Petra - Jordan - page 358

are ruins of a 7th-century BC Edomite village at the top as well as several cisterns. There
are also many unexcavated tombs Offline map along the base of the eastern cliffs.
The return trip from Qasr al-Bint to Umm al-Biyara (the Mother of Cisterns) takes
about three hours and offers stunning mountaintop views over Petra (you can even spot
the Monastery). It's a fairly strenuous hike up hundreds of steps, but the trail is easy to
follow. Start the hike in the mid- afternoon when most of the path is in shade but don't
leave it too late as you don't want to be coming down in poor light.
From behind Qasr al-Bint, head to the Pharaun Column and descend to the road that
leads along Wadi Thughra towards Snake Monument. The path up the rock face starts
from the left of the largest of the rock-cut tombs on the southeast face of the mountain.
WADI SIYAGH
For a leg-stretcher that doesn't require a vertical take-off, try the trail that follows the dry
riverbed of Wadi Siyagh beneath Al-Habis hill. Once a residential suburb of Petra, the
wadi and the nearby slopes have unexcavated tombs and residences to explore and offer
some peaceful picnic spots once you pass the noisy restaurant generator.
Enter Wadi Siyagh opposite the Basin Restaurant. You'll soon see steps on the right
leading to the Painted House Offline map , one of the very few tombs in Petra that still
has traces of Nabataean frescoes. Further down, at a bend in the valley, is a Nabataean
quarry Offline map .
The main attraction further along the valley is the dense oasis of green bushes, water
pools and even waterfalls (in winter). In spring, the flowers are beautiful and in May and
June it's worth making the hike just to enjoy the oleander and seams of aloe.
The trail along Wadi Siyagh is easy to follow, but becomes a bit rough in parts as it as-
cends the wadi walls. Don't attempt the hike if rain is imminent because flash floods are
possible.
JEBEL HAROUN
Aaron will be gathered to his people: he will die there. Moses did as the Lord comman-
ded: they went up to Mount Hor in the sight of the whole community.
Numbers 20:26-27
Jebel Haroun (1350m) is thought to be biblical Mt Hor, where Moses' brother Aaron
(Haroun to Muslims) is believed to be buried. The small white shrine on top of Jebel
Haroun (off) was built in the 14th century, apparently over Aaron's tomb, and some
people consider this a place of pilgrimage. For most, however, the big drawcard of Jebel
Haroun is the superb panoramic view from the top.