High Place of Sacrifice

One of the most beautiful tours in Petra starts next to the theatre necropolis and leads to the High Place of Sacrifice on the Jabal al-Madhbah, and then down to Wadi Farasa East. It is about 2 km long with an altitude difference of about 150 m. One should plan an hour for it, preferably a little more, to enjoy the impressive panorama of the mountains and the views of the wide valley with its many monuments.
Nowadays, the eastern pathway is the most used ascent to Jabal al-Madhbah. Apparently it had no special religious significance for the Nabataeans, as there are no votive niches along it, only carvings by stonemasons. The original main route to the sanctuary on the plateau was the north route from the city center. It is so badly destroyed that its course can't be completely recognized, and can't be climbed anymore.
Also the so-called obelisks are a testimony of the quarrymen. To the thicker of the two stone pillars refers the joking name Zibb ‘atūf ("Penis of Atuf"), which is often applied to the whole mountain. Through the remains of the walls north of the quarry, known as the citadel, which were probably a representative gate from the Nabataean period, one reaches the well-preserved sacrificial site.
On the western path down into Wadi Farasa there are spectacular views and some extraordinary attractions to see. These include well recognisable Nabataean memorial inscriptions. Somewhat off the trail - and therefore often overlooked - an aniconical betyl of the god Dushara and a figurative bust are combined in a medallion in a high niche. The latter could be identified as Obodas Theos - the deified King Obodas.
A little further on, a remarkably large horn altar stands on a platform at the edge of the gorge. On the rock face diagonally opposite and a little deeper, the monumental relief of a lion can be seen, who is believed to have had water pouring through the mouth into a pool in front of it.
After the descent via very steep stairs you reach the upper end of Wadi Farasa East, where you can visit the so-called Garden Temple and the complex of the Roman Soldier Tomb - see the next chapter of our Petra tour.

The eastern stepped pathway up to the Jabal al-Madhbah begins between the Street of Facades and the Theatre Necropolis (right). The distnace to the High Place of Sacrifice is about 2 km, and the difference in altitude is around 150 m.
To the left of the first section of the stairs, one can see a quarry zone with a vertical rock face. It has been worked smooth from top to bottom in order to provide as few points of impact as possible for water flowing down. The quarry workers left incisions in the wall in various places that were subsequently unreachable, some of which represent a betyl and a horn altar. Robert Wenning writes that the workers thereby placed themselves under the protection of their god in their dangerous work, "the God worshipped in the rock, respectively the God to whom the mountains belonged and where his dwelling place was, the God of the Shara Mountains, namely Dūšarā." (Wenning, p. 477)
From the rock face straight on, the way turns sharply right over a short horizontal stretch and then into the narrow gorge of the Wadi al-Mahfur, through which the path winds steeply up.

Ascent to the High Place of Sacrifice through the narrow gorge of Wadi al-Mahfur.

Twelve Nabataean inscriptions are carved into the smoothed wall under a rock ledge in the upper part of the western path next to the graffito of a nefesh, in memory of someone called Qaimat, the son of Amrat, among others.
See the detail photo of one of the inscriptions which reads: "Let Qayyammat, son of 'Amrat be commemorated in good faith, and that he is (safe and sound)".

The High Place of Sacrifice on the approximately 65 m long plateau of the Jabal al-Madhbah consists of several installations for cultic practices. Most likely, Dushara, the main god of the Nabataeans in Petra, was worshipped here.
The recessed area in front of the altar, measuring approximately 14.5 m x 6.5 m, and often referred to as the courtyard, was a triclinium for ritual banquets where the participants lay on the three outer edges. At the south-western corner the border is missing, because that is where the slope begins. The area is lowered towards the south-eastern corner (left in the photo), where the rainwater drains off through a 20 cm wide gutter.
The 10 cm high and 152 x 77 cm large platform in the middle probably served to prepare the food for the sacred meal.
The centre of the site of worship is the west facing altar with the so-called god throne (mōtab), on which one or more betyls would have been placed. More about this, on the following pages.
Source and Reference — Universes in Universe