Jordan - Petra, The High Place of Sacrifice

The start of the climb from The Street of Facades

The summit of The High Place of Sacrifice

Let the sacrifices begin......

Oh,... OK then.....

Obelisk

The Summit

View over the Street of Facades

Ann at the High Place of Sacrifice overlook

The Lion Fountain

The Garden Tomb

The Soldier's Tomb

The Triclinium of The Soldier's Tomb

Inside The Triclinium of The Soldier's Tomb

The Renaissance Tomb

Ann at the entrance to the Renaissance Tomb

Me - posing by some plain Tombs

Jordan Photos:-

A nice walk takes you to the High Place of Sacrifice from where there are good views over Petra.

The High Place of Sacrifice is in itself a little underwhelming. However it is the views and the circular return walk that makes it very worthwhile.

Nearby are a pair of obelisks, created by carving away the rock.

A short way on from the High Place of Sacrifice is a point from which there are superb views over Petra.

The most enjoyable walk we did was the return walk from the High Place of Sacrifice via Wadi Farasa ending up at the Great Temple. This walk takes you by several monuments which only a few other tourists see.

This monument had a water channel going down into the head of a lion, from which it spouted cool water. Unfortunately the head of the lion has long since perished.

A very tranquil setting for a tomb.

Health & Safety back home would have thrown a seizure here. Tourists from time to time have lent over too far & plummeted to their deaths.

This tomb is assumed to be of an unknown Roman soldier.

However it is not the Tomb but the Triclinium (the drinking hall) opposite which is of much more interest.

It is the only splendidly carved interior in Petra. You can also see in this photo the remains of the "benches" along which the celebrants (mourners?) would recline while drinking all their wine.

The naming of this Tomb is only about 1,500 years out. Maybe they ran out of catchy names for tombs?

I believe that the walls were originally plastered, hiding the fantastic natural patterning of the rock surfaces. What a shame.