The ancient city of Petra in southwest Jordan was carved into cliffs of sandstone that are streaked with veins of red, purple, and yellow. From the 4th century BC until it was conquered by the Romans in AD 106, Petra was capital of the Arab kingdom called Edom. It was a spice-trading centre that declined because of changing trade routes and, in the 12th century, Petra was a Crusader outpost. It is unclear what became of the city afterwards until 1812, when a Swiss traveller rediscovered it. Local legend says that it was in the nearby town of Wadi Musá that the bibilical figure Moses struck a stone from which water then miraculously flowed.

Arabic music is based on diverse regional folk and religious music, as well as on a classical tradition with a highly developed theory dating to the 9th century. By the 10th century, religious and classical texts and melodies were being performed at weddings and various community gatherings. Instrumental improvisation, one of the most important elements of classical Arabic music, forms the basis for a taqsim, an improvised prelude which introduces the melodic material of a composition. This example of a taqsim is centred around a maqam, or specific melodic scale, and is performed on the ’ud (also spelled oud), a short-necked, plucked lute found throughout the Arab world. The ’ud dates from the 9th century and is believed to be a direct ancestor of the European lute. It is central to many classical and popular music ensembles and is also widely played as a solo instrument or to accompany a singer.