The Petra Archaeological Park covers 264 dunum (264,000 square metres) within Wadi Mousa and has been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as a World Heritage Site since 1985. The park also includes rose-coloured rocky mountains. For anyone looking for a hotel in Wadi Mousa, this is a distinctive cultural point of reference: Petra heritage and landscape sit side by side here. Other attractions offer different perspectives—from a natural sandstone gorge to an archaeological collection and the design and crafting of a personal silver piece.
The Siq: Its Route, Narrow Passages and Opening onto the Treasury
The Siq, a natural sandstone gorge, is nearby. It winds for just over 1.2 km towards the ancient city of Petra, is only 3 m wide in places, and opens onto the Treasury. These measurements describe different features: more than 1.2 km refers to the course of the gorge, while the width of 3 m applies only in certain places. Its direction towards the ancient city of Petra and its opening onto the Treasury also give this natural area a clear connection to Petra. Compared with the park’s rose-coloured rocky mountains, the Siq is defined by sandstone, its winding route and its narrow stretches.
Petra Museum: History in Five Halls
Petra Museum is also nearby. It displays 280 artefacts from different periods. Five halls cover the history of Petra, the Nabataeans’ way of life and civilisation, as well as tools, statues and other historical objects discovered during archaeological excavations in Petra. Here, the focus is therefore not on a place’s geological form, but on a collection arranged by theme. History, ways of life and specific finds offer different perspectives within the same exhibition. Exhibition details may change.
Create Your Own Silver Piece
The Silver Making Experience is also located in Wadi Mousa. Participants design, shape, measure and solder a personal silver piece. In contrast to the museum and the Siq, the focus shifts from historical objects or sandstone to a specific making process.
Petra in the Wider Destination of Ma'an
The wider destination of Ma'an provides the broader archaeological context for Petra. Ma'an Governorate is in southern Jordan and is the country’s largest governorate by area; it covers an estimated 32,832 km², around 37 percent of Jordan’s total area. Petra is a protected area within the Petra Archaeological Park, which is managed by Jordan’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities. Petra’s archaeological remains include extensive tomb and temple architecture, religious sanctuaries, canals, tunnels, diversion dams, cisterns and water reservoirs.
What the Location Means for Your Accommodation Search
Within Wadi Mousa, the Petra Archaeological Park covers 264 dunum; the Silver Making Experience is also located there. The Siq and Petra Museum are nearby. This allows you to distinguish between attractions in town and those in the surrounding area when choosing where to stay.
For the wider travel overview: Wadi Musa.
