Al Khazneh Temple, Petra, Nabatean Kingdom

©Balint Kasza/500px

Treasury

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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. Although carved out of iron-laden sandstone to serve as a tomb for the Nabataean King Aretas III (c 100 BCE–CE 200), the Treasury derives its name from the story that an Egyptian pharaoh hid his treasure here (in the facade urn) while pursuing the Israelites.

Some locals clearly believed the tale because the 3.5m-high urn is pockmarked by rifle shots. As with all rock-hewn monuments in Petra, the interior is unadorned. The Treasury is at its most photogenic in full sunlight between about 9am and 11am.


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1. Sacred Hall

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

2. Royal Tombs

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Downhill from the Theatre, the wadi widens to create a larger thoroughfare. To the right, the great massif of Jebel Al Khubtha looms over the valley…

3. Street of Facades

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From the Treasury, the passage broadens into what is commonly referred to as the Outer Siq. Riddling the walls of the Outer Siq are more than 40 tombs and…

4. Obelisks

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At more than 6m high, these remarkable structures are carved out of the rock face, not built upon it: looking at the negative space surrounding them, it's…

5. High Place of Sacrifice

0.27 MILES

The most accessible of Petra’s High Places, this well-preserved site was built atop Jebel Madbah with drains to channel the blood of sacrificial animals…

6. Siq

0.29 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…

7. Cistern

0.32 MILES

Hilltop Nabataean cistern with wonderful views of the Theatre.

8. Theatre

0.32 MILES

Originally built by the Nabataeans (not the Romans) more than 2000 years ago, the Theatre was chiselled out of rock, slicing through many caves and tombs…

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