Petra, Jordan Stock Photography

An ancient ruined city of Edom in present-day southwest Jordan. It flourished as a trade center and the capital of Nabataea from the 4th century B.C. until its capture by the Romans in A.D. 106. The city was taken by Muslims in the 7th century and by Crusaders in the 12th century. The ruins of the rose-red city were discovered in 1812.