Columbarium


The multiple niches of the the enigmatic Columbarium remain a mystery; some suppose they housed votive images or urns, others say this was a dovecote for pigeons.


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1. Crusader Fort

0.02 MILES

At the summit of Al Habis are the limited remains of this fort built in AD 1116 by Baldwin I. The ruins are not impressive, but the views across the city…

2. Unfinished Tomb

0.06 MILES

Offers a rare glimpse of the way the Nabataeans constructed their rock tombs, starting at the top on a platform of scaffolding and working their way down.

3. Qasr Al Bint

0.09 MILES

One of the few free-standing structures in Petra, Qasr Al Bint was built in around 30 BCE by the Nabataeans. It was later adapted to the cult of Roman…

4. Al Habis

0.09 MILES

Beyond Qasr Al Bint is the small hill of Al Habis (the Prison). From the Nabataean Tent Restaurant, steps lead up the hill past a disused museum around…

5. Altar

0.11 MILES

The sacrificial altar in front of the Qasr Al Bint was once overlaid with marble, indicating that it was probably the main place of worship in the…

6. Temenos

0.12 MILES

The temenos was the sacred courtyard of the Qasr Al Bint and separated the commercial area of the city from the sacred area of the temple.

8. Temenos Gateway

0.15 MILES

Built in the 2nd century AD, the gateway originally had huge wooden doors and side towers. It marked the entrance to the temenos (sacred courtyard) of the…