Fifteen thousand candles lit up Petra on Saturday night to mark the anniversary of selecting the centuries-old city as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.

Petra, also known as the Rose City due to the color of the stone out of which it is carved, became a World Wonder in 2007.

A special event was held to celebrate the anniversary, which was attended by the Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, Lina Annab, and was open to the public, both Jordanians and tourists, free of charge.

While the rose-red sand intensified in colour thanks to the thousands of soft candles, the magic of lighting turned the magnificent 45m-high Treasury into green, blue and turquoise for the evening.

Via Al Rai newspaper

Fallah Al Omoush, Head of the board of commissioners of the Petra Development and Tourism Region Authority (PDTRA), said that celebrating this anniversary is part of their efforts to develop the tourist spot by increasing the number of events taking place in the area, and market it locally, regionally and internationally.

In 2017, it was estimated that 600,000 people visited the ancient city, which dates back 300 B.C. and was the capital of the Nabataean Kingdom.