AtlasIslamica
Petra and Nabataeans

Jinn Blocks

Carved from sandstone & intricate carvings, Jinn Blocks are three stone monuments which derives their name from Arabic word for spirit

Petra, Jordan

Coordinates: 30.322233, 35.464004

The Djinn Blocks are probably the first things you will see as you leave Petra Visitor Centre and walk the trial that leads to the Siq and the Petra Ruins.

They are as mysterious as they are impressive as nobody is quite sure what they were carved for.

The Djinn Blocks consist of three squat stone monuments named after the Arabic word for spirit (jinn) but the origin too of the English word genie.

Like most of Petra, they date back to the first century a.d. and were built by the Nabateans – for what exactly, it is unclear.

They make a fantastic introducton to Petra and all its mystique and are well worth a stop.

They were carved from sandstone, intricate carvings and are around 6 to 8 m high.

Once though to be the dwellings of spirits known as djinns, these are now thought to be tombs or memorials to the dead.

These are some of the first Nabataean monuments that you will see on your journey into Petra.

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Nymphaeum

The fountain that once gave life to it busy city centre, little remains of Nymphaeum and is marked by a 450 year old Pistacchio tree

Obelisk Tomb

Located on the path leading to The Siq, these quite extraordinary carved tombs are your first indication of what lies ahead

Siq – Entrance to Al Khazneh

Main entrance to the old city of the Nabatean Empire - Petra, and sacred to the nabatean people in the ancient times, the access is through a very narrow gorge and is about 1.2 kilometers long

The Urn Tomb

Named for the large jar that crowns the monument's top, The Urn Tomb is part of a wider tomb complex carved into the rock and is well worth your time

Street of Façades

Just past the Treasury, the path widens into an open section called the Street of Facades. Like a row of town homes, the street is lined with tall, impressive tombs and houses carved into the rock walls

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