Encore - Petra and Al Khazneh

January 30, 2016

EPOD_EncorePetra1
Petra sandstone1

Today, and every Saturday Earth Science Picture of the Day invites you to rediscover favorites from the past. Saturday posts feature an EPOD that was chosen by viewers like you in our monthly Viewers' Choice polls. Join us as we look back at these intriguing and captivating images.
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Photographer: Pierantonio Mognol
Summary Author: Pierantonio Mognol; Jim Foster

The photo above shows Al Khazneh (The Treasury) carved in a nearly vertical sandstone cliff, just at the end of a narrow canyon referred to as the Siq. This is the common entrance into the historical site of Petra in what is today the nation of Jordan. Ancient Petra was likely constructed in the first century BC and is well known for its monuments and also its variegated sandstone, ranging from pure white, to stripes with red and yellow hues, to deep black (bottom photo). Compare the rich, original coloration of the sandstone with the monochrome coating of the doorway’s carved surface. Petra was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1985. Photo taken on March 11, 1993.