Mughur al Nasara Trail

This trail starts at the Umm Sayhun gate. What makes the Mughur al Nasara Necropolis Trail unique is that it guides you through Petra's northern entrance, an ancient passageway carved into the rock, connecting the Bayda suburb in the north to Petra via the Mughur al Nasara Necropolis. However, most of the passage has weathered and includes steps. The trail leads through colorful sandstone formations, including Disi and Umm Ishrin, and reaches the Nasara Necropolis. The Mughur al Nasara Necropolis features rock-carved tombs, including Armors Tomb No. 649 and Tomb No. 676. The suburb, believed to be the Christian quarter of Petra, has small, cavetto tombs typical of Nabataean tombs in Hegra. The trail leads towards the royal tombs, a sight to behold. Embark on a journey of small shrubs, including retama and sea squills, and visit the Palace Tomb, Corinthian Tomb, Silk Tomb, and Urn Tomb. This trail offers visitors a different perspective of Petra, away from the more commonly visited areas.

Trail Details

Starting Point: Umm Sayhun Gate/Argoob Jumay`an

Endpoint: Petra/Urn Tomb

Category: Heritage/Environmental/Geological

Distance: 1.8 Km/2362 Steps

Calories Burn: 94 Calories

Duration: 0.45 - 1.00 HourS/Non-stop

Grade: Easy

Tour: One-way

Nabataean Rock-cut Road Leading to Mughur al Nasara

Historically, Petra had various entrances from different directions, with the Siq from the east being the most significant. What makes the Mughur al Nasara Necropolis Trail unique is that it guides you through Petra's northern entrance, an ancient passageway carved into the rock, connecting the Bayda suburb in the north to Petra via the Mughur al Nasara Necropolis. This carved rock passage offers a more secluded experience compared to the main entrance through the Siq, allowing visitors to explore Petra from a different perspective. It also provides stunning views of the surrounding landscape and archaeological sites along the way. Unfortunately, most of this carved rock passage has been weathered by rain, and some of it comprises rock-cut stairs. The southern entrance also to Petra is a rock-cut road located to the north west of the snake monument at al-Thugra. In the first half of it, you'll walk on colorful sandstone formations, the first part of which is formed of the pale, creamy gray Disi sandstone. After a short distance, you'll encounter the Umm Ishrin sandstone formations, which are mostly visible at the Nasara Necropolis.

Tomb 649  

Referred to as the Tomb with the Armors, this is also located at Mughur al Nasara necropolis and dated from the first century BC–first century AD. The tomb is approached by a long, but very weathered staircase. The tomb is unique for its intricately sculpted frieze of armors. The armors carved out of the rock here includes a long oval shield with two axe heads and a thunderbolt, a medallion with a medusa head, a cuirass (breastplate), a long oval shield with a medusa head at the center and an axe. The external façade is 12.5 m wide and 19 m high. The interior of the tomb consists of a broad chamber with an approximately square recess in the back wall, with a small loculus to the left of it, three loculi in the left side wall, and four loculi in the right side wall. Unfortunately, the lower part of the tomb’s façade is extremely weathered.

The Palace Monument 

The Palace monument is one of the most prominent monuments in Petra, sculpted out of the western slope of the Jabal al-Hubta rock massif, overlooking the city center. It is so named because its exterior is believed to resemble the façade of a palace from the Roman era, hence its name. This monument is a grandiose five-story façade (49 m wide and approx. 46 m high). Five doors on the first lower level are crowned with triangular or semi-circular gables and framed by engaged columns. Four internal chambers are accessible through the doors. A narrow passage connects the two central ones. On the second level, there are 18 columns that support the third storey, which was partially built with ashlar blocks. The fourth and fifth storeys are adorned with short pilasters and are partially damaged by erosion. A dam and a water reservoir behind the monument drain rainwater to a pool cut to the north of the monument podium. The monument was probably used for banqueting or funerary ceremonies. The Palace Tomb was probably built toward the end of the first century AD, or the early 2nd century AD.

Corinthian Tomb   

When Leon de Laborde visited Petra in 1828, he named it the Corinthian Tomb because of its Greek Corinthian-style capitals on its upper story, closely resembling those of the Khazna.

Its heavily weathered facade, measuring 27.55 meters wide by 28 meters high, consists of three levels. The lowest level is structured by eight half-columns. The middle level, especially on the left side, is also heavily eroded. It includes eight dwarf pilasters aligned with the level below. The upper level, featuring six columns, strongly resembles the Khazna. Despite its weathered condition, the intricate details and similarities to other well-known structures suggest a high level of craftsmanship and design. The facade is believed to have been constructed in the 1st century AD and is thought to have been part of a larger complex. Inside, there are four chambers. The three on the left are nearly square and without ornamentation. The primary chamber, larger in

size, contains three spacious recesses in the back wall, while the right side wall hosts four recesses of varying sizes, including a loculus. Traces of four water basins are visible in front of the tomb.

The Silk Tomb   

The Silk Tomb, or streaked tomb, named for the rich colors of its facade resembling an iridescent piece of silk draped on the rock, is one of the Royal Tombs renowned for its striking façade, characterized by swirls of differently colored rock and adorned with horizontal stripes of red, pink, white, brown, black, yellow, and orange. The width of the façade spans 10.8 meters, and its height reaches 19 meters. The monument is probably dated to the first half of the 1st century AD. Immediately on either side of the façade, there are chambers. Within the façade itself, the loculus is carved high up, flanked by two pilasters on each side of the rock face. These loculi were usually used to hold deceased individuals in ancient Nabataean times. The pilasters served as decorative elements to enhance the overall appearance of the façade.

The Urn Tomb  

Similar to its adjacent tombs, this graceful monument is carved deeply into the cliff face at the foot of the Khubtha Ridge, and it is most likely dated to the first half of the first century AD. This tomb derives its name from the jar that crowns the pediment. It is also sometimes called "the Court" or "Al Mahkama" by the Bedouin community, which thought the underground vaults served as prisons and the building served as a courthouse. It is actually a Nabataean tomb. The tall façade is decorated with engaged columns between pilasters. It has three niches; the central one is close to a human bust. From the courtyard, two doorways open onto an interior large hall (18.95 x 17.15 m), which was remodeled with the carving of three apses. A Greek Byzantine inscription records that the hall, which was originally a royal tomb, was converted into a church by Bishop Jason in AD 447. A monumental staircase built over vaults gave easy access to the church.