Ad-Deir, Petra, Jordan Jan 22, 2025

Carved into rose-red cliffs, Petra and its crown jewel, Ad-Deir, or "The Monastery," feel like stepping into a real-life Indiana Jones adventure. Tucked in the heart of Jordan"s arid desert landscapes, this ancient city once thrived as the capital of the Nabataean Kingdom in the 2nd century BCE. It was also a hub of the spice trade, connecting distant regions like China, Egypt, Greece and India. The city was abandoned for around 500 years before being rediscovered in 1812, earning it the "Lost City" moniker.

© Punnawit Suwuttananun/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

Jan 22, 2024Walton Lighthouse, Santa Cruz, California, USA
Jan 22, 2026Karlovy Vary, Bohemia, Czechia

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Feb 17, 2024The Pragser Wildsee in the Dolomites, Italy
Dec 11, 2023Huangshan Mountains, China
July 18, 2026Devils Bridge, Kromlau, Saxony, Germany
Jul 25, 2025Colourful houses of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain
Oct 13, 2025Waterfall at Wimbachklamm Gorge, Bavaria, Germany
Jan 21, 2024Eurasian red squirrel
Aug 14, 2025Piz Nair mountain, Switzerland
Jun 8, 2024Confluence of Easter Creek and Killik River, Alaska, USA
Aug 3, 2025Sunflowers
Jun 7, 2025Summit of Pine Mountain, Angeles National Forest, California, United States
Jul 6, 2025Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes in Death Valley National Park, United States
Nov 7, 2023Kirkilai lakes, Biržai Regional Park, Lithuania
July 8, 2026Sunrise at Lake Atitlán, Guatemala
Apr 17, 2025Andean cocks-of-the-rock, Ecuador
July 11, 2026Coral reef and beach in Raja Ampat, Indonesia
Aug 2, 2024Saint-François, Guadeloupe, Caribbean
Nov 10, 2024Caribbean flamingos, Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico
Mar 15, 2024Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, California, USA
June 21, 2026Millau Viaduct, France
Feb 23, 2025Mount Fuji, Lake Kawaguchi, Japan
Sep 19, 2025Thousand Islands region, St. Lawrence River, USA-Canada border
Oct 1, 2025Clark Range, Yosemite National Park, California, United States
Aug 30, 2025Whale shark
Dec 20, 2025Red fox
Sep 21, 2023Inside the Nobel Peace Centre, Oslo, Norway
Mar 12, 2024Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah, USA
Nov 23, 2025Ammonite fossil from Madagascar
Mar 17, 2024St. Finians Bay, County Kerry, Ireland
Jul 2, 2024Italica, an old Roman city in Santiponce, Andalusia, Spain
Mar 4, 2026Purple crocus flowers, Seven Rila Lakes, Bulgaria