Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Just past the entrance, look out for three enormous, squat monuments, known as Djinn
Blocks or God Blocks. Standing guard beside the path, they take their name from the Ar-
abic word for spirit, the source of the English word 'genie'. Other than the fact that they
were built by the Nabataeans in the 1st century AD, little is known about their why or
wherefore - they could have been tombs, or funerary dedications, or even related to the
worship of water and fertility. Whatever their intended function, they are the lodestar for
the modern visitor - a tantalising taste of the monuments to come, or announcing jour-
ney's end on your weary return.
Obelisk Tomb & Bab as-Siq Triclinium
Further along the path to the left is a tomb with four pyramidal obelisks, built as funerary
symbols by the Nabataeans in the 1st century BC. The four obelisks, together with the
eroded human figure in the centre, probably represent the five people buried in the tomb.
The monument comes into its own at sunset when the obelisks are thrown into relief.
The obelisk tomb at first appears to be multistorey. In fact it was built on top of a much
earlier structure, with a Doric columned facade. This building is known as a triclinium, or
dining room, and is one of several in Petra. This is where annual feasts were held to com-
memorate the dead, although it's hard to imagine the conviviality of a banquet in the silent
hollow that remains.
Further down the track, a signposted detour to the right leads to several stepped tombs
carved into the tops of domed hills. It's a secret little place, missed by almost everyone in
their rush to get to the Siq.
MONUMENT
