Ez Zantur Trail

Trail overview

This trail is an easy hike that starts at the Urn Tomb, one of the royal tombs on Khubtha Mountain's western slope. Visitors can admire the intricate details of these monumental tombs, offering insights into the area's rich history and culture. To get to the main trail, hikers must walk down to reach the main trail into the valley and then continue to the Rasasa elbow area. After that, they go westward, passing the Great Temple excavation, the Ornamental Garden and Pool Complex excavation, the Pharaoh's Column, and finally the ez-Zantur Nabataean mansion. The route offers a unique opportunity to enjoy stunning views, providing a comprehensive experience of Petra's natural beauty and rich history. The central Petra area is a bustling hub of activity, with markets, temples, and other structures that offer a deeper understanding of the Nabataean civilization. Exploring this area allows visitors to immerse themselves in the daily life and customs of the ancient inhabitants of Petra. Unfortunately, many disastrous earthquakes struck the city of Petra in 363, 551, and 749. As a result, the city was largely destroyed. Despite these natural tragedies, Petra remains a fascinating archaeological site that continues to draw people from all over the world. Today, it is considered one of the most iconic and well-preserved archaeological sites in the world.

Trail Details

Starting Point: Petra/Royal Tombs/Urn Tomb

Endpoint: Petra/ez Zantur

Category: Heritage/Environmental/Geological

Distance: 1.6 Km/2100 Steps

Calories Burn: 84 Calories

Duration: 0.30 - 0.45 Hours/Non-stop

Grade: Easy

Tour: One-way

Royal Tombs  

As these prominent monuments that overlook Petra’s city center have no inscriptions to identify them, they have been given monikers based on their characteristic features. From right to left, they are: The Urn Tomb, the Silk Tomb, the Corinthian Tomb, and the Palace Monument. The Urn Tomb derives its name from the funerary urn located on the pediment at the top of the façade. The Silk Tomb is the smallest of the four and has drawn acclaim for the brilliant banded coloring of its sandstone façade. Beyond it is the so-called Corinthian Tomb, named for the Greek Corinthian-style capitals of its upper story, which is closely patterned after the Khazna. The Palace monument is so named because its exterior is thought to reflect the actual façade of a Hellenistic or Roman-period palace. Like its Corinthian neighbor, this multi-story tomb features four entrances, each in reality opening onto a separate funerary chamber. While the Romans and Byzantines built walls to separate the dead from the living, the Nabataeans used terraced gardens to separate the necropolis from the living city instead of walls. There is also a large water system above the Royal Tombs, probably to supply water for houses and to irrigate the terraced gardens, which would have been in front of the tombs.

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.

Ornamental Garden and Pool Complex 

During the reign of the Nabataean king Aretas IV (9 BC–40 AD), a magnificent ornamental garden and pool complex (paradeisos) was laid out to the east of the "Great Temple. This was probably like a public paradise in the middle of the city, rich with vegetation, shaded trees, and surrounded by water.  The garden terrace, 67 x 53 m, is 6 meters above Colonnaded Street, while a 43 x 24 and 2.5 m deep pool complex is located adjacent. In the center of it stood an island pavilion with a stone base from which views of the garden paradise could be enjoyed. The interior of the pavilion was constructed such that two kline (dining chairs) could be placed opposite each other, allowing waiters to walk around them.

The complex was equipped with an intricate hydraulic system that fed the pool and also irrigated the garden terrace through stone conduits and ceramic pipelines.

Given its exquisite setting and intricate architecture, the complex appears to have been designed for Petra's wealthy population. Its prominent display of water and vegetation acted as a sign of the city's growing wealth.

The ‘Great Temple’ Complex

The 'Great Temple' complex, which covers 7560 square meters, is by far Petra's largest building. It is accessed via a monumental entryway, or propylaeum, and has two successive open-air sections at varying elevations. The lower precinct consisted of a large paved courtyard flanked on each side by triple colonnades. Each housed 60 columns made of carved drums, with imported limestone capitals adorned with carved elephant heads, exotic symbols of power. A number have been partially re-erected. Excavations have revealed that the upper precinct, accessed by a pair of monumental stairways, featured a small open-air theater with semi-circular tiered seating. Its small size and layout suggest that it may have been designed as a council chamber or a judicial

assembly hall. The presence of this theater and the adjoining columned courtyard suggests that the building served primarily as a civic complex under the patronage of the Nabataean royal house. The structure’s downtown location outside the Qasr al-Bint temple precinct points strongly to its secular function, although religious activities may also have taken place in this grand complex. The Great Temple Complex also includes a subterranean drainage system, baths discovered in the temple's west, and a workshop for producing plaster molds was discovered at the south end.

The Pharaoh's Column   

The Pharaoh's Column is situated behind the Great Temple, forming part of an unexcavated structure from a Nabataean sanctuary in ruins. Positioned along the ancient route to Egypt via Naqb al-Ruba'i, the column comprises 11 stone drums, with the lowermost one significantly eroded. Modern graffiti and scratches adorn its surface. Mentioned frequently in accounts of 19th and early 20th-century travelers to Petra, the column is flanked by fallen drums, suggesting its original towering height. Despite its current state of disrepair, the Pharaoh's Column remains a significant archaeological and historical landmark in Petra, bearing witness to the earthquakes of 363 and 551 that devastated the city.

Nabataean Mansion on ez-Zantur  

Excavations at the Nabataean mansion on Ez-Zantur commenced in the 1990s by the University of Basel and continued through the early 2000s. The site represents the remains of an opulent Nabataean private residence constructed in the early 1st century AD. Its layout is reminiscent of Hellenistic Greek architecture, featuring a central courtyard surrounded by reception rooms and servant quarters, as well as a section allocated for the homeowner's personal use. This private area, situated along the mansion's southern edge, comprises a central vestibule flanked by two grand chambers. These rooms, all boasting stone-paved floors, were adorned with ornate stucco and wall paintings imitating colorful paneled masonry. A notable architectural feature is a smaller, centrally located room adorned with elaborate wall paintings depicting imaginative, illusionistic interpretations of classical architecture. This artistic style, prevalent in Pompeii and Rome during the Augustan age (31 BC–14 AD), has been adapted locally at Ez-Zantur. In contrast to Roman examples, the paintings here are confined to a narrow section of the lower wall.