Petra: the Treasury at Sunrise and the Monastery at Dusk

Petra is a 2,000-year-old Nabataean city carved into rose-red Triassic sandstone canyons at 900 meters elevation in southern Jordan. The Siq, a 1.2-kilometer slot canyon running roughly east-west, channels sunrise light from the east toward Al-Khazneh (the Treasury). The Treasury faces west: it is in shadow at sunrise and fully lit in mid-morning, but catches warm late-afternoon light as the sun approaches the canyon rim. Al-Deir (the Monastery), reached by 800 carved steps on the western ridge, faces west and receives direct sunset light on its 50-meter facade in the final golden window. The Petra high places (Al-Madhbah altar, 1,035 m) give aerial views of the canyon city in warm light. At 30.3°N, golden hour lasts about 28 minutes.