Capital with a carved elephant on the great temple, Petra, Jordan. Petra is a historical and archaeological city in southern Jordan, famous for its rock-cut architecture and water conduit system. Another name for Petra is the Rose City due to the color of the stone out of which it is carved. Established possibly as early as 312 BCE as the capital city of the Nabataeans, it is a symbol of Jordan, as well as its most-visited tourist attraction. Petra has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985.