Al-Khazneh (the Treasury), Petra, Jordan

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A temple to treasure. Al-Khazneh in Petra, Jordan

Welcome to the ancient temple of Al-Khazneh in the desert city of Petra, Jordan. Carved out of a single sandstone rock about 2,000 years ago by the Nabataean people, it is believed to have been a mausoleum for King Aretas IV. Standing 141 feet tall, its massive doorway is framed with towering columns and intricate carvings. It is the most recognizable structure of this 'rose city' of temples and tombs carved from pink sandstone.

The Nabataeans, the original inhabitants of Petra, were skilled architects who built an impressive network of cisterns and water channels here. Once a thriving center, Petra is thought to have been largely abandoned around the 8th century and was 'lost' to the Western world until the 19th century. Only the Bedouin people, who lived in the surrounding desert, knew of it, and it is they who are thought to have named it Al-Khazneh, believing it contained treasures.