The Nabataeans lived in ancient times. At various points in history, the Nabataean kingdom included areas of present-day Jordan, parts of Syria and northern Arabia, and the Sinai and Negev deserts.

Nabataeans were expert traders. Their main city of Petra was at the crossroads of a number of caravan routes linking the lands of China, India, and Arabia with the Mediterranean world.

At its height, Petra was a bustling trading center with a population of almost 30,000 people. Many of the city’s buildings and tombs remain to this day.

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Text: Adam Sewall; Image: Jenny M Buccos