Nabataean Architecture

Nabataean architecture is the building tradition of the Nabataean kingdom, which controlled trade routes across northern Arabia and the southern Levant from the 4th century BC to the 2nd century AD, in territory spanning present day Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the Negev and the Sinai. Much of what survives was carved directly into cliff faces rather than built up from the ground, blending Mesopotamian, Hellenistic and South Arabian influences with columns used for ornament rather than support. The capital, Petra, holds more than 500 monuments including the rock cut facade known as Al Khazneh, while Hegra in Saudi Arabia preserves 110 tombs and Bosra served as the kingdom's northern capital. The Nabataeans also built dams, cisterns and canals that let their cities hold water in the desert and control the incense routes that were the source of their wealth.