Petra, originally known to its inhabitants as Raqmu, is a historic and archaeological city in southern Jordan. It is adjacent to the mountain of Jabal Al-Madbah, in a basin surrounded by mountains forming the eastern flank of the Arabah valley that runs from the Dead Sea to the Gulf of Aqaba.
The area around Petra has been inhabited from as early as 7000 BC, and the Nabataeans might have settled in what would become the capital city of their kingdom as early as the 4th century BC. Archaeological work only discovered Nabataean presence dating back to the second century BC, by which time Petra had become their capital.
The Nabataeans were nomadic Arabs who invested in Petra’s proximity to the incense trade routes by establishing it as a major regional trading hub. The city is famous for its rock-cut architecture and water conduit system. Petra is also called the ‘Rose City’ because of the color of the stone from which it is carved.