The Arched Gate

monumental gate stands at the end of the Colonnaded Street, originally with three stately arches which once formed the main entrance to the sacred precinct, or temenos, of the principal Nabataean temple of Petra. It was built after the road had been paved, for the stones were lifted and re-laid to accommodate it. Since it was more important for the arch to conform with the layout of the temenos, it is out of alignment with the street.

On the east side, facing the Colonnaded Street, four free-standing columns stood before the gate, the pilasters bordering the central arch decorated with square carved panels, alternately busts and flowers. The west side is plain. Four sculptures were found among the debris of the fallen arch in the 1950s, and must once have adorned it: two relief figures, of Hermes and a winged Tyche; a handsome bust of a bearded god, Dushara-Serapis, now over the door of the Museum; and a bust of a god with tightly curled hair, flashy sideburns and a pair of wings sprouting from his head.

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