Petra is sometimes called the 'Lost City'. In spite of its being such an important city in antiquity, after the 14th century AD, Petra was completely lost to the western world.

Petra is known as the "Lost City" because it remained hidden from the Western world for centuries after the decline of the Nabataean Empire. Once a thriving trade hub carved into rose-red sandstone, it was largely abandoned following a series of earthquakes and changes in trade routes by the 7th century. For hundreds of years, its location was a closely guarded secret known only to local Bedouins who used the ruins for shelter. It was "rediscovered" in 1812 by Swiss explorer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt, who had to disguise himself as an Arab scholar to gain access to the site. Today, it is "lost" in another sense: archaeologists estimate that only 15% of the city has been excavated, with the remaining 85% still buried beneath the desert sands.