<P> Petra ( Arabic : البتراء , Al - Batrāʾ ; Ancient Greek : Πέτρα ) , originally known to its inhabitants as Raqmu , is a historical and archaeological city in southern Jordan . Petra lies on the slope of Jabal Al - Madbah in a basin among the mountains which form the eastern flank of Arabah valley that run from the Dead Sea to the Gulf of Aqaba . Petra is believed to have been settled as early as 9,000 BC , and it was possibly established in the 4th century BC as the capital city of the Nabataean Kingdom . The Nabataeans were nomadic Arabs who invested in Petra 's proximity to the trade routes by establishing it as a major regional trading hub . </P>
<P> Petra ( Arabic : البتراء , Al - Batrāʾ ; Ancient Greek : Πέτρα ) , originally known to its inhabitants as Raqmu , is a historical and archaeological city in southern Jordan . Petra lies on the slope of Jabal Al - Madbah in a basin among the mountains which form the eastern flank of Arabah valley that run from the Dead Sea to the Gulf of Aqaba . Petra is believed to have been settled as early as 9,000 BC , and it was possibly established in the 4th century BC as the capital city of the Nabataean Kingdom . The Nabataeans were nomadic Arabs who invested in Petra 's proximity to the trade routes by establishing it as a major regional trading hub . </P>
where is the lost city of petra located
where is the lost city of petra located
southern Jordan
southern Jordan