St. Gregory Church in Ani Ruins, Kars, Türkiye Dec. 29, 2025

St. Gregory Church in Ani Ruins, Kars, Türkiye

On a windswept plateau in eastern Türkiye, along the border with Armenia, the ruins of the ancient city of Ani rise from the landscape with striking clarity. A millennium ago, Ani was a thriving Armenian capital on a major Silk Road route, its fortifications and busy streets shaping trade and culture across the region. Today, the city is quiet, but its outline still carries the weight of its past.

© Kenan Talas/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

The butterfly effect
Dec. 29, 2023Oud-West neighbourhood, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Dec. 29, 2024Borobudur temple, Java, Indonesia

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Where can you find this cute creature?
Nov. 15, 2024Yi Peng lantern festival, Chiang Mai, Thailand
A triumphant pose
The beauty that lies below
Oct. 16, 2023Golden larches and Prusik Peak, Enchantments, Washington
Sharks, just living their lives
Mar. 12, 2024Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah, USA
Oct. 16, 2025Eurasian lynx
A postcard-perfect landscape
Mar. 25, 2024Happy Holi!
Sep. 13, 2025Point Reyes National Seashore, California, United States
Nov. 30, 2025Christmas market in Leipzig, Germany
The old castle at sunrise
Nature, art, and...math?
‘Night shining’ clouds
Jun. 22, 2025World Rainforest Day
Dec. 19, 2025Bormio, Lombardy, Italy
Dec. 16, 2025Handmade gnomes at a Christmas market
Zebras enjoying their day
Aug. 17, 2025International Lighthouse Lightship Weekend
Feb. 26, 2024Grand Canyon National Park, USA
Dec. 5, 2024Tufa formation on Mono Lake, California, United States
May 28, 2025World Otter Day
A grove glows green
Apr. 23, 2024World Book Day
Oct. 26, 2023Schönbrunn Palace Park, Vienna, Austria
Remembering D-Day
Aug. 10, 2024Joshua Tree National Park, California, USA
Finding beauty in ruins
Nov. 3, 2024International Day for Biosphere Reserves