Ad-Deir, "the Monastery," Petra

This is the 2nd famous location at Petra after the Treasury (see the Petra post). And it is sometimes mistaken for it's more famous neighbor. It is unlikely that this was actually a monastery. It probably was carved as some sort of religious site, and it seems likely that it may have been used as a church in the Byzantine period
It is located on the ridge high above the valley of Petra. In fact, the climb to reach it involves climbing more than 900 steps.
The 1st picture is ad-Deir. The 2nd picture is an open flat area nearby that could have been part of the purpose of the ancient site. The 3rd picture is of rock carvings opposite the area in the 2nd picture.
The 4th picture is a paved walkway leading away from ad-Deir towards the places that overlook the surrounding area
The 5th and 6th pictures are a couple of the views over the surrounding wadis.Read more