Siq

The Siq (Arabic السيق, DMG as- Siq, the bay ') is a 70 m deep canyon of 1.5 km in length in Jordan and forms the entrance to Petra. The Siq was deeply dug by the waters of Wadi Musa, a temporary mountain stream, which swelled after heavy rains and shot through the gorge into the rock.

Special

The Nabataeans used the Siq as well secure access to their city. At the same time they conducted the bed of Wadi Musa by a 86 m long tunnel in a side valley to, so he did not pour through the Siq and people could put you in danger. At the entrance of the Siq, they built a large sheet, of which only a few traces remain in the rock wall. This gate could have been closed by doors and used as a fortification. The arch was probably built in the first century after Christ. Also in the Siq itself the Nabateans have left traces. The road was lined with water tubes, ran the water in terracotta pipes through the gorge. In addition, the floor was paved Roman model. Be found on both rock walls always small Votivnischen and steles, allow conclusions to a special religious significance of the Siq to the Nabataeans. In the niches were probably mainly Betyle - the Nabataeans built especially in the early days of their gods no statues, but presented their gods represent symbolically - for example in the form of a cube or a truncated pyramid. Of these so-called Betylen can be found in many Petra. At the output of the interior Siq is the facade of the Khazne al - Firaun. The Siq extended here to the so-called Outer Siq.

Swell

• Fabio Bourbon: Archaeological Guide: Petra - The mysterious rock city. Cologne 2004, ISBN 978-3-89893-564-7

• Canyon
• Geography (Jordan)
• Nabataeans
• Rock architecture
• Petra (Jordan)