Petra

Petra is an archaeological site in Jordan noted for its many stone structures carved into the rock. It is located in a basin among the mountains in the eastern part of Arabah (Wadi Araba), the large valley running from the Dead Sea to the Gulf of Aqaba. Petra's founders the Nabataens were nomads. Eventually they settled down into an urban lifestyle. The entire region where they settled was called Nabataea, and Petra was the capital. Petra was a hub for trade as people traveled the ancient caravan routes between Rome, Greece and Egypt.

Petra's ruins are in the sandstone cliffs of southern Jordan. There are 3000 structures, which were all carved in elaborate patterns and painted in bright colors. New parts of the city are being uncovered all the time by French, Swiss, American and Jordanian archeologists. More tourists visit every year, which makes preserving the excavations more difficult.

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