Bab el Siq Treasury (Al Khazneh), 1st Century A.D., carved stone, 39 x 28 m

Whole artwork view. Al-Khazneh (The Treasury) is one of the most elaborate temples in the ancient city of Petra; this structure was carved out of a sandstone rock face; the facade is divided in two orders, the lower recalls the facade of a classical greek temple with four columns, the trabeation and a low pediment with a tympanum at the midpoint; plus, there are two lateral columns placed against the cliff; the trabeation continues on these columns, also framing a narrowing; the second order is richly articulated: central columns move on the bottom and form a faux-colonnade surrounding a central space; in this space there is a tholos, or little circular temple, with s a cone shaped roof; the tholos is surmounted by a urn supported by a capital; the lateral parts of the facade are decorated with statues with figuras from the mythology; although the capitals belong to the corynthian typology, richly decorated with a vegetation motif, their style is adapted to the nabatean architecture. Al-Khazneh Temple, Bab el Siq, Petra, Petra, Jordan