The only free-standing Nabataean building still partly standing at Petra — a square temple at the end of the colonnaded street, built around the late first century BC and probably dedicated to the chief god Dushara. The walls still rise to about 23 metres in places, which is unusual for a 2,000-year-old freestanding structure in an active earthquake zone.
The interior is divided into the standard Near Eastern temple plan — entrance vestibule, main hall, raised inner sanctuary at the rear — and the masonry techniques deserve a look: alternating wood and stone courses designed to absorb seismic energy. A small altar in front of the steps marked the open-air space where most worshippers actually gathered.