The Jordanian government on Aug. 1 closed a shrine dedicated to the prophet Aaron near the ancient Nabataean city of Petra. The move followed a burst of public outrage sparked by videos and photos circulating on the internet showing a group of Jewish tourists praying at the site. 

Awqaf and Islamic Affairs Minister Abdul Nasser Abul Bassal ordered the tomb of Aaron closed, barring access to it without official permission. His ministry announced that it would be launching an investigation into the incident.

The Jordan Times reported that Suleiman Farajat, commissioner of the Petra Development and Tourism Region Authority (PDTRA), had said in an Aug. 2 statement that the photos shared online date to 2013, but that the videos of Jewish men praying were more recent. Farajat remarked that the PDTRA had closed the site after learning that some 300 Israeli tourists had been planning to visit the shrine. At least five Israelis were able to enter the tomb, having been permitted access by guards. Farajat stressed that the authority will not allow non-Islamic religious ceremonies at the site. He asserted in his statement that the tomb has nothing to do with Judaism historically or archaeologically.

Aaron is the brother of Moses, who together led the Jews from exile in Egypt. Muslims also recognize Aaron as a prophet of God. To them, he is Haroun, who is believed by some to have died and been buried in the Petra region, although no one can say with certainty where. According to Petra's official website, a mosque was built on Jabal Haroun, the highest geographical spot in the area, over his tomb in the 14th century to commemorate him. The site has long been a place of pilgrimage for people in the area.