Designated a UNESCO World Heritage site, and recently named one of the ’New Seven Wonders of the World’, Petra’s well-preserved ancient city is thought to be centuries old, perhaps even dating back more than 2,000 years. The setting of this historic site is itself breathtaking: nestled inside a desert gorge, many of the buildings are carved into the rocks and cliffs. Treasury: at the other end of the Siq, the Treasury, or Al Kazneh, is one of the most amazing manmade sites in the world. This ancient structure is cut into a sandstone cliff and therefore made of solid rock - no treasure lies in the urns here, despite frequent assurances from the bedouins that have lived in the area for centuries, hence the name the ‘Treasury’. Amphitheatre: dating back to the first century AD, this 7,000-seat theatre is carved into the rock like most of the other buildings in Petra, and dates back to the era in which the Romans controlled modern-day Jordan. The structure is less well preserved than other Petra sites and therefore almost looks to be a natural form incorporated into the hillside. King’s Wall: the three large Royal Tombs line up here along a huge carved cliff face at Jebel Khuntha. Temple of Dushara: in honour of the main god of the Nabataeans, Dushara, this temple is unlike many structures in Petra in that it is made of free-standing sandstone blocks and is therefore not carved into the hillside. | 
