Petra

Located on a terrace pierced by Valley of Moses; valley is enclosed by colorful sandstone cliffs; was wealthy commercial city with important caravan trade; noted for rock-cut monuments, that is buildings cut from the living rock; was place from which Edomites were driven in 300 BCE by Nabataeans who held it as their capital until 106 CE; was chief city of Arabia Petraea; taken by Muslims in the 7th century; captured by Crusaders in the 12th century; rediscovered by Western world in 1812.