HIGH PLACE OF SACRIFICE

How to get there. There are two ways to reach the High Place of Sacrifice. The first one, arduous, crosses the Wadi Mahafir, then climbs very steeply. It starts from the street of the Facades, just after the toilets on the left and before the theater. It takes about 50 minutes. The second one starts from the Qasr al-Bint and goes around it to the right. This is one of the most beautiful hikes in Petra. The hike takes between 2 and 3 hours. There are some steep parts, but you alternate between sun and shade.

Visit. The High Place of Sacrifice is located at the top of Jebel al-Madhbah, at an altitude of over 1,000 meters. From here, the views of Jebel Haroun (Mount Aaron) and Petra are spectacular. There were several "high places" in Petra, all of them open-air, spread over the heights of the city, perhaps according to a tribal code. At the end of the path, there is a first esplanade where two tapered obelisks, each 7 meters high, stand. At first, archaeologists gave them a religious meaning, thinking that they were the two main Nabatean gods Dushara and Al-Uzza. But the inscription zibb atuf left by one of the sculptors sows doubt. Indeed, it means "the penis of Atouf". On the other hand, the path of Wadi Mahafir does not have any votive niche or divine representation. The path that leads to the High Place of Sacrifice starts from this esplanade, through the quarry and between the remains of the high walls that may have formed a monumental gateway to the sacrificial place; on the right coming from the Street of Facades or on the left coming from Qasr al-Bint. The High Place of Sacrifice occupies an esplanade 65 meters long. The cultic rites were probably dedicated to the god Dushara, the most important of the Nabataean pantheon. Banquets were held on the platform in front of the altar. The participants sat on the stone benches that mark its perimeter. You will notice in the upper left corner (back to the altar), a groove that allowed water to flow out. The altar consists of a raised platform that housed betyls, preceded by a few steps. The priest stood at the top of the steps to make the incense offerings. A walkway allows one to go around the altar. The rock to the left of the altar was probably an altar of libation. It was probably hollowed out to store water for ablutions. A hole was made in the disc on the platform and a drain allowed the liquids to flow out.