Near the ancient trade route of the King’s Highway, archaeologists have discovered a series of specialized rock-cut vats and distillation channels used for producing rose water. The site is believed to be the primary production center for the Nabataean 'Festival of the Roses', a spring celebration that predates modern floral festivals in the region.
Inscriptions found on nearby cliffs describe the distribution of rose oils to pilgrims traveling to Petra, suggesting that the city’s famous aesthetic was once matched by an olfactory landscape. This discovery sheds light on the economic and ritual importance of floriculture in the desert kingdom during the 1st century BCE.