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:

A beautiful labyrinth
Paint the sky with colours
Aug 1, 2025Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Mar 4, 2025Charminar, Hyderabad, Telangana
Jan 17, 2024Bavarian Forest National Park, Germany
Say hello to these halophytes!
May 8, 2025World Donkey Day
A grove glows green
Jun 9, 2026Vernazza, Cinque Terre, Liguria, Italy
Jun 26, 2025Horse Head Rock, New South Wales, Australia
Mar 7, 2025Plum blossoms, China
Home of the ‘world’s worst smelling food’?
Nov 7, 2025Polar bear in Churchill, Manitoba, Canada
Oct 19, 2023Durga Puja
Sep 27, 2024Basilica of Santa Maria della Salute, Venice, Italy
Nov 2, 2025Maple and bamboo forests in Arashiyama, Kyoto, Japan
Dec 26, 2023Sanchi Stupa, Madhya Pradesh, India
Jun 20, 2025Seljalandsfoss waterfall at sunset, Iceland
Jul 5, 2024Daintree Rainforest and Noah Beach, Queensland, Australia
Nov 23, 2023Victoria Memorial, Kolkata, India
Feb 7, 2026Salar de Uyuni salt flats in Bolivia
Mar 1, 2025Sandstone hoodoos, Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah, United States
Nov 22, 2025Leshan Giant Buddha, Sichuan, China
Mar 20, 2024Cave Dale and Peveril Castle, England
Apr 21, 2025International Dark Sky Week
Aug 29, 2024Castellfollit de la Roca, Catalonia, Spain
Aug 16, 2025Colourful beehives, Italy
Nov 10, 2025Black-tailed prairie dogs in Badlands National Park, United States
Jun 29, 2025International Day of the Tropics
Apr 7, 2026Common clownfish in a sea anemone, Raja Ampat Islands, Indonesia