5 fun facts about Petra, Jordan:
1. **A city carved from stone:** Petra, often known as the 'Rose City', is famous for its rock-cut architecture. Entire buildings have been carved directly into the pink sandstone cliffs, demonstrating the ingenuity of its ancient builders.
2. **An ancient trade hub:** Petra was once a bustling trade center and the capital of the Nabataean empire between 400 B.C. and A.D. 106. Its strategic location between the Red Sea and the Dead Sea made it an important junction for silk, spice, and other trade routes that linked China, India, and southern Arabia with Egypt, Greece, and Rome.
3. **The Treasury's mystery:** The most iconic building in Petra is Al-Khazneh, or the Treasury. Despite its name, it's believed that the structure was probably a temple or a royal tomb, but not a place to store money. Its Arabic name, 'The Treasury', derives from a myth that pirates hid their treasure there.
4. **Rediscovered in the modern era:** Petra was known to the Western world only in 1812, when it was rediscovered by Swiss explorer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt, making it a relatively new addition to global historical landmarks.
5. **Astronomical alignment:** Many structures in Petra are thought to have been constructed to align with celestial events. During certain times of the year, the setting sun casts shadows that run through the heart of the city's important buildings.
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