Petra - Broken Pediment Tomb

The western face of Jabal Madhbah, on which stands the High Place of Sacrifice, is dotted with a profusion of carved façades which open onto Wadi Farasa.

Most are of the design that seems to have topped the popularity chart for the whole Nabataean period, with a monumental cornice high above the entrance, crowned with a single crow-step. But, as the wadi narrows and begins a gentle upward incline, there is a handful of façades that are quite different.

The first is the Broken Pediment Tomb, whose bold and simple design is surmounted by an unadorned broken pediment, supported by four pilasters with plain Nabataean capitals. Though there are no secure clues as to when it was carved, it has been tentatively dated to the time of Malichus II.