Tomb of 'Unayshu — Attraction in Maan

The Tomb of ‘Unayshu’ was built during the second half of the first century AD. It belonged to the minister of the wife of King Maliku II, Queen Shaqilat II. Shaqilat II became regent queen for six years until her son was old enough to rule. Her son then became the last ruler of the Nabatean Kingdom: King Rabel II.

The tomb’s façade is very beautiful and is reminiscent of those found in Mada’in Saleh in Saudi Arabia. There are eleven burial niches in its interior. A chamber for religious festivals and funerary rituals (triclinium) is accessed from the tomb’s colonnaded courtyard’s northern side.

Getting to this tomb is much easier than it used to after the new access artists. However, for the less agile, it might still require a bit of a scramble through hillside rubble.

Nevertheless, once at the tomb, you can proceed along the ridge all the way towards the Urn Tomb. This alternate walk also rewards the visitor with great views over the Nabatean Theatre across the main...

The Tomb of 'Unayshu is named after a local Bedouin legend about a woman named 'Unayshu who was buried inside the tomb. According to the legend, 'Unayshu was a beautiful and intelligent woman who lived in Petra during the Nabataean period. She was renowned for her wisdom and her skill in weaving, and was beloved by all who knew her.

When 'Unayshu died, her family and friends were grief-stricken and wanted to honor her memory in a special way. They decided to build a tomb for her that was as beautiful and impressive as she had been in life. The tomb they constructed was the Tomb of 'Unayshu, and it became one of the most magnificent tombs in Petra.

Over time, the legend of 'Unayshu became intertwined with the history of the tomb, and it became known as the Tomb of 'Unayshu. Although there is no historical evidence to support the legend, it has become a beloved part of Petra's folklore and adds to the mystique and allure of this remarkable...

A set of tombs to the north of the Outer Siq are rather similar in style. One of them is The Uneishu Tomb, tomb 813. From the web one can read [1] "... called Uneishu, due to an inscription on a grave slab that stated: "Uneishu, brother of Shuqailat, son of …" The tomb has facade decoration of the Hegra type". In this category the sub-category The Uneishu Tomb (Petra) has what must be the actual 813. However, nearby similar tombs have been named also as the Uneishu one, and are put here. The problem has to do with the fact, explained in an article on the web (Two forgotten Nabataean inscriptions, by Robert Wenning) that the inscription was found near a tomb called number 808, and for a while that one was seen as the proper Uneishu one. Some pictures in this category name it so, however, the facade of tomb 808 has no formation of rocks to the side, and in descriptions of 813 it is clear it had...