Wadi Musa, Jordan
Coordinates: 30.324210, 35.497787
Wadi Musa (Valley of Moses) is a town located in the Ma’an Governorate in southern Jordan.
It is said that the Hz. Musa عليه اسلام passed through the valley and struck water from the rock for his followers at the site of Ain Musa (“Moses’s water spring” or “Moses’s Well”).
The Nabateans built channels that carried water from this spring to the city of Petra.
Wadi Musa was also nicknamed the “Guardian of Petra”.
The Tomb of Hz. Harun عليه اسلام, the brother of Hz. Musa عليه اسلام, is on nearby Mount Hor.
Ain Musa is one of two possible locations in Jordan for the site where Hz. Musa عليه اسلام supposedly struck the rock with his staff and water gushed forth to his followers. The other possible site is near Mt Nebo.
The spring still flows but is now housed within a simple modern three-domed building occasionally visited by local pilgrims. The site is located near the King’s Way Hotel, at the main junction into Wadi Musa from the north.
It is a must see place in Petra from religious point of view as well as the source of water to the ancient Vegas(Petra) of the world.
Although it was the main source of fresh water for the local town until the 1860s, only two of the 12 springs mentioned remains today.
Ain Musa was used as a strategic stronghold by the Israeli army during their occupation of Sinai from 1967, but it was recaptured by Egyptian forces in October 1973. Surrounding palm groves were damaged during the Sinai conflicts.
The springhead is under the rock, which is in a small building.
It’s very close to Petra and won’t take more than 5 minutes to visit.
Admission is free. As you can see from the pictures, the interior is not large.
There isn’t much water; it trickles down from the mountain. If you have a checklist of religious sites in Jordan, this should be on the list and a good reason to visit.
Know This
Its hard to find a parking spot nearby, in case you are driving.
