Little Petra
Little Petra, known locally as Siq al-Barid, is an archaeological site approximately 15 kilometers north of the renowned city of Petra in Jordan.
This lesser-known yet equally fascinating location dates back to the Nabatean period and acts as a smaller counterpart to its more famous neighbor. Characterized by its stunning rock-cut architecture and intricate facades, Little Petra features several well-preserved structures, including tombs and ceremonial spaces carved into sandstone cliffs.
The site’s strategic position along ancient trade routes emphasizes its historical importance as a trading post for the Nabateans, who thrived between the 4th century BCE and the 2nd century CE. Notable features include a series of channels used for water management, reflecting the advanced engineering skills of the period. Although less visited by tourists compared to Petra, Little Petra provides invaluable insights into Nabatean culture and architecture, making it a compelling destination for scholars and history enthusiasts alike.
In 2010, a biclinium, or dining room, in one of the caves was discovered to have surviving interior art depicting grapes, vines and putti in great detail with a varied palette, probably in homage to the Greek god Dionysus and the consumption of wine. The 2,000-year-old ceiling frescoes in the Hellenistic style have since been restored. While they are not only the only known example of interior Nabataean figurative painting in situ, they are a very rare large-scale example of Hellenistic painting, considered superior even to similar later Roman paintings at Herculaneum.
Archaeologists believe that Little Petra was established in the 1st century CE, when the Nabataean culture was at its peak in the region. It was probably a suburb of the larger city to the south, perhaps where its more successful merchants lived, and entertained their visiting counterparts. The location may have been chosen because of the nearby older settlement of Beidha, inhabited since the earlier Neolithic era. Since investigations of the site have generally focused on the Nabataean and earlier periods, it is not known whether it was still inhabited around the same time Petra was abandoned, in the 7th century.
