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

Hop into Lunar New Year
Jan. 22, 2024Walton Lighthouse, Santa Cruz, California, USA

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Jan. 24, 2024Diamond Beach, Iceland
Nov. 7, 2025Polar Bear Week
Jan. 3, 2025Happy Birthday, J.R.R. Tolkien!
May 31, 2024Gunnerside, Yorkshire Dales National Park, England
Feb. 21, 2025Champaka Sarasi, Shivamogga, Karnataka, India
Jun. 5, 2025World Environment Day
Jun. 27, 2024Duomo Santa Maria del Fiore, Florence
Apr. 19, 2024Ring of Brodgar, Orkney, Scotland
Nov. 7, 2024Vancouver Coastal Sea wolves in the Great Bear Rainforest
Jun. 19, 2024Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, Kenya
Nov. 17, 2023Copper Falls State Park, Wisconsin
So close, yet so far
Where is this ethereal mountain?
Aug. 21, 2024Nazca boobies, Wolf Island, Galápagos Islands, Ecuador
Like a waterfall, free and wild
Sunlight turning silver to gold
When just a pinch of salt won’t do
Sep. 28, 2024Gulf Islands National Seashore, Florida, USA
Feb. 24, 2024Almond trees in full bloom, California
Mar. 29, 2025Superbloom in Carrizo Plain National Monument, California, United States
The rivers run through us
This bird is peak beak
May 26, 2024Methow Valley, North Cascades, Washington
May 19, 2024Vernazza, Cinque Terre, Liguria, Italy
Jun. 18, 2024Lupine fields, Snæfellsnes, Iceland
Oct. 21, 2025Happy Diwali!
Jan. 23, 2024Maldives
Nov. 23, 2023Teide National Park, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain
Feb. 1, 2024Polar bear, Churchill, Manitoba
Is it green with envy?