Byzantine Church

The Byzantine Church of Petra is an early Christian basilica dating to the late 5th or early 6th century CE, set within the UNESCO World Heritage landscape of the ancient Nabataean city. Excavations conducted in the 1990s by the American Center of Oriental Research uncovered over 70 square metres of remarkably preserved mosaic floors, depicting animals, seasonal allegories, and mythological figures — an unexpected Christian layer in a site overwhelmingly associated with Nabataean culture. The site gained further scholarly significance with the discovery of roughly 140 carbonised papyrus scrolls in an annex room, many containing Byzantine administrative records that shed new light on the governance of late-antique Petra. A purpose-built shelter now protects the mosaics from the elements, allowing visitors to view the excavated floors up close.