Middle East - Anthony Ham [316]
Returning to the Theatre, the main path turns west along the colonnaded street, which was once lined with shops, passing the rubble of the nymphaeum en route to the elevated Great Temple and the Temple of the Winged Lions on the opposite side of the wadi. At the end of the colonnaded street, on the left, is the imposing Nabataean temple known locally as Qasr al-Bint – one of the few free-standing structures in Petra.
From Qasr al-Bint, the path leads towards two restaurants, on either side of the wadi. The one on the left is the Nabataean Tent Restaurant (lunch buffet JD10, drinks JD2; 11.00am-4pm); the one on the right is the more up-market Basin Restaurant (lunch buffet JD12.800, fresh orange juice JD2.500; 11.00am-4pm), run by the Crown Plaza Resort. Both offer a good range of salads and hot dishes. If these don’t appeal, there are plenty of stalls dotted around the site where you can buy water, herb tea and minimal snacks.
Behind the Nabataean Tent Restaurant is the small hill of Al-Habis (the prison). A set of steps winds up to Al-Habis Museum ( 8am-4pm), the smaller of Petra’s two museums. From here you can take a path anticlockwise around the hill with fine views overlooking fertile Wadi Siyagh. Eventually you will come to another set of steps to the top of a hill, the site of a ruined Crusader fort, built in AD 1116. The views across Petra are spectacular. Allow an hour to circumnavigate the hill and reach the fort.
Beside the Basin Restaurant is the Nabataean Museum ( 9am-5pm Apr-Sep, to 4pm Oct-Mar), the opening to Wadi Siyagh and the start of the winding path that climbs to one of Petra’s most beloved monuments, the Monastery. Known locally as Al-Deir, the Monastery is reached by a rock-cut staircase (a 45-minute walk to the top) and is best seen in late afternoon when the sun draws out the colour of the sandstone. Built as a tomb around 86 BC, with its enormous facade, it was most probably used as a church in Byzantine times (hence the name). Spare ten minutes to walk over to the two viewpoints on the nearby cliff tops. From here you can see the magnificent rock formations of Petra, Jebel Haroun and even Wadi Araba. On the way back down, look out for the Lion Tomb in a gully near the bottom of the path.
LONGER HIKES
There are numerous hikes into the hills and siqs around Petra. You need a guide for any hikes requiring overnight stops (it’s not permitted to camp within Petra itself), but there are many other smaller trails that can be easily hiked alone.
This adventurous scramble through Wadi Muthlim to the Royal Tombs (1½ hours) is an exciting alternative route into Petra if you’ve already taken the main path through the Siq. The hike is not difficult or strenuous, but there are several places where you’ll need to lower yourself down over-sized boulders. Don’t attempt the hike if it’s been raining or is likely to rain. The trail starts by entering the Nabataean Tunnel, by the dam just before the entrance to the Siq. Turn left at the painted arrow at a junction at the narrowest part of the trail.
Longer hikes include the long haul up Umm al-Biyara (a steep hour each way) and the day return hike to Jebel Haroun, crowned with the tomb of the biblical prophet Aaron (known to Muslims as Prophet Haroun). For each of these trails, walk to the Snake Monument and ask local Bedouin for the trailhead or follow a network of paths towards the obvious high points.
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FIVE TIPS ON PETRA FROM TRAVELLERS
Imagine ancient caravans Hidden in the