Great Temple

The Great Temple at Petra is a Nabataean monumental complex covering roughly 7,560 m² in the heart of the ancient rock city, positioned just south of the Colonnaded Street. It was likely completed under King Aretas IV in the early first century AD — the same ruler who, according to the Apostle Paul, held authority over Damascus. The complex features a grand propylaeum, upper and lower temenos terraces, and a distinctive central sanctuary decorated with Nabataean-style capitals carved with elephant heads, hinting at possible Hellenistic and Eastern influences in the dynastic court's cosmology. Excavations led by Brown University since the 1990s continue to uncover new details about the structure's phased construction and ritual use. The site is accessed on foot from the Colonnaded Street over uneven sandstone terrain, with no wheelchair access.