Where Is Petra?

Petra, the ancient Nabataean capital, is located in the Sharah Mountains of southwestern Jordan, about 240 km south of Amman. The city was carved directly into vibrant rose-red sandstone cliffs starting around the 4th century BC. The Nabataeans, a nomadic Arab people, made Petra a thriving trade hub controlling the incense and spice routes between Arabia, Egypt, and the Mediterranean. At its peak (1st century BC to 1st century AD), Petra had an estimated population of 30,000 and featured elaborate rock-cut tombs, temples, a theatre seating 4,000, and an advanced water management system. Rediscovered by Swiss explorer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt in 1812, Petra became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985.