WINGED LION TEMPLE

How to get there. On the hill in front of the "Great Temple", below the Byzantine church.

Visit. The earthquake of 363 destroyed this complex which included a temple and infrastructures related to the practice of worship. The temple takes its name from the capitals adorning its columns, representing winged lions. Excavations undertaken here between 1974 and 2005 have found objects of worship dedicated to the goddess Hayyan, also known as Al-Uzza. This was the most revered female deity in Petra. The temple was probably completed around 25, when Petra was at its peak. It was accessed from the main street by a bridge that spanned the Wadi Musa and entered a propylaeum, a monumental staircase framed by high walls and columns. The sanctuary consisted of a raised platform in the center of which was placed a betylus. The niche was encircled by 12 columns with capitals decorated with winged lions. They served as sacred guards, capable of warding off spells. The columns were positioned so as to form an ambulatory path around the niche. A liwan, or vaulted terrace, was uncovered to the southwest of the temple, with arches once rising 5.75 m above the ground. The rooms uncovered to the north of this terrace probably served as residences for the priests as well as workshops for the making of cult objects. A project to safeguard and develop the site, including the Bedouin, was set up in 2009.