Everybody knows Petra is one of those travel destinations that will take your breath away: The ancient Nabataeans people carved the Red City out of massive sandstone cliffs in the Jordanian desert over 2,400 years ago. Today the Petra Archaeological Park includes hundreds of monuments from different periods in history including the marvelous Monastery also known as Al Dayr. Apart from the Petra Treasury, Al Dayr is the most visited monument in Petra.
The Petra MonasteryThe Monastery stands on a hill in the northwestern part of Petra apart from the other, more popular Petra sites. This means you’ll be able to get awesome shots of it without millions of tourists standing in your way.
Al Dayr probably dates back to the middle of the 1st century AD and would have been built as a tomb or place of worship for the Nabataeans, an ancient Arab civilization that can be traced back to the 6th century BC.
The Nabataeans were skilled engineers and merchants who controlled the ancient trade routes that passed through Petra from the Arabian Peninsula to the Mediterranean. In the Byzantine era, the Monastery was probably used as a church.
In more recent history the Monastery at Petra was featured in the 2009 movie Transformers.
The Best way is to take the Shuttle to the Village of Little Petra, north of the Petra Archeological Park. There, you can take a 4X4 ride to the mountain range leading to the Monetary.
Next is a walk on the ridge, as you take in the amazing views; the path is easy and takes about an hour. There are plenty of refreshment stops and Bedouin tent stands on the way. After several stone steps, you'll reach the iconic Petra Monetary.
The path leading to the Petra Monastery
Then you can take the long stairway down – 850 steps carved into the rock, and go back to the main Petra road. Here you can just go from one attraction to another:
The more challenging way is to go through the road East to West by foot, then Climb the 850 stairs of Ad Dayr Monastery and go back. Note that this one is only for hiking enthusiasts, who enjoy an 8-mile trek and a steep climb.
Pro Tip: If you really think you won’t make it, you can hire a local to take you up on his donkey. Oh, and if you’re walking look out for the donkey turds along the steps!
Yes, the Petra Monastery is definitely one of the best places for a birds-eye view across the Wadi Araba valley around Petra! But when you reach the Monastery you’ll see several signs saying “this way for the best view” so you’ll have to decide which one is more worthy.
The flat area in front of the Monastery was probably leveled out by man to make space for social gatherings or religious events. The Monastery itself consists of an intricately carved rock-cut facade that soars 47 meters high above those standing in the open area below. The facade is 48 meters wide and features typical Greco-Roman elements like a pediment, and a conical roof topped with an urn. All of these features were carved directly out of the rock face. But it is not just a beautiful facade, you can actually go inside the Monastery deep into the rock.
photos8.com (CC BY 2.0)The interior is a square chamber and in the wall, at the far end, you can see a niche cut into the rock framed by pillars. When the Monastery was in use, the walls would have been plastered and painted but none of the ancient interior decors has survived.
You might wonder why the Monastery has such a mish-mash of architectural styles (mainly Hellenistic and Mesopotamian-western Asia). Well, this is typical of Nabatean architecture because so many travelers and merchants passed through the ancient city bringing with them ideas and knowledge from other cultures. You’ll see that the Monastery’s facade looks like structures you’d see in Athens. But the tall tower-like structures on both sides of the facade; the single square chamber inside, and the 8-meter wide entrance are reminiscent of Mesopotamian architecture.
You’ll need at least 2 liters of water as a visit to the Monastery will take you about 2-2.5 hours (including hiking there, visiting, and hiking back). Try to visit Petra in the morning or late afternoon to avoid the heat, and if possible, don’t travel to Petra at the height of summer. Not only is it scorching hot but the crowds come in droves during the summer.
The Trail from the site to the Siq (by Alexey Komarov, CC BY 3.0)Pro Tip: Give yourself plenty of time to see the Monastery at Petra. It is about a 1.5-hour walk from the Visitor Center to the start of the Monastery hike, then you have the climb, the sightseeing, and the return hike back down. To do it justice, the Monastery can’t really be squeezed into a rushed trip to Petra. Rather take a 2-day tour where you stay overnight somewhere nearby like in Wadi Musa, and then continue exploring the Petra Archaeological Park the next day. Note that the site isn't wheelchair accessible, and includes climbing rocky stairs.
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