Ancient worlds · Jordan · Nabataean kingdom, c. 4th century BCE – 2nd century CE

Petra: The Rose-Red City

Established312 BCE – 663 CEMa'an Governorate, Jordan

A desert trading capital carved into sandstone cliffs.

Research draft · editor review pending. Every claim below is linked to a checked source, but this dossier has not yet been reviewed by a human editor. Spot an error? Corrections are logged.

Petra was the capital of the Nabataeans, Arab traders who grew rich controlling caravan routes for incense and spices. Its monumental façades — the Treasury, the Monastery, hundreds of tombs — are carved directly into the rose-colored sandstone of southern Jordan. Nabataean inscriptions show the city's own name was Raqmu.

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EstablishedSupported by strong, converging evidence.

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LegendComes from myth, literature or tradition, not physical evidence.

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Hero image: Al-Khazneh (the Treasury) at Petra, lit by candles at night. Photo: Susanahajer · CC BY-SA 3.0 · via Wikimedia Commons. Evidence labels describe the written claims, not the image. Version 1 · updated 2026-10-22.