Jordan, Petra – Urn Tombs (00:02:25)

The Urn Tomb is the largest of Petra’s “Royal Tombs”. The tomb’s name comes from the acroterion atop the pediment, which is in the form of an urn. Urn Tomb was presumably constructed for the king Malchus who died in Petra in 70 AD. Despite years of natural elements Urn Tomb managed to survive and keep much of its original appearance. The tomb stands on an open platform. Along the North terrace there are several pairs of columns. The inner chamber is quite impressive with an area of about 400 square meters. In 477 Urn Tomb was converted into a Christian church, as it is evidenced by the record of consecration on the back wall of the main hall.