Petra

With its monumental façades sculpted out of solid rock, Petra is one of the world's most impressive open art galleries.

Petra was the capital of an ancient and powerful kingdom of the Nabataeans, in the first, second and third centuries BC. They built spectacular buildings and carved façades, with water flowing in every corner. After conquest by the emperor Trajan, Petra slowly declined under Roman and then Byzantine rule - a fourth century earthquake damaging much of the monumental architecture.

However, the remains of the ancient capital, preserved amongst the shifting sands and in the dry heat, became an object of curiosity amongst travellers in the Middle Ages, and was 're-discovered' by western archeologists in the early 19th century. Today it is a world heritage site, much featured in western romantic literature and movie-making.