Khazali Canyon
A narrow fissure covered in Nabataean and Thamudic petroglyphs, at eye level.
Duration
45 min – 1 hr 15 min
Difficulty
●●●●●
Best time
In the morning
Open
Every day
Entry price
Free
Khazali canyon is a narrow cleft in a sandstone massif, walkable for about a hundred and fifty metres before the walls close in.
Its walls carry Nabataean and Thamudic petroglyphs cut two to four thousand years ago: feet, camels, human figures, inscriptions. They are at head height, with no glass and no barrier, which is rare — and precisely why nothing should be touched: the sandstone is soft and the grease from fingers erases the line.
Getting there
Inside the Wadi Rum protected area, by Bedouin four-wheel drive. It is a stop on any day circuit.
What to bring
- Walking shoes
Rules on site
Never touch the carvings: the sandstone is soft and contact wears them away. The floor of the canyon is slippery and holds water after rain.