Petra remains one of the most remarkable archaeological marvels on Earth. Hand-carved into vibrant red sandstone cliffs, this ancient desert city showcases incredible engineering and artistry from a forgotten era.
This quiz looks at the history of the Nabataeans, their brilliant water management systems, and the iconic structures hidden within the desert canyon. You will see questions about its architecture and famous movie appearances.
Once you finish, you can study UNESCO architecture, read about historic places, or look through our quiz on film and TV locations.
In which modern-day country is the archaeological site of Petra located?
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
Jordan
Jordan
Lebanon
Lebanon
Egypt
Egypt
Petra served as the capital city for which ancient civilization?
The Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire
The Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire
The Nabataean Kingdom
The Nabataean Kingdom
The Roman Empire
The Roman Empire
The structures at Petra are primarily famous for being carved directly into which type of rock?
Limestone
Limestone
Sandstone
Sandstone
Marble
Marble
Granite
Granite
What is the most iconic, elaborately carved facade that visitors first encounter when walking through the Siq?
The Monastery
The Monastery
The Treasury
The Treasury
The Royal Tombs
The Royal Tombs
The Great Temple
The Great Temple
What do most historians believe was the original purpose of the Al-Khazneh (the Treasury)?
Administrative office
Administrative office
A functioning bank
A functioning bank
Royal tomb or mausoleum
Royal tomb or mausoleum
Gold storage
Gold storage
Which major motion picture famously featured the interior of the Treasury as a hiding place for the Holy Grail?
Lawrence of Arabia
Lawrence of Arabia
Gladiator
Gladiator
The Mummy Returns
The Mummy Returns
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
To thrive in the desert environment, what innovative infrastructure did the Nabataeans master?
Desalination plants
Desalination plants
Windmills
Windmills
Dams and cisterns
Dams and cisterns
Deep-sea wells
Deep-sea wells
What is the name of the narrow, winding gorge that serves as the main entrance point to the ancient city of Petra?
The Cardo Maximus
The Cardo Maximus
The Pantheon
The Pantheon
The Street of Facades
The Street of Facades
The Siq
The Siq
Which Nabataean king reigned during the peak of Petra’s architectural prosperity in the 1st century AD?
Augustus Caesar
Augustus Caesar
Herod the Great
Herod the Great
Aretas IV
Aretas IV
Trajan
Trajan
Approximately how long is the narrow canyon floor of the Siq?
1.6 kilometers
1.6 kilometers
2.0 kilometers
2.0 kilometers
1.2 kilometers
1.2 kilometers
800 meters
800 meters
What specific technique did the Nabataeans develop to transport water across the rugged, rocky terrain to Petra?
Underground river diversions
Underground river diversions
Clay-lined ceramic pipelines
Clay-lined ceramic pipelines
Rainwater harvesting pipes
Rainwater harvesting pipes
Hand-dug horizontal tunnels
Hand-dug horizontal tunnels
Which classical architectural style is most prominently reflected in the façade of the Treasury (Al-Khazneh)?
Mesopotamian
Mesopotamian
Hellenistic
Hellenistic
Persian
Persian
Byzantine
Byzantine
Besides tombs and temples, what large public structure at Petra was carved out of the mountainside?
A city council meeting house
A city council meeting house
A theater cut into the rock face
A theater cut into the rock face
A Roman-style bath complex
A Roman-style bath complex
A massive marketplace
A massive marketplace
The Nabataeans grew wealthy primarily by controlling trade routes dealing in what luxury goods?
Metals and weaponry
Metals and weaponry
Grain and textiles
Grain and textiles
Papyrus and ink
Papyrus and ink
Spices and incense
Spices and incense
In which year was Petra named one of the New Seven Wonders of the World?
2005
2005
2007
2007
2011
2011
2009
2009
What was a primary factor that led to the gradual decline and abandonment of Petra by the Byzantine period?
Shifts in regional trade routes and devastating earthquakes
Shifts in regional trade routes and devastating earthquakes
Invading armies from Rome
Invading armies from Rome
Internal political revolution
Internal political revolution
A major volcanic eruption
A major volcanic eruption
The facade of the Treasury is visually anchored by columns topped with which style of capitals?
Doric capitals
Doric capitals
Corinthian capitals
Corinthian capitals
Ionic capitals
Ionic capitals
Tuscan capitals
Tuscan capitals
In which year was the ancient city first introduced to the Western world by a European explorer?
1822
1822
1812
1812
1832
1832
1802
1802
Who is the Swiss explorer famously credited with ‘rediscovering’ Petra for the Western world?
Heinrich Schliemann
Heinrich Schliemann
Johann Ludwig Burckhardt
Johann Ludwig Burckhardt
Howard Carter
Howard Carter
Gertrude Bell
Gertrude Bell
Which structure, even larger than the Treasury, requires a hike of over 800 steps to reach?
The Nymphaeum
The Nymphaeum
The High Place of Sacrifice
The High Place of Sacrifice
Ad-Deir (The Monastery)
Ad-Deir (The Monastery)
The Colonnaded Street
The Colonnaded Street
What feature is still visible today inside the Siq that demonstrates the Nabataean water management brilliance?
Water-powered mills for milling grain
Water-powered mills for milling grain
A massive cistern beneath the Treasury floors
A massive cistern beneath the Treasury floors
A large sun-dial carved into the rock
A large sun-dial carved into the rock
A series of interconnected clay pipes along the canyon walls
A series of interconnected clay pipes along the canyon walls
What specific object was the Indiana Jones character searching for inside the Treasury building in the film?
The Book of the Dead to stop a mummy’s army
The Book of the Dead to stop a mummy’s army
The Holy Grail
The Holy Grail
A hidden city of gold treasures
A hidden city of gold treasures
The Matrix of Leadership from the alien Transformers
The Matrix of Leadership from the alien Transformers
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