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:

Connecting the dots
Jun 19, 2024Reticulated giraffe mother greeting calf in Kenya
A large forest with 6,000 of years of history
Jan 2, 2024Prayer flags in Phobjikha Valley, Bhutan
Apr 21, 2025International Dark Sky Week
Jan 29, 2026Milwaukee City Hall, Wisconsin, United States
Gateway to Iberia
Can you name these pretty flowers?
Nov 19, 2023Alam-Pedja Nature Reserve, Estonia
Urban planning never stops
Aug 21, 2024Nazca boobies, Wolf Island, Galápagos Islands, Ecuador
What are these beautiful birds?
May 5, 2024Kerala
Is anybody home?
The sprout with amazing potential
Jan 26, 2026Republic Day
Aug 30, 2025International Whale Shark Day
Dad on duty
Feb 5, 2024Monarch butterflies
Jul 11, 2025World Population Day
May 27, 2024Airavatesvara Temple at Darasuram, Tamil Nadu
A pair of high achievers
‘Moravian Tuscany’
Sequoias of the sea
This blue succulent is as good as gold here
May 6, 2024The Roaches ridge in the Peak District, England
Feb 1, 2026Colourful house in Olinda, Brazil
Jul 2, 2024Italica, an old Roman city in Santiponce, Andalusia, Spain
Sep 13, 2025Point Reyes National Seashore, California, United States
Oct 26, 2023Schönbrunn Palace Park, Vienna, Austria