The Snake Monument, located in the southern part of Petra in Ath-Thugra, is a sculptural representation featuring a rock-carved snake coiled atop a block tomb, similar in style to the Djinn blocks at Bab al Siq. The Snake Monument in the Thugra area on the way to Jabal Harun offers clues to the role of serpents in the Nabataeans' religious practices. The tomb itself is shaped like a cube, and this is the earliest sculpture one can find at Petra, probably dating to the early second century BC. According to legend, the snake was meant to protect the tomb from burglars. The monument lies on the way to Jabal Harun and is situated along the ancient caravan route that led into Petra from southern Wadi Araba, Sinai, Egypt, and the Negev.

In the 19th century, many travelers, including Leon de Laborde and Linant de Bellefonds, entered Petra via this route. These explorers arrived in Petra on March 28, 1828, during a time when the plague was spreading widely in the village of Wadi Musa.