Qasr al-Bint - Temple of Dushara

The Qasr al-Bint stands as one of the few freestanding structures in Petra built from stone blocks rather than carved directly into the cliffside. Its massive, towering walls face the colonnaded street, marking the central sanctuary of the city. Centuries ago, a local legend took hold that a fickle princess locked herself inside the temple, promising her hand in marriage to whoever could bring water to the desert site. The hydraulic engineers of the Nabataeans eventually succeeded, though the princess remains part of the local lore.