Djinn blocks in Petra, Jordan.

© nexusby/Shutterstock

Djinn Blocks


About halfway between Petra Visitor Centre and the entrance to the Siq, look out for three enormous, squat monuments, known as Djinn Blocks or God Blocks. Standing guard beside the path, they take their name from the Arabic word for spirit, the source of the English word 'genie'. Other than the fact they were built by Nabataeans in the 1st century AD, little is known about their why or wherefore.

Many visitors miss the blocks in their hurry to reach the Siq but they are worth a pause to speculate about their purpose. Some suggest they represent the start of tombs, or were associated with funerary dedications or the worship of water and fertility. Whatever their intended function, they are the lodestar for the modern visitor – a tantalising taste of the monuments to come, or announcing journey’s end on the weary return.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Obelisk Tomb & Bab As Siq Triclinium

0.11 MILES

Between the Petra Visitor Centre and the entrance to the Siq (south side of the path), there is a fine tomb with four pyramidal obelisks, built as…

2. Petra

0.19 MILES

The spectacular sandstone city of Petra was built in the 3rd century BC by the Nabataeans, who carved palaces, temples, tombs, storerooms and stables from…

3. Eagle Monument

0.23 MILES

Carved into a niche in a cliff near the entrance to the Siq is a beautiful eagle with outstretched wings. This bird is often depicted in ancient times as…

4. Petra Exhibition

0.25 MILES

Awaiting the completion of a new home (currently being built across from the Petra Visitor Centre), this excellent exhibition makes the most of more than…

5. Siq

0.52 MILES

The 1.2km Siq, or canyon, with its narrow, vertical walls, is undeniably one of the highlights of Petra. The walk through this magical corridor, as it…

6. Al Wu’ira

0.76 MILES

Built by the Crusaders in AD 1116, Al Wu’ira was overrun by Muslim forces 73 years after construction. An impressive old bridge (previously a drawbridge)…

7. Sacred Hall

0.79 MILES

The Sacred Hall may have had ritual connections with the Treasury, diagonally opposite.

8. Treasury

0.79 MILES

Known locally as Al Khazneh, this tomb is where most visitors fall in love with Petra. The Hellenistic facade is an astonishing piece of craftsmanship…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting:
    {
      "url": "jordan/the-ancient-city/attractions/djinn-blocks/a/poi-sig/1501740/1332397",
      "position": "superzone"
    }