Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
From the Treasury to the Theatre
Set deep in the rock and protected by the valley walls,
the magnificent 1st-century BC Treasury creates a
T
formidable first impression of Petra. As its design had no
precedent in the city, it is thought that architects from the
Hellenistic Near East were brought in to create it. From the
Treasury the path leads into the
T Outer Siq, lined on both
sides with tomb
s
of all sizes, some half buried by risen
ground levels. At the end of the
A Outer Siq, in the midst of
this great necropolis, is the Classical Theatre. Started by
the Nabataeans and possibly added to by the Romans, it
was a project requiring advanced engineering skills.
Treasury Tholos
The central figure may be
the Petran fertility goddess
El-Uzza. Bullet marks in
the tholos and urn have
been made over the years
by Bedouin attempting to
release hidden treasure.
The Outer Siq
From the Treasury to the
Theatre tombs display a
range of intermediate design
styles. One, freestanding,
uniquely combines Classical
features with a crowstep
used as a battlement.
Attic” burial chambers
device to protect
mals
The
footho
have
the scu
THE OUTER SIQ
The artwork above shows some
of the major constructions on the
left-hand side of the Outer Siq as
you walk from the Treasury to the
T
Theatre. In reality, of course, the
route bends and twists and on
both the left and right sides are a
great number of other tombs and
features of architectural interest
that could not be included.
Treasury Interior
A colossal doorway dominates
the outer court
(left)
and
leads to an inner chamber of
12 sq m (14 sq yards). At the
back of the chamber is a
sanctuary with an ablution
basin, suggesting that the
Treasury was in fact a temple.
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp262-3 and pp279-80
