Petra Tour: The Siq
The main access to Petra is a 1.2 km long gorge with steep walls up to 70 m high. Along the way there are remains of Nabataean water channels, cult niches and other interesting sights.
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At a short distance behind Sabinos Alexandros Station, a two-piece, larger-than-life camel relief can be seen at a sharp bend on the south side of the Siq. It shows two camels with their guide going into town and two others in opposite direction. Both groups are separated by a narrow and steep gorge from which streams of water pour into the Siq when it rains, which will have been considered by the Nabataeans as a place with a strong divine presence. Just to the right is a betyl niche.
In the summer of 1997, the Antiquities Administration had the rubble in the Siq - alluvialised over centuries-, removed down to the ancient pavement using heavy machinery. This exposed the legs of the camels and their guide as well as the water channel behind them (top photo). Therefore, they are better preserved than the upper, always unprotected areas.
There was a long discussion among researchers whether one of the camels might be carrying a betyl and therefore it could be a procession. However, according to more recent findings, the group is interpreted as a trading caravan.
© Photos, text: Haupt & Binder
The main access to Petra is a 1.2 km long gorge with steep walls up to 70 m high. Along the way there are remains of Nabataean water channels, cult niches and other interesting sights.
A betyl (Semitic: bait-el = house of God; Greek: baitylos) is an aniconical God symbol, usually in the form of a vertical rectangular plate or stele. It can also be a negative form in a niche. Often there are several betyls in a niche next to each other, on top of each other or grouped together. "The betyl is not a representation of the God, neither an image of the God, nor an idol. As a medium of the presence of the God, however, it can also experience cultic veneration. This in turn means that in the act of worship, one could offer sacrifices and gifts to the betyl." (R. Wenning, 2007. Transl. UiU)