Near the entrance, along the path to the left, is a tomb with four pyramidal obelisks, built as funerary symbols by the Nabataeans in the 1st century BC. The four obelisks, together with the eroded human figure in the centre, probably represent the five people buried in the tomb. The monument comes into its own at sunset when the obelisks are thrown into relief.
The obelisk tomb at first appears to be multistorey. In fact it was built on top of a much earlier structure, with a Doric columned facade. This building is known as a triclinium, or dining room, and is one of several in Petra. This is where annual feasts were held to commemorate the dead, although it’s hard to imagine the conviviality of a banquet in the silent hollow that remains.
Near the Obelisk Tomb, further down the track towards the Siq, a signposted detour to the right leads to several stepped tombs carved into the tops of domed hills. It’s a secret little place, missed by almost everyone in their rush to get to the Siq.
