Temple of the Winged Lions

The Ancient City

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The recently excavated Temple of the Winged Lions, built around AD 27, is named after the carved lions that once topped the capitals of each of the columns. The temple was probably dedicated to the fertility goddess, Atargatis, the partner of the male god Dushara. Fragments of decorative stone and painted plaster found on the site of this once important temple are now on display in Petra Visitor Centre.

The fragments suggest that both the temple and entry were handsomely decorated with a colonnaded entry of arches and porticoes that extended across the wadi.

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