This lithograph shows the beautiful Hellenistic facade of El Khasne (the Treasury) which was carved out of the rock to serve as a tomb for the Nabataean King Aretas III (who ruled from 84 to circa 59 BC) but derives its name from the legend that an Egyptian pharaoh hid his treasure here.
This exceptional monument was the first that Roberts and his party explored at Petra and he noted in his journal ‘I cannot say whether I was most surprised at the building or its extraordinary position. It stands, as it were, in an immense niche in the rock and the fine colour of the stone and perfect preservation of the minute details, give it the appearance of having been recently finished.’
This famous site in Petra was discovered in 1812 by the Swiss explorer Jean-Louis Burckhardt . Although the monument was believed to be the treasury of a Pharaoh——because of its name which came from legend, it was probably a royal tomb of the Nabatean king Aretas IV, dating from the first century AD.
