Petra is a historic and archaeological city in Jordan. The city was established by the Nabateans and all the buildings are carved in the rocks which are sandstone. "On December 6, 1985, Petra was designated a World Heritage Site. In a popular poll in 2007, it was also named one of the New7Wonders of the World." (
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But the rocks are also very special and incredibly beautiful.
The rocks in the whole area consist of red sandstone. And what makes them very special and beautiful are the many patterns and stripes in blue, gray, green, yellow colors. In fact, one can say that the sandstones are multicolored. These stripes are called Liesegang bands or Liesegang rings.
The rocks have been eroded for thousands of years and the many colors in the Liesegangsbands have arisen from different minerals that have been involved in chemical processes, partly from seeping water and partly from groundwater.
"Light brown-yellow is a mixture of the clear quartz with the dark yellow feldspar.
Yellow from sulphur.
Pink to dark reddish tints (earth tones) from iron oxide.
Blue, dark purple and grey from manganese.
White sandstone has no cement, the sandstone is mostly rose-coloured" (
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