High Place of Sacrifice

High Place of Sacrifice

The steep half-hour climb from the theater up to the high place of Sacrifice on the summit of the Attuf Ridge is well worth the effort. Path and stairways, which were part of the original Nabataean processional way, lead upwards through spectacular mountain scenery until the long, flat summit is reached.

The most immediately obvious monuments as one reaches the top are the two 7m high rock obelisks which were made by carving away the surface of the mountain to leave only these 2 protuberances; a formidable undertaking.The obelisks stand some 30 m apart on an east/west important Nabataean god, Dushara and his consort Al-Uzza.  Across the gully lies the high place of sacrifice, the best preserved of all such sacred places of the ancient world, you can also see the city center from this point.

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