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:

Sep 22, 2023Marsala salt pans, Italy
Feb 21, 2025Champaka Sarasi, Shivamogga, Karnataka, India
Nov 7, 2024Vancouver Coastal Sea wolves
Mar 31, 2025Ostuni, Apulia, Italy
Oct 7, 2025Autumn colours below Mount Sneffels near Ridgway, Colorado, United States
Jan 26, 2026Retiro Park, Madrid, Spain
Mar 2, 2024Modica, Sicily, Italy
Nov 23, 2024Spiral aloe, Kangaroo Island, Australia
Apr 2, 2024Beech trees and anemone wildflowers, Jutland, Denmark
May 6, 2024Heidelberg on the river Neckar, Germany
Jan 6, 2026Nuuk, Greenland
Aug 29, 2023American bison
May 5, 2025Yoho National Park, British Columbia, Canada
Nov 30, 2024Kilchurn Castle, Scotland
Oct 20, 2023Pygmy three-toed sloth
Apr 15, 2024Château de Chambord, France
Nov 22, 2025Monte Sirente, Abruzzo, Italy
Nov 16, 2023Athens and the Acropolis, Greece
Mar 22, 2024Blue Spring, Te Waihou Walkway, New Zealand
Nov 3, 2024Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve, Yucatán, Mexico
Sep 7, 2024Annas hummingbird
Jul 18, 2025Eucalyptus forest, Urubici, Santa Catarina, Brazil
Jun 21, 2025Masai giraffes in the Serengeti
Feb 1, 2024Sassnitz lighthouse, Germany
Jan 24, 2024Diamond Beach, Iceland
Feb 22, 2025Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri, United States
Mar 29, 2024South Stack Lighthouse, Holyhead, Wales, UK
Nov 21, 2025Harbour seals
Jan 29, 2025Prioro, Castile and León, Spain
May 24, 2024Añisclo gorge, Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park, Spain