Where applicable monuments are listed in both their Arabic and English names for easy reference

A   B   C   D   E   F   G   H   I   J   K   L   M   N   O   P   Q   R   S   T   U   V   W   X   Y   Z

C

Colonnaded Street

Three major phases of occupation are distinguished corresponding to the Nabataean period (1^st century B.C. – 1^st century A.D.), the Roman imperial period (2^nd – early 4^th century), and the Byzantine period (4th – early 7^th century A.D.).  This Roman paved road was the main street running through an important commercial section of the city and today the remains of these buildings can be seen on either side of the street.  The visible stretch of the Colonnaded Street extends from the Nymphaeum to the Temenos Gate.  Much of the Colonnaded Street was severely damaged by flash floods and only a short stretch of the original paving stones remains today.  The Colonnaded Street was excavated by Peter Parr in 1958-1964 and by the American Centre of Oriental Research (ACOR), under the direction of Pierre Bikai in 1997.

D

Al-Deir (Monastery)

An 800-step climb from the restaurants in the Petra basin leads to the largest façade in Petra.  Al-Deir was carved from the mountainside in the mid-first century A.D. and was an extremely important site of pilgrimage.  In fact it is believed, by an inscription nearby, that this monument was a triclinium possibly used for banquets in honour of the deified King Obodas I.  The monument was also re-used during the Byzantine period in the 5^th century A.D. as a church, hence the name “Monastery.”  Although al-Deir is less decorated and simpler in design compared to other monuments, it still remains one of Petra’s most magnificent monuments and has a breathtaking view of Wadi Araba.  The al-Deir Plateau was explored by Naturhistorische Gesellschaft Nürnberg (NHG), under the direction of Manfred Lindner in 1982 and 1983.

Djin Blocks

The funerary monuments known popularly as the “Djin Blocks” are located on the way to the entrance of the Siq (Bab al-Siq area) and in the vicinity of the Snake monument.  These monuments are cut from the bedrock in the form of a quadrangular tower.  Although their exact date is not known, they are believed to be the earliest Nabataean funerary monuments, and could date back to the 2^nd or early 1^st century B.C.  Archaeologists agree that the Djin Blocks had a funerary significance.  In his research in 2006, Michel Mouton (IFPO/Centre Nationale de la Recherche Scientifique) has shown that they are a part of a tradition originating in the Arabian Peninsula.  The blocks themselves were not tombs but commemorative monuments adjacent to subterranean tombs, whose accesses have been found (except for one of them).  Tombs found on top and inside the blocks are a later reuse.

Dorotheos House

Along the banks of Wadi Mataha lies the Dorotheos House (the name was found inscribed in Greek), an elaborate complex of rock-carved cisterns, terraces, stairs, and a triclinium.