Sights and landmarks in Petra

Sights and landmarks in Petra

1. See

   Desert View

   If you follow the track further from the Monastery, you will reach a camp offering tea and stuff to sell, which offers a great view of the desert to the west.

2. See

   Monastery

   ad-Deir

   The largest carved monument in Petra, dates back to the 1st century AD. The interior, like that of the Treasury, is underwhelming in comparison to the façade. The more than 800 steps up to the Monastery can take over an hour, and even if you take a donkey you will have to walk and climb for about 10 minutes near the end.

3. See

   Nabatean Theatre

   At the end of the Street of Facades is the 7000-seat Roman Theater. The theater was created by the Nabateans but later enlarged by the Romans. It is still used for occasional performances.

4. See

   Royal Tombs

   On the side of the valley opposite the Roman Theater and a short walk up the hill, are the tombs. The name was given because they are quite grand in scale compared to the others in the area, but it is unclear for whom the tombs were built.

5. See

   Shoubak Castle

   Al-Shobak / Shawbak

   It is on a hill with spectacular views and a great for a stop when going south to Petra. Most of the castle is a pile of rubble but there are underground rooms to explore, including the staircase (through a metal door that should be open) that goes down 375 steps to the old wells (tunnel and staircase temporarily closed for renovations. July 2023). Take a torch. At the bottom, you can climb up metal rungs to a hatch next to the road below the castle, then walk back up the road. Along a side road to the castle, you can also find with a steep price of 25 JD, but maybe it can be bargained down to 15 JD, considering there is only space for one. Just nearby the owner of it also has regular rooms with dinner and breakfast.

   1 JD

6. See

   Siq

   The entrance to Petra is a long, winding sandstone canyon (about 2 km). There are minor carvings spotted here and there throughout the Siq, but the most impressive sights are the colorful and unusual sandstone patterns in the rock walls. There are also remains of terracotta pipes built into the sides of the canyon that were used in Roman times to carry water.

7. See

   Street of Facades

   Past the next bend is this part also sometimes called outer Siq, a large canyon lined with the facades of various tombs.

8. See

   Treasury

   Al-Khazneh in Arabic

   Upon exiting the Siq, visitors can view this jaw-dropping grandeur. Be sure to note the urn atop the Treasury structure, it has been rumored that the urn contained a Pharaoh's hidden treasure, and the urn bears the bullet pock marks where Bedouin travellers throughout the years have tested the theory. Get there when the park opens at 06:00 or 06:30 (depending on the season) and you may have the Treasury all to yourself or with fewer than 5-10 people around and no vendors.

9. See

   Wadi Musa

   This is the city next to Petra, doesn't have any big touristic attraction except for a great panorama from uphill.

10. See Not mapped

    Petra Museum

    A small museum with lots of great info and artifacts about Petra.

    free

11. See Not mapped

    Petra by Night

    Happens on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday at 20:30 (be there at 20:15!). Entrance fee is 17 JD and you do not need a day pass. Order your tickets at your hotel, or buy them at the site's visitor center. The approach to the Treasury through the Site is lit only by candles. Musicians will play about 15 min of Bedouin music, and you'll be served some tea in paper cups while you sit on mats at the Treasury. It's best to see this before you see Petra by day, as it becomes far less impressive if you already walked up to the Treasury during daytime. It's not amazing, but it's something nice to do during nighttime. However, there are really mixed reviews of this.

12. See Not mapped

    Princess Alia Clinic, Brooke Hospital for Animals

    Just inside the entrance to the park. As you can witness inside Petra, not all donkeys, horses and camels are treated right. A few are overworked, carrying overweight tourist or being excessively whipped. The Brooke charity educates owners about the treatment of equestrian working animals and treats the animals for free. The clinic is happy to tell you about conditions for working animals in Jordan. You can give a donation to the clinic.

13. See

    Byzantine Church

14. See

    The Great Temple

Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to Petra (CC BY-SA 4.0).