The Siq, Petra 
The Siq is a mile-long narrow gorge that leads into the city of Petra, emerging dramatically in front of the Treasury. To reach the Siq, you must first walk about a half a mile along the wide valley known as the Bab as-Siq.
If it all seems like quite a long walk, there are two pieces of good news: 1) you can rent a horse or donkey to carry you there; and 2) there are several interesting sights to see along the way.
What to See
The Bab as-Siq
The journey to Petra's center begins in the Bab as-Siq (Gate of the Siq), a modern gravel path with a side for horses and a side for pedestrians. Alongside is the path of the Wadi Musa, which carries water during the winter and early spring. In contrast to the famous "rose-red" hue of the rest of Petra, the Bab as-Siq is mostly white rock with subtle earth tones of browns and beiges.
Around the first corner is your first glimpse of Nabatean rock-carving: several huge god-blocks (or jinn-blocks), 6-8 meters high. They were probably representations of and houses for gods that stood guard over Petra's water supply, which ran nearby. The name "jinn blocks" was given by the Muslim Bedouin, who believed they contained Djinn, or desert spirits.
Map of the Siq.
The Obelisk Tomb and Bab as-Siq Triclinium
The first major monument visitors encounter in Petra is a few meters from the jinn-blocks. Although it looks like a single monument with an upper and lower half, the Obelisk Tomb (upper) and Bab as-Siq Triclinium (lower) are distinct entities and may even have been built at different times.
The obelisks of the Obelisk Tomb guard a rock-hewn cave containing graves; like the god-blocks, the obelisks probably represented a god and divine energy in material form. Between the four obelisks is an eroded figure in a niche. In the lower half, the Bab as-Siq Triclinium, is a dining room (triclinium) where feasts were held in honor of the dead — a practice that was also common among the Romans. Inside is a single chamber with benches on three walls.
The Siq
The Siq itself is invisible until you're almost upon it, where the path drops sharply down into the dramatic natural gorge. The Siq was formed when tectonic forces split the mountain in two, and the waters of the Wadi Musa flowed in and the winds blew through to gradually round the sharp corners into smooth curves. The Siq was originally framed by an ornamental arch; it collapsed in 1896, but its decorated abutments survive.
The path of the Siq winds around between high (150m), otherworldly-shaped and beautifully-colored sandstone cliffs for 1200 meters. The Siq sometimes widens to form broad, sunlit spaces in the echoing heart of the mountain, dotted with a tree or two; elsewhere, the walls close in to little more than a meter or two apart, blocking out nearly all heat and daylight.
Along the way are some small votive niches, shrines and carvings. Running alongside the path are water channels carved by the resourceful Nabateans to provide water to the city of Petra.
The end of the Siq is a dramatic moment, planned that way by the Nabateans to impressive their visitors. The gorge narrows, and the soft curves of the Siq frame a sunlit strip of extraordinary classical architecture: the Treasury.
The best time to climb to the monastery is in the afternoon: the path is mostly in shadown by then, and the sun will hit the facade of the Monastery straight on.
Map
Location map and satellite view of the Siq in Petra (centered at the Obelisk Tomb). Using the buttons on the left, zoom in for a closer look or zoom out to get your bearings. Click and drag the map to move around. You can explore all of Petra from space on our Petra Satellite Map.
Sources
- The Rough Guide to Jordan, 2nd ed.
