Jabal Al-Madbah mountain is adjacent to it, forming the eastern flank of the Arabah valley running from the Dead Sea to the Gulf of Aqaba, in a basin surrounded by mountains.
Other writers besides Pliny the Elder identify Petra as the capital of the Nabataean Kingdom and the centre of their caravan trade.
The rise of the desert city was due to the Nabataeans' ability to control the water supply, as demonstrated by excavations. This allowed them to create an artificial oasis.
However, the Nabataeans controlled these floods by the use of dams, cisterns, and water conduits, archaeological evidence shows that the area is visited by flash floods.
Petra is known as the "Rose City" because of the pinkish color of the stone it is carved from.
It has been a World Heritage Site as classified by UNESCO since 1985.
Al-Khazneh was voted one of the New 7 Wonders of the World in 2007. Jordan's most-visited tourist attraction, Petra, is also a symbol of the country.