Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The Siq: the Ancient Entrance to Petra
To reach the Siq, the narrow Gorge that leads into
Petra, you must first walk 900 m (half a mile) along
the wide valley known as the Bab el-Siq. This prelude
to Petra has many tantalizing examples of the Nabataeans'
appetite for sculpting monuments out of mountainsides.
The entrance to the Siq is marked by the remains of a
monumental arch. It is the start of a gallery of intriguing
insights into the Nabataeans' past. These include water
channels cut into the rock, Nabataean graffiti, carved
niches with worn outlines of ancient deities, Nabataean
paving stones, and eerie flights of steps leading nowhere.
As the Siq descends, it closes in and at its deepest, darkest
point unexpectedly opens out on Petra's most thrilling
monument - the Treasury
(see pp224-5)
Djinn Blocks
In Arab folklore these carved
blocks, of which Petra has 26,
house
djinn
(spirits). They
may have been tower tombs.
.
Obelisk Tomb and Bab el-Siq Triclinium
Two rock-cut tombs on the way to the Siq
stand one above the other. They seem to be
one complex but are, in fact, separate. The
upper, probably earlier, Obelisk Tomb shows
Egyptian inspiration. The lower structure,
known as the Bab el-Siq Triclinium (funer
r
ary dining chamber), is a superb illustration
of the Nabataean Classical style
(see p225)
.
A votive niche
, to one side of
the remains of the monumental arch
supports, was reached by steps.
FROM THE TICKET GATE, THROUGH THE SIQ, TO THE TREASURY
It is about 1.5 km (nearly one mile) from the ticket gate to the end of the Siq.
The route follows the course of a wadi which runs through the Siq and into
the city. As the Siq descends, almost imperceptibly, it becomes deeper and
narrower. At its narrowest point, the walls are only one metre apart.
Visitors'
Centre
h
Treasury
Siq
Ni
a
et
m
Resthouse
KEY
Parking
0 metres
250
Entrance
to the Siq
Obelisk Tomb and
Bab el-Siq Triclinium
h
h
0 yards
250
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp262-3 and pp279-80
