Architecturally, the Ad Deir follows the Nabataean style, which is a fusion of Hellenistic and Mesopotamian architectural forms. The columns are built in an abstract Corinthian style, and it is thought they were incorporated as an aesthetic element, despite the columns not being structurally necessary for support as in Hellenistic architecture. The entire façade features a Doric entablature, but the metopes (the decorative band between the triglyphs) are aniconic, featuring simple circular patterns instead of imagery.