"For hundreds of years, travelers have wound their way through a narrow crevasse in south Jordan to marvel at the grandeur and the mystery of a city called Petra - and emerged from that fissure directly before an awe-inspiring 130-foot-high Hellenistic facade carved from the salmon pink sandstone of the surrounding cliffs. This is the Khazneh el-Far'un, or Treasury, the best known of the more than 800 monuments created in Petra between the third century B.C.E. and 106 C.E., when it served as the capital city of the Nabatean Arabs.". "No less impressive were the other achievements of the Nabateans, and in this illustrated book, Maria Giulia Amadasi Guzzo and Eugenia Equini Schneider provide an overview of their history and culture, including their language, religion, politics, economy, and a detailed guide to the city of Petra and its art and architecture. A major stop on the spice trade route, Petra attracted wealth and culture from across the Arabic and classical worlds and was abundantly furnished with architectural wonders - including advanced feats of hydraulic engineering such as dams and water conservation systems."--BOOK JACKET.