Place · city

Petra

Also known as Raqmu

Petra is an ancient city in southern Jordan, set in sandstone mountains near the Wadi Araba. It was the capital of the Nabataeans, who grew rich from the caravan trade in incense and spices and carved tombs and temples into its rose-coloured cliffs. Annexed by Rome in 106 CE, it declined after earthquakes and shifts in trade, and it has been a World Heritage Site since 1985.

Petra
Image: Azurfrog · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 2 profiles

ArabicOriginsAramaicGrammar, Speakers

Mentioned in 2 state histories

EleuthernaNabataean Kingdom

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Petra. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/petra
MLA
“Petra.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/petra. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Petra.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/petra.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Petra’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/petra (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻