BAB AS-SIQ

How to get there. Bab As-Siq is the portion of Wadi Musa that runs from the Visitors' Center to the entrance of the Siq.

Visit. The temptation is great to go down the Bab As-Siq to reach the Siq and the Treasury as quickly as possible. This wide sandy canyon slopes gently down to the ancient city of Petra, forming a natural bed for an ephemeral river during the rainy season. Its beige sandstone walls have some interesting relics that start with the Djinn Blocks. We recommend that you make stops at the beginning of your visit, as you will be exhausted on your return and much less receptive.

The Snake Tomb. Shortly after the Djinns' Blocks, on the left. Few visitors step over the horse track and dry river bed to see this small tomb. It is hidden inside a large boulder that you can see from the recent staircase built to access the tomb. On the wall of the gallery leading to the entrance, you will notice two nephashot engraved in the stone. They symbolize the spirit of the dead. The tomb is remarkable for its two bas-reliefs. Be careful not to fall into one of the mortuary cavities to admire them on the right wall. The first one represents two snakes attacking a quadruped. They are the guardians of the tombs, charged with repelling evil spirits. The second bas-relief, at the end of the wall, represents a horse carrying a betyl on its back, inspired by the religious processions that took place in the Nabatean period.

The Tomb of the Obelisks. After the Tomb of the Snakes, on the left side of Wadi Musa. Easily recognizable by its "obelisks," this burial complex is unique in Petra. It includes a triclinium on the first floor and a tomb on the upper level. Although very different in style, the two buildings were built in the same period, during the reign of Malichos II (40 - 70), by a certain Abdmanku. As mentioned on the inscription engraved on the rock opposite, the tomb was intended to accommodate the burials of Abdmanku and his descendants until the end of time. The triclinium was a banquet hall, very common in antiquity, with three benches where participants sat. It was used to prepare feasts to honor the dead. The façade of the triclinium has been largely damaged by natural events. Nevertheless, some elements of classical Nabataean architecture can be seen, such as the pilasters and semi-columns topped with horned capitals or the pediments over the entrance and the building. Inside, the room includes the three raised benches that were accessed by steps cut into the corners. The back wall was fitted with two loculi intended to receive the bodies of the deceased. Two tombs were also built outside the triclinium, on the sides. The main tomb, located above the triclinium, is topped by four nephashot, obelisks representing the spirits of the dead. A cartouche inserted between two nephashot seems to represent Abdmanku. The interior of the tomb comprises four tombs, the main one of which is installed under a vast arch cut into the back wall. A circular bench has been carved in the esplanade to the right of the tomb, allowing visitors to perform rituals in honor of the deceased. The basin below is a later addition, perhaps to collect rainwater. A larger cistern was dug to the left of the triclinium, halfway up the hill to the tomb.

Tricliniums of Aslah. On the right bank of Wadi Musa, climb to the plateau just before the bridge that marks the entrance to the Siq. The triclinium complex at Aslah attracts few visitors, as it is hardly visible from the main path. It is, however, the oldest Nabatean work in Petra, dated to 96 BC. A group of rocks was hollowed out to be transformed into tricliniums, the rooms used for banquets to honor the dead. The triclinium of Aslah is the largest of them, located in the center of the small plateau. It is distinguished from the others by its series of 18 votive niches dug into its façade. The rock on the left was the site of a tomb built almost a century later. It probably dates from the end of the first century BC. Inside, each of the walls was provided with a niche. The largest and most elaborate one is on the back wall. At its feet was dug the main tomb. This is preceded by another tomb, which was probably added later. In total, this tomb has 10 graves. They were closed by heavy stone slabs. Excavations carried out between 2010 and 2012 revealed the presence of an ancient brick building erected just in front of the tomb entrance. A few meager pieces of wall can be seen as well as the holes dug for the foundation. The notches in the façade (these are not votive niches) were intended to receive the vaulted arches of the building. Climbing to the top of the rocks of the tricliniums of Aslah, one can see about fifty tombs dug into the ground. It is very likely that these tombs were attached to the triclinium below and were intended to house all the members of the principal's clan. However, none of the tombs stand out from the others and it is not clear which one was intended for the patron.