Petra is filled with spectacular tombs, monuments, and houses that were carved into the sandstone cliffs. These elaborate structures were chiseled by hand out of the rose-red rocks, then covered with stucco and painted bright colors.

The people of Petra liked to show off their wealth and hired master builders to create these masterpieces. Starting from the top down, builders chiseled the detailed designs by hand right into the sandstone cliffs. The design of the massive columns, grand staircases, and classical statues show the influence of contact with Greece and Rome.

Winding roads, stairways, and water channels were also cut along the natural curves of cliffs and canyons.