Al Khazneh

Al-Khazneh (Arabic: الخزنة; IPA: [al.xaz.na], "The Treasury"), also known as Khaznat el-Far'oun (treasury of the pharaoh), is one of the most elaborate rock-cut tombs in Petra, a city of the Nabatean Kingdom inhabited by the Arabs in ancient times. As with most of the other buildings in this ancient town, including the Monastery (Arabic: Ad Deir), this structure was carved out of a sandstone rock face. It is thought that Al-Khazneh was built as a mausoleum and crypt at the beginning of the 1st century AD during the reign of Aretas IV Philopatris. It is one of the most popular tourist attractions in both Jordan and the region.

Al-Khazneh means "The Treasury" in Arabic, a name derived from legends regarding the decorative stone urn high on the second level, which in reality is solid sandstone. It came to be called "Al-Khazneh" in the early 19th century by the area's Bedouins as they had believed it contained treasures. One legend is that the Egyptian Pharaoh and some of his armies escaped the closing of the Red Sea, created the Khazneh by magic as a safe place for his treasury, and continued in his pursuit of Moses. This led to the name Khaznat el-Far'oun, "Treasury of the Pharaoh". Significant damage from bullets can be seen on the urn, which the Jordanian government attributes to Bedouins who believed the legend.

Many of the building's architectural details have eroded during the two millennia since it was carved and sculpted from the cliff. The sculptures are thought to be those of various mythological figures associated with the afterlife. On top are figures of four eagles that would carry away the souls. The figures on the upper level are dancing Amazons with double axes. The entrance is flanked by statues of the twins Castor and Pollux who lived partly on Olympus and partly in the underworld.

Archaeological site data from Wikidata (CC0). Summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).