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No one can forget his or her
first walk down the Siq as the greatest monument in Petra slowly comes into
view. It is truly breathtaking, and totally unforgettable! Perhaps for some,
the Treasury was made famous as the resting place of the “Holy Grail” in Indiana Jones and the Final Crusade.
However, it was notable long before that.
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The Treasury (Arabic al-Khazneh) is one of the most
spectacular ruins of ancient times. It was carved in a limestone escarpment,
and is over 130 feet tall.
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The word Treasury is a
misnomer as it was not a treasury. It is generally believed to be a royal tomb
or a temple. Inside its colossal doorway is a 40X40 (12 square meters) chamber.
At the back of the chamber is a sanctuary with a basin (presumed for ritual
washing), suggesting that the Treasury was some kind of holy place.
You cannot go into the
chamber nowadays. However, you can look inside from the doorway.
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