Ma'an
Ad Deir is the largest of Petra's rock-cut facades, carved in the 1st century AD high on the mountain north-west of the city centre. It is around 47 metres…
Ad Deir is the largest of Petra's rock-cut facades, carved in the 1st century AD high on the mountain north-west of the city centre. It is around 47 metres high and 48 metres wide, and is thought to have been a hall for gatherings in honour of the Nabataean king Obodas I. Its Arabic name, the Monastery, comes from crosses scratched on its inner wall in the Byzantine period. The way up is a path of roughly 800 steps cut into the rock, which climbs from near Qasr al-Bint and takes most visitors about 45 minutes. Opposite the facade there are cafés and paths out to viewpoints over Wadi Araba.