The Khazneh (Treasury), Petra. Constructed 5th century BC. Carved out of solid iron-laden sandstone to serve as a tomb, the Treasury gets its name from the story that pirates hid their treasure here, in urns in the middle of the second level. Some locals have tried to break it open thus the urn is pock marked by rifle shots. The facade captivates, the interior is just an unadorned square hall with a smaller room at the back. Petra was the ancient capital of the Nabateans - Arabs who dominated the Transjordan area in pre-Roman times. Petra means 'rock' in Greek. It has been called the 'rose-red city half as old as time' by Dean Burgen in his poem called 'Petra'. The Romans took the city in 106 AC and transformed it into a Roman city. By the time the Muslim invasion of the 7th century, Petra had fallen into obscurity. From then until the 19th century it was a forgotten city known only to local Bedouin inhabitants. In 1812, a young Swiss explorer and convert to Islam, Johann Ludwig Burckhardt managed to bluff his way through and report to the outside world that the ruins at Wadi Musa were those of the ancient city of Petra.