<p>Reclining on a rooftop carved two millennia ago, a Bedouin surveys the realm of the Nabataeans, whose ancient capital beckons from the sands of southern Jordan. Forgotten for centuries, Petra still echoes with mysteries of the past; this immense building, Al Deir (the Monastery), was probably a Nabataean shrine.</p><p>—From “Petra: Ancient City of Stone,” December 1998, <em>National Geographic</em> magazine</p>

Carved Rooftop

Reclining on a rooftop carved two millennia ago, a Bedouin surveys the realm of the Nabataeans, whose ancient capital beckons from the sands of southern Jordan. Forgotten for centuries, Petra still echoes with mysteries of the past; this immense building, Al Deir (the Monastery), was probably a Nabataean shrine.

—From “Petra: Ancient City of Stone,” December 1998, National Geographic magazine

Petra, Jordan Photos

See photos of Petra, Jordan (including the Treasury, Bedouin, and more) in this photo gallery from National Geographic.

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