Little Petra or Siq al Barid is actually Petra's northern suburb. Situated nine kilometres north of Wadi Musa, this place retains its old world charm, which has otherwise disappeared from the other parts of Petra. Archaeologists believe that the Nabutaeans built it when they were in power. It was probably a part of Petra, which was used to accommodate the traders on the Silk Route. However it fell vacant after the decline of the Nabutaeans. The place then started being used by local Bedouins and this has continued over the centuries.

As the name suggests, Little Petra is much smaller than Petra. There are just a few houses and tombs there. But the most significant is the Painted house, which has a Nabutaean ceiling, which is intact even today. Little Petra is open to the public and does not require an entry ticket. There is a huge parking lot where the local Bedouins sell snacks and souvenirs to the tourists. It’s free and it’s much less crowded than most other sites in Jordan – make sure you put Little Petra on your itinerary.