Petra: The Lost City

Whether you call it Petra, the Rose City or the Lost City, the last thing you will get in over your head about is its name when the object of interest has a historical landscape as vast and varied as its actual one. And yet, I can't assure you of my statement's veracity as it's prevailing to find oneself straying away from reality when one's palm spreads itself over the rock-cut architecture of Ad-Deir monastery. To stop oneself from contemplating the city's past, which includes the origins of its name, will be an inevitable yet lengthy task. Therefore, to assist you with it, we have put together a list of top tourist places to visit Petra Jordan.

TEMPLE OF THE WINGED LIONS

Situated in Petra's Sacred Quarter, this temple complex boasts a double colonnade, lions resting atop ancient columns, altars with niches and whatnot! Constructed by Nabataeans in honor of their goddess, its origins remain skewed to date. Despite it being wrecked by a massive earthquake in 363 CE, its architecture withstood the ravages of time. Investigations by scholars have afforded elemental insights into the beliefs, economy and society of the time.

HIGH PLACE OF SACRIFICE

Originally built to funnel the blood of sacrificial animals through its drains, this hallowed site was built in devotion to the Nabataean gods Dushara and Al 'Uzza. A noted instance of the dedication of the dead is its location atop a mountain of the altar, impatient to touch the sky, isolated from the mortal run grounds. It's one of the most accessible sites in Petra, except for the ones with chronic aches. However, mules are certain to be at their disposal.

THE URN TOMB

Distinguished for the massive urn that pinnacles the pediment, the Urn Tomb was built to serve as a burial site for the corpse of the Nabataean king, Malchus the Second. It is one of the two royal tombs in the ancient city. Byzantines transformed the site into a church and smoothed the floor besides building an altar. And yet, despite the reworkings carried out by their hands, the tomb stands as an epitaph of the delightful dance of Greek and local designs employed in its architecture.

THE GREAT TEMPLE

The Great Temple appears on the top when you search for attractions near me in Petra. Though it has relieved the appetites of those with a desire for theology, the like-mindedness towards the purpose of this Great Temple remains unresolved to date. Scholars still scratch their heads over the question of whether it was an administrative building or a place of singing verses of devotion. Renowned for its water management through two massive cisterns, the winding stairways are no less spectacular. As it parades its theatre of 600 seats dominating the temple interior, it fails to stop one from wondering about its significance more.

Author Name Tanya Gandhi