International Day for Monuments and Sites Apr 18, 2024

International Day for Monuments and Sites

Today is a monumental occasion: International Day for Monuments and Sites. Also called World Heritage Day, the event aims to highlight how important the task of conserving our cultural heritage is. A monument can be anything from an architectural work to a sculpture—something that has outstanding value from a historical, artistic or scientific point of view. Some of the amazing heritage sites around the world include Machu Picchu in Peru and the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt. The stone structure in today"s image is part of the mediaeval city walls of Ávila in Spain. Built between the 11th and 14th centuries, these fortifications have a perimeter of over 2,438 metres. When they were first built, they served to defend the city against attacks from outsiders; nowadays, visitors can walk around nearly half of the circumference of the walls, enjoying views of the city and the surrounding countryside.

© Alberto Loyo/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

A mountaintop cultural wonder
Apr 18, 2025International Day for Monuments and Sites
Apr 18, 2026World Heritage Day

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Dec 25, 2023Christmas Day
Dec 19, 2024Sibiu Christmas Market, Romania
Feb 8, 2026Corfu at night, Greece
A future built on the past
Himalaya mountain range
Feb 14, 2024Vasant Panchmi
Mar 12, 2026Juvenile sunbittern displaying at nest, Ecuador
Beauty all around
Feb 18, 2024Sperm whale pod surfacing
Feb 9, 2024Pegadung Rock, Lampung, Sumatra, Indonesia
May 21, 2024International Tea Day
The buffet is open
A true symbol of heritage and royalty
Nov 15, 2025Irohazaka Road in autumn, Nikko, Tochigi, Japan
Nov 16, 2025A traboule in Lyon, France
Oct 3, 2024Taj Mahal, Agra, Uttar Pradesh
Oct 18, 2023Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska
Nature’s art installation
Jan 29, 2025Chinese New Year
Rebels of the owl world
Nov 29, 2025Red deer stag in De Hoge Veluwe National Park, Netherlands
The gateway to jungle
Mar 30, 2025Sydney Harbour, New South Wales, Australia
Staying in the loop
May 9, 2024Tulips at Emirgan Park in Istanbul, Türkiye
Man-made, meandering Lake Powell
Where are these magnificent cliffs?
Apr 5, 2024The Bahamas
Sep 23, 2023Autumnal equinox
Nov 17, 2025Shenandoah National Park, Virginia, United States