Ad-Deir, Petra, Jordan Jan. 22, 2025

Ad-Deir, Petra, Jordan

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

Hop into Lunar New Year
Jan. 22, 2024Walton Lighthouse, Santa Cruz, California, USA
Jan. 22, 2026Karlovy Vary, Bohemia, Czechia

More Desktop Wallpapers:

An underwater paradise to explore
This lesson is going swimmingly
Sep. 9, 2024Iguazu Falls at the border of Argentina and Brazil
Apr. 12, 2025International Day of Human Space Flight
Apr. 24, 2024The white trilliums in Ontario, Canada
Nov. 1, 2025Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, United States
Nov. 6, 2025Celebrating Yi Peng
Jan. 28, 2024Channel Country, Australia
Jun. 1, 2025World Reef Awareness Day
Apr. 1, 2026Japanese tree frog in a pink morning glory
Nov. 4, 2024Grasmere, Lake District, Cumbria, England
Lets protect our turtles
For Mother’s Day, we salute these marsupial moms
Sep. 26, 2024Blue-throated toucanet, Los Quetzales National Park, Costa Rica
Feb. 9, 2024Pegadung Rock, Lampung, Sumatra, Indonesia
What are these beautiful sandy waves?
Aug. 29, 2025Aerial view of Plaza Mayor, Madrid, Spain
Sep. 20, 2024Ocracoke Lighthouse on Ocracoke Island, North Carolina, USA
Aug. 7, 2024St. Joseph North Pier Inner and Outer Lights, Michigan, USA
May 29, 2025Miravet, Catalonia, Spain
May 11, 2025Happy Mothers Day!
Oct. 18, 2024Jasper Dark Sky Festival, Alberta
Pride and Joy
Aug. 12, 2025World Elephant Day
Apr. 26, 2025Bruce Peninsula National Park, Ontario
Sep. 20, 2025Oktoberfest begins!
Apr. 22, 2025Earth Day
Sep. 8, 2024International Literacy Day
What are these predators doing?
International Archaeology Day