Al-Khazneh, the Treasury of Petra II (Jordan, Petra)

The site of Petra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985, was the capital of the Nabataeans, an ancient Arab people who were masters of the caravan trade and hydraulic engineering. The Treasury, or Al-Khazneh, is arguably the site's most iconic building, not for its function—probably a royal tomb—but for its gradual unveiling through the narrow walls of the Siq, a natural canyon formed by a tectonic fault.

This play of light and shadow, accentuated by the sinuousness of the parade, was not only aesthetic: it reflected a know-how in the staging of power, where architecture and nature formed a whole. In the Nabataean era, the arrival at the sanctuary had to strike the mind, in a mixture of mystery, monumental scale and sacredness.

This photograph was selected by the prestigious international gallery 1X.com, which recognizes works for their aesthetic and documentary value.