Plate tectonics and erosion due to water and sand created this fabulous landscape, which was cannily exploited by the Nabataeans. The illustrious merchants controlling caravan traffic between East and West founded a huge empire that prospered around the time of Christ. Their capital, Petra, was rediscovered in the early 19C, revealing the splendour and riches of this civilisation; its written script was a precursor of Arabic. An unmissable site of premier importance.