As you exit the Siq, directly in front of you is the most well known building in Petra, the Treasury. It stands about 40 metres high and is carved from rose coloured sandstone. To me the most impressive feature was that it had no natural faults in the stone. It was carved to be impressive as the first building travelers would see but luckily as it was carved out there were no cracks or layers of different coloured rock to spoil its features.
The Treasury (or Al Khazneh).
It wasn't actually a treasury, it's believed to be a tomb. My dad told me that the Bedouins thought it held gold and that they would take pot shots with their rifles at the central carving believing that if they hit the right spot it would cleave open and spill all of it's gold. The bullet holes are still there to this day.
The Bedouin's bullet holes can still be seen on the central statue.
The 'postcard shot'.
The footholds carved out on the side of the facade by the stone masons can be seen all the way up the building. I wouldn't fancy it.
The upper level with footholds.
Here's The Sisters of Mercy featuring the rather lovely Mrs. Dave Vanian performing 'Dominion' which was filmed at Petra.
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