Bab Al Siq
After entering the gate in Petra, and before you reach the Siq, you walk through an area called ‘Bab Al Siq’, Arabic for gateway to the ‘siq’. There are several monuments of note along the way starting with three massive Djinn or god blocks, the Obelisk Tomb and the Triclinium below it with an ancient bilingual inscription.
The Dam
An 88m-long tunnel was cut out of the rock by the Nabataeans to divert flash floods from the Siq.
The Siq
This is a narrow gorge, more than a kilometer long, which leads visitors into Petra, opening up at the Treasury. As well as presenting a dramatic entryway into Petra, many relics can be seen in the Siq including a paved road and Nabataean sacred stones.
The Treasury (Al Khazna)
The Siq opens up onto Petra’s most magnificent façade - the Treasury or Al Khazna. It stands at almost 40 meters high and is intricately decorated with friezes, statues and other features carved from the rock. There is a funerary urn at the top of the Treasury which according to local legend conceals pharaoh’s treasures. Although the original function is still a mystery, the Khazna is believed by many archaeologists to be the mausoleum of King Aretas IV (9BC- 40AD).
The Street of Facades
This is a row of monumental Nabataean tombs carved in the southern cliff face of the outer Siq. The facades are crowned with corner crow-steps, pilasters and cavettos.
The Theatre
This was carved into the side of the mountain at the foot of the High Place of Sacrifice during the reign of King Aretas IV (9BC-40AD). It consists of three rows of seats separated by passageways and seven stairways ascend the auditorium and can accommodate 4000 spectators. The back wall of the stage was rebuilt by the Romans.
The Nymphaeum
This is a semi-circular public fountain near the junction of Wadi Musa and Wadi al-Mataha. Six Nabataean columns decorated the façade and it received water from a tank located on the opposite side of the valley. It is shaded by a wild pistachio tree that is 450 years old.
The Colonnaded Street
The street was originally constructed by the Nabataeans and later refurbished after the Roman annexation. It starts at the monumental steps of the Upper Market and and includes a the remains of a Nabataean monumental gate.
Great Temple
The Great Temple Complex represents one of the major archaeological and architectural components of central Petra and is estimated to cover an area of 7000 square meters. The Great Temple is 28m wide and 40m long. The style and quality of the temple’s elaborate floral friezes and limestone capitals suggest that the sanctuary was constructed by the end of the first century BC by the Nabataeans who combined their native traditions with the classical spirit. The Great Temple was in use until some point in the late Byzantine Period.
Qasr Al Bint
The monument is almost square (and is set on a podium. It was the main temple of Petra and is still standing to a height of 23m. The temple is approached by a flight of marble steps. It is believed that the goddess al-Uzza/Aphrodite and Baal shaman were the main gods of this temple, which dates to the first half of the 1st century AD.
The Columbarium
This is a cave at the foot of the Al-Habis Mountain. Many rectangular niches were carved in the back wall and then plastered. The niches usually contained the ashes of the dead.
Al Habis Mountain:
This was occupied by a medieval fort, which was originally built by the Crusaders in AD1115 and was visited by Sultan Baybars in AD1276.
The Lion Biclinium
This can be seen on the way to ad Deir; it is so-named because of two lions carved on both sides of the entrance. The façade is intricately decorated and there are two benches inside and a baetyl in a niche is carved to the left of the doorway.
Ad Deir
Ad Deir, or the Monastery, is one of the largest monuments in Petra. It was modeled on the Treasury. The interior is occupied by two side benches and an altar against the rear wall. This space was used for meetings of religious associations and the Monastery dates to the early 2nd century AD. The hall was later re-used as a Christian chapel and crosses were carved in the rear wall, which is how the structure got its name.
Viewpoint
A short way beyond Ad Deir, visitors can enjoy magnificent views over the arid, rocky mountains that stretch west into the horizon in the direction of Wadi Araba.
High Place of Sacrifice
This cult complex includes a rectangular courtyard with benches and an altar. There is also a sacrificial platform with a carved circular basin to receive the blood of sacrificed animals and a water basin for purification.
The Two Obelisks
These are two 7-meter-high freestanding obelisks carved from the rock which represent the Nabataean goddess Dushara.
The Lion Fountain
A huge lion is carved out of the sandstone rock on the way to the High Place. A channel carved above the lions head received water from a spring and the water collected in a basin and flowed to a large cistern at the foot of the mountain.
The Garden Hall
This is a small, decorated chamber and the open space in front of the monument is thought to have been a garden that was irrigated by the water cistern. The Garden Hall was probably built as a house for the guardian who controlled the water cistern on the way to the High Place.
The Tomb of the Soldier
This is a complex that was accessible through a large courtyard. It had porticoes and two-storey buildings on both sides and a hall opposite the entrance. The well-proportioned façade is decorated with engaged pilasters and columns that frame three niches with the statue of an officer in the central niche accompanied by two attendants.
The Colored Triclinium
This is situated opposite the Tomb of the Soldier and was a funerary banqueting hall. It is decorated with engaged columns and niches, originally covered with painted stucco.
Wadi Al Farasa
This was a pilgrimage route to the High Place of Sacrifice. Many commemorative inscriptions were engraved at the beginning of the route. There are many remarkable tombs in this valley, the most beautiful one being the Renaissance Tomb, which is an elegant façade crowned by a gable that has three funerary urns at the corners, framed by Nabataean engaged pilasters. The interior has rock-carved loculi that were not used for burials. The tomb may date to the 2nd century AD.
Az Zantur
This includes a Nabataean house and two late Roman houses. The private part of the Nabataean house shows an oriental layout, while the official part was heavily influenced by Greek Hellenistic tradition. After the destruction of the Nabataean house until two houses were built on the earlier ruined house in the early 4th century AD. These were later destroyed by the earthquake of AD363.
The Urn Tomb
This tomb derived its name from the jar that crowns the pediment. A Greek Byzantine inscription records that the hall, which was originally a royal tomb, was converted into a church by Bishop Jason in AD447. A monumental stairway built over vaults gave easy access to the church.
Silk Tomb
This is one of the Royal Tombs and is remarkable for the swirls of different coloured rock that make up its façade.
Corinthian Tomb
The upper part of the Corinthian Tomb is similar to the upper part of the Treasury, but it is severely eroded. The tomb combines various elements of both Nabataean and classical architectural styles.
The Palace Monument
This monument is a grandiose monument with five-storey façade that dates to the early 2nd century AD and was probably used for banqueting or funerary ceremonies. A dam and water reservoir behind the monument drained rainwater to a pool cut to the north of the monument podium.
The Church
This basilica contains three inscribed apses with three corresponding entrances in the western wall and well preserved floor mosaics pave both side aisles and attest to the church’s significance. The church dates to the end of the 5th century AD. Much of the building material such as the capitals, door jambs and relief were reused from earlier monuments in Petra.
The Temple of the Winged Lions
The temple was named after the sculpted lions with wings that were found decorating the column capitals. On the central platform, around which processions were performed, the standing stones of the gods were exposed. The interior was lavishly decorated with marble, plaster and stucco. There is a crypt located at the back of the platform.
The Tomb of Sextius Florentinus
The tomb was named after the Roman Governor of the Province of Arabia, who was in office at the time of Hadrian in AD127. A carved head of a fertility goddess can be seen on the segmented pediment and is crowned by an (eroded) eagle.
Al-Khubtha High Places and Cistern
At least three high places were carved or built at the top of this mountain range. Several idol niches, cisterns and a large water reservoir are spread out on the flat top of the plateau. The main high place of Al Khubtha overlooks the west side of Petra with a view of the theatre and the main city center of Petra.
Pharaoh’s Column
This standing column lies on the route to Egypt via Naqb al- Ruba’I and is part of a ruined sanctuary.
Umm al- Biyara
This is a naturally fortified rock that is difficult to access and which rises 1000m above sea level. At the summit lie the remains of a settlement from the 7th- 9th centuries BC. The settlement consists of small houses that were built using rough stones without mortar.
Al Madras
Meaning oil press in Arabic Al Madras is situated high up on top of the mountain to the left of the Siq and contains the ruins of a high place, oil press and water cisterns. Al Madras still retains its Nabataean name and there is an inscription in a hall there that mentions Dushares as the god of Al Madras.
