Palace Tomb facade in Petra, Jordan.

© Dietmar Rauscher/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Palace Tomb


The delightful three-storey imitation of a Roman or Hellenistic palace, known as the Palace Tomb, is distinctive among the Royal Tombs for its rock-hewn facade, the largest in Petra. The doors lead into typically simple funerary chambers while the 18 columns on the upper level are the most distinctive and visually arresting elements of the tomb. Notice the top-left corner is built (rather than carved) because the rock face didn’t extend far enough to complete the facade.


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