Ad-Deir, Petra, Jordan 22 Jan 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
22 Jan 2024Walton Lighthouse, Santa Cruz, California, USA
22 Jan 2026Karlovy Vary, Bohemia, Czechia

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Babbling on and on
10 Aug 2024Joshua Tree National Park, California, USA
30 Jul 2025International Day of Friendship
Queen Elizabeth II (1926–2022)
27 Dec 2025Lake Superior, Grand Marais, Minnesota, United States
28 Jan 2026Whanganui National Park, Retaruke, New Zealand
16 Oct 2024Jurassic Coast, Dorset, England
Aug 23, 2023Skógafoss waterfall, Iceland
29 Dec 2024Borobudur temple, Java, Indonesia
6 Jan 2025Flooded crypt, Basilica of San Francesco, Ravenna, Italy
12 Jul 2025Thomsons gazelles, Maasai Mara, Kenya
Sep 2, 2023National Hummingbird Day
More of a moustache than a beard?
24 Sep 2024Skaftafell, Vatnajökull National Park, Iceland
29 Apr 2024Fujian Tulou, China
22 Jan 2026Karlovy Vary, Bohemia, Czechia
14 Jun 2024Peggys Cove Lighthouse, Canada
31 Dec 2025Hogmanay
19 Sep 2024International Talk Like a Pirate Day
5 Dec 2025Maya site of Copán
Sep 8, 2023International Literacy Day
3 Jan 2026JRR Tolkien Day
21 Nov 2025World Hello Day
5 Jul 2025Pride in London
14 Apr 2025Atlantic spotted dolphin near Santa Maria Island, Azores, Portugal
Go fly a kite!
26 Oct 2023Stormont Estate, Northern Ireland
11 May 2024World Migratory Bird Day
20 Oct 2025International Sloth Day
What are these beautiful sandy waves?