Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
At the time of writing the visitor centre was being rebuilt to house a greater range of fa-
cilities, and tickets were available from a portable building opposite. The construction is
expected to take at least two years.
NAVIGATING PETRA
The town of Wadi Musa is the transport and accommodation hub for Petra, as well as for other attractions in the vi-
cinity, such as Little Petra. The town is split roughly into three parts. The upper part comprises a few top-end hotels
lining the main road, each of which has spectacular views of the weathered sandstone landscape. The town centre is
where most of the cheaper hotels, the bus station and shops are located. The lower part of town, a 10-minute walk
from the town centre, is where you'll find most of the top-end and midrange hotels, together with souvenir shops,
tourist restaurants and the famed Cave Bar.
Beyond this is the Petra Visitor Centre and entrance to Petra. The Ancient City is reached via the Siq, or gorge,
which begins after a 15-minute walk (or horse ride) from the entrance. See the boxed text (
Click here
) for details of
walking times. There is another entrance near the village of Umm Sayhoun but tickets can only be bought from the
main visitor centre.
Sights
There are over 800 registered sites in Petra, including some 500 tombs, but the best things
to see are easy to find and easy to reach. From the gate, a path winds 800m downhill
through an area called
Bab as-Siq
(Gateway to the Siq;
Click here
)
, punctuated with the
first signs of the old city.
See the boxed text (
Click here
)
for a handy explanation of archaeological terminology
used in this chapter. The following sights are, for the most part, in the order you are likely
to encounter them if you follow the most direct path through the city. There are signs in
English throughout Petra, helping to identify the main monuments.
A word of caution: the ancient city is strewn with 'high places', once used for sacrifice
or other ritual. These locations, all of which afford magnificent views and are a highlight
of a visit, usually involve a steep hike up steps to a hilltop where there is no railing or oth-
er safety features. Some readers have expressed dismay at this.
Djinn Blocks
Offline map
MONUMENT
