Geschichte: I picked up this stone on one of my numerous hikes in the extended area around the famous ruins of Petra.
Geologie: Petra, a ruin site in modern-day Jordan, was the capital of the Nabataean Empire in ancient times. The facades of the monumental burial temples were chiselled directly from the bedrock. The type of rock found in Petra is sandstone. It was formed from loose sand, which was compacted and cemented over time. The varying colours of the sandstone originate from various iron and manganese oxides alternating with hydroxides in the rock.