You can see from the city's architecture that numerous civilisations left their mark. The name 'Petra' is Greek, and the city fell into Roman, Byzantine and Crusader hands over the centuries too. Known as the Rose City for the gorgeous colour of its rock, Petra's best-known site is Al-Khazneh (The Treasury), a tomb fronted with a Greek-inspired façade.

Many people will have first seen Petra in the 1989 smash hit Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade, in which the Treasury provides the setting for the finale in Indy’s quest for the Holy Grail.

Now marvel at these extraordinary photos showing what the world looked like in the 19th century

The surprising stories of the world’s best-known ruins – AFTER they fell out of use