How big is the Monastery in Petra?

It is one of the largest monuments in Petra, measuring 47m wide by 48.3m high. It was built on the model of the Khazna but here the bas- reliefs are replaced by niches to house sculptures. A columned portico extends of the façade; the interior is occupied by two side benches and altar against the rear wall.



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Distance and Difficulty: The Petra Monastery Trail is 2.5km / 1.6 miles return from the end of the Petra Main Trail (4km in). Medium walk, steep with lots of stairs, but not too long (in my opinion, the Petra map says hard).

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Al-Deir, alias the Monastery is the largest monument of Petra. Although very impressive, it is less known as more difficult to reach. Indeed, you need to climb roughly 850 steps to get the privilege to admire it. But it is worth it, and I am not the only one to say it.

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The Main Trail - Hiking up Following the main trail, the journey from the Basin to the Monastery takes around 40 minutes. There are about 800 steps to the top. This is one of the more challenging walks at Petra, but it's not a particularly difficult hike. There are just lots of steps and the path is uneven at times.

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Hidden high in the hills, the Monastery is one of the legendary monuments of Petra. Similar in design to the Treasury but far bigger (50m wide and 45m high), it was built in the 3rd century BCE as a Nabataean tomb.

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Petra, ancient city, centre of an Arab kingdom in Hellenistic and Roman times, the ruins of which are in southwest Jordan.

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Now, however, archaeologists are discovering that ancient Petra was a sprawling city of lush gardens and pleasant fountains, enormous temples and luxurious Roman-style villas.

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The Monastery, for example, was a temple which also featured a great dining room. There is also the Theatre, which, as its name suggests, is a theatre built after the Hellenistic fashion. There are also spaces that have been identified as markets, and an audience hall found in the Great Temple.

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Petra is well-equipped with toilets, with toilet blocks at the visitor's centre, near the Theatre and museum. There are also portaloos at the start of the Siq and at a couple of cafés.

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It is believed that Moses' brother Aaron died and was buried in the Petra area and a white-domed mosque, built in the 14th century, commemorates this.

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The seventh and final site was the ancient city of Petra in Jordan, unknown to much of the world before 1989. That year, the city's carved rose-red sandstone facades were featured in the blockbuster film Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade. In the film, Petra stood in for where Indiana Jones finds the Holy Grail.

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The trail for the Little Petra to Petra Walk starts at the left of the car park, behind the souvenir shops (it really isn't obvious!). From here the track goes out into the desert following jeep tracks, and you pass by Bedouin tents, goats, camels and the occasional stray dog that loved menacingly barking at us.

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While one day is certainly enough to see the highlights of Petra, spending 2 to 3 days makes it possible to visit at a more leisurely pace. Spending more than one day at Petra also means you're able to explore some of the lesser known sites and trails.

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Petra is a lot of work: walking, walking, more walking, and climbing stairs. Unless you ride donkeys and camels, in which case it's still a lot of work, only the kind that earns you the money to pay for all of it. Petra: worth it. C'mon, it's one of the wonders of the world, at least by popular vote.

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The Royal Tombs of Petra consist of of four distinct tombs: the Urn Tomb, the Silk Tomb, the Corinthian Tomb, and the Palace Tomb.

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