Petra - Jordan - page 350

signed and expanded by the Byzantines around AD 530. It eventually burned down, and
was then destroyed by repeated earthquakes. It has recently been restored by the Americ-
an Center of Oriental Research in Amman.
Inside the church are some exquisite Byzantine floor mosaics , some of the best in the
region. The mosaics originally continued up the walls. A helpful map and explanations in
English are located inside the church.

Al-Habis
Beyond Qasr al-Bint is the small hill of Al-Habis (the Prison; Click here ) . From the
Nabataean Tent Restaurant, steps lead up the hill to the small Al-Habis Museum
Offline map ( 8am-4pm) , the smaller of Petra's two museums. The classical statues,
tiny figurines and painted stuccowork on display lend a human dimension to the huge
scale of the site.
If you continue up the steps, beyond the museum, a little-used path leads around the
back of Al-Habis, with striking views of fertile Wadi Siyagh and the junction with Wadi
Numeir. The path soon skirts the tea shop and comfortable cave home of Bdoul Mofleh,
one of the last residents of Petra. Asked why he didn't leave when the rest of his family
were relocated to Umm Sayhoun, he replied, 'Why would I? This is my home; I've al-
ways lived here.' With a view to die for, and a garden of flowering jasmine, it's easy to
see why this hardy resident chose to stay. Notice the red-capped aloe, standing to attention
in early summer, billeted across the cliffs opposite.
The path continues around the hill, past the Convent Group Offline map of tombs to
a flight of steps. These lead in turn (via a wooden plank bridge) to the top of Al-Habis, an-
other of Petra's many High Places. At the summit (allow 10 to 15 minutes to reach the
top) are the limited ruins of a small Crusader fort Offline map , built in AD 1116 by
Baldwin I. The ruins are not impressive, but the views across the city certainly are.
From here you can either hike, via Pharaun Column Offline map (a good landmark),
to Snake Monument in Wadi Thughra or along Wadi Farasa to the High Place of Sacrifice.
Alternatively, complete the circuit of Al-Habis by descending the hill behind Qasr al-
Bint. On your way down, look out for the Unfinished Tomb Offline map . It offers a rare
glimpse of the way the Nabataeans constructed their rock tombs, starting at the top on a
platform of scaffolding and working their way down. Nearby is the enigmatic Colum-
barium Offline map , whose multiple niches remain a mystery; some suppose they
housed votive images or urns, others say this was a dovecote for pigeons.

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