Citadel, Petra light up in blue on UN Day

By JT - Oct 24,2015 - Last updated at Oct 24,2015

Petra’s Treasury is bathed in blue light at night in celebration of the 70th anniversary of the United Nations and UN Day, annually marked on October 24 (Photo courtesy of UN Jordan)

AMMAN — UN Jordan lit up Amman’s Citadel and landmarks in the ancient city of Petra in the United Nations’ signature shade of blue on Saturday.

The event was part of a global celebration of UN Day and the 70th anniversary of the UN’s founding.

More than 150 iconic monuments, museums, bridges and other landmarks in more than 45 countries around the world turned blue on the same day, beginning in New Zealand and then Australia with the lighting of the Sydney Opera House at dusk, according to a UN Jordan statement.

“Participating in this campaign offers the government of Jordan and the community the unique opportunity to showcase their commitment to the UN principles of dignity and prosperity for all,” the statement quoted Edward Kallon, the UN resident and humanitarian coordinator in Jordan, as saying.

“We are pleased with the support of the municipalities and authorities for lighting up the ancient city of Petra and the Amman Citadel in blue,” Kallon added.

“I am grateful our member states are showing such strong enthusiasm in marking 70 years of UN support for peace, development and human rights,” said UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, according to the statement.

“By turning the world UN Blue for a day, we can light the way to a better tomorrow.”

The UN’s headquarters in New York was lit up for two nights, beginning with the annual UN Day concert on Friday and concluding on Saturday, the statement said.

Other landmarks that were lit up as part of the celebration included the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt, the statue of Christ the Redeemer in Brazil, and the Empire State Building in the US, as well as Russia’s Hermitage Museum, the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy, Edinburgh Castle and Central Hall Westminster in the UK, Table Mountain in South Africa, Japan’s SkyTree Tower and the Alhambra in Spain, said the statement.

Organisers prepared the social media hashtag #UNBlue for the event, in addition to the year-long hashtag #UN70, with the aim of generating extensive social media coverage, the statement added.

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