandstone of a hidden valley and managed scarce water with dams and channels. Rome annexed the kingdom in AD 106. After earthquakes the city declined, and it was little known in Europe until Johann Ludwig Burckhardt reached it in 1812.

Sites

  1. Site 1: The Siq and the Treasury (Al-Khazneh)Narrow gorge opening onto the carved facade of the Treasury.Map ↗
  2. Site 2: Royal TombsRow of monumental tomb facades in the cliff face.Map ↗
  3. Site 3: The Monastery (Ad Deir)Huge facade reached by about 800 rock-cut steps.Map ↗

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