Petra

Petra

Rock City More than two thousand years ago, a group of people built an amazing city in the Middle East. They used special tools to carve buildings out of mountains. These people were the Nabataeans (nab-uh-TEE-uns). Their beautiful rock city was Petra.

City in the Desert Petra is in the country of Jordan, in one of Earth's driest deserts. Red sandstone cliffs and canyons are all that can be seen for many miles. A canyon called the Siq (SEEK) leads to Petra. It is the main way to reach the city.

Buried City The city of Petra is 264 square kilometers (102 sq. mi. ). The downtown area is 6 square kilometers (2 sq. mi. ). The city has hundreds of tombs and other structures. Most of Petra is still buried under the ground. Scientists find more structures as they dig it up.

The Treasury is Petra's best-known structure. The Royal Tombs are where they buried their kings. Other famous structures include the Theatre, Petra Museum, and the Monastery. Many structures are over 30 meters (100 ft. ) tall. The Nabataeans also made many structures to collect, store, and carry water. They could not have lived in such a dry place without a way to get and hold water.

A Busy Trade Center Long ago, people from the Middle East, Asia, and Africa crossed the desert to trade with each other. They traveled through the land where the Nabataeans lived. The Nabataeans took care of camels, goats, and sheep. At first, they wandered from place to place. Later, they grew rich, settled down, and built Petra. Scientists think the Nabataeans built the Rose City around 300 BCE. Over time, it became a busy trade center.