Petra - Jordan - page 355

not comfortable on the second boulder, turn back or you could get stuck between boulder
blockage two and three!
After 25 minutes from the start of the hike, look for the remains of a Nabataean dam
above the trail. Five minutes later, you'll meet a T-intersection where the trail joins Wadi
Mataha. Follow the painted arrow to the left. This is the most exciting part of the hike as
the canyon narrows to little more than a crack in the rock. You can see here how treacher-
ous this hike would be in a flash flood as there is little space between you and the parallel
walls. At certain times of the year you may have to splash through residual pools of water
here until at length you pass into the perfect picnic point. Surrounded by Nabataean
niches, and shaded on two sides almost all day, this little square of ancient Petra has a
presence far bigger than its dimensions.
From here, follow the cliff face to the left, past a series of little-visited tombs, including
Dorotheos' House Offline map and the Sextius Florentinus Tomb Offline map , until
you reach the Royal Tombs. Alternatively, you can turn northeast on a small track that be-
gins from the wadi almost opposite the Tomb of Sextius Florentinus, and explore the in-
teresting so-called 'Christian Tombs' of Moghar al-Nassara where excavations are ongo-
ing.
Note that if you are doing this hike in the opposite direction, you can find the entry to
the canyon after Dorotheos' House by following the curved wall around to the right -
niches mark the entry to the canyon.
Some parts of the canyon may be impassable if it's been raining. Flash floods occur
along Wadi Muthlim because the dam at the start of Petra's main Siq deliberately diverts
water along this wadi. As such, it's imperative that you don't start this trek if it's been
raining, is raining or is likely to rain soon. Your guide should have the latest information
on the condition of the route.
HIGH PLACE OF SACRIFICE TO PETRA CITY CENTRE
This one-hour hike starts from the High Place of Sacrifice and is a must. Refer to Click
here for information about getting to the High Place via the steps near the Theatre. It's
also possible to do this hike in reverse, making for a grand afternoon exit from the site.
From the top of the path, near the obelisks, a trail with steps heads down towards Wadi
Farasa (Butterfly Valley). The start of the trail is not obvious, so look for the helpful piles
of stones indicating the trail, or ask for directions at the drinks stand.
The hike is immediately rewarding with magnificent veined rock formations and wild
gardens of flowers. After about 10 minutes of descent, you'll come to the 5m-long Lion
Monument Offline map , where water was channelled to pour out of the lion's mouth
from the rock face above - an example of Nabataean engineering at its most sophisticated.