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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The entrance to the Siq was crowned by a brick arch. It was probably built at the same time as the dam and bridge and the paving of the Siq in the decades before the turning point to the Common Era. It collapsed in 1896. Among the images above, the arch that still existed can be seen on a 19th century lithograph.
On the left side, the beginning of the arch is clearly visible, resting on a base carved out of the rock. Beneath it is a heavily weathered arched niche framed by pilasters and the drinking water canal on the south side of the Siq.
There is also a large arched niche on the right (northern) side. To the right of it you can see an aedicula carved into the wall, to which three steps lead up, probably to place betyls in the niche or to make offerings to them.
© 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)