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

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Jun 3, 2025World Bicycle Day
Jul 25, 2024Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee, USA
Apr 10, 2024Dragon waterfall, Venezuela
Nov 6, 2023Lago Pehoé, Torres del Paine National Park, Chile
Will we be ready for the ‘big one?’
Dec 5, 2023Castles in the Bavarian Alps
Apr 22, 2025Earth Day
Nov 10, 2023Badlands National Park, South Dakota, USA
Dec 30, 2023Daiichi Tadami River Bridge, Fukushima, Japan
A small but mighty guardian
Masterpiece of acoustic science
Apr 27, 2024Leucistic Annas Hummingbird
Ride the wave
Sep 20, 2024Ocracoke Lighthouse on Ocracoke Island, North Carolina, USA
Where is this historic hotel?
Mar 23, 2024World Meteorological Day
Blurring the lines with wearable art
Jun 19, 2025Masai giraffe mother grooming her calf in the Serengeti, Tanzania
103 years of Zion
Sep 24, 2024Skaftafell, Vatnajökull National Park, Iceland
May 19, 2024Vernazza, Cinque Terre, Liguria, Italy
Do pandas enjoy winter?
Mar 22, 2024World Water Day
Feb 3, 2024Grand Canal with Santa Maria della Salute Basilica, Venice, Italy
Jan 8, 2024Bernina Pass, Graubunden, Switzerland
Mar 24, 2024Silvereyes
Feb 2, 2024Alpine Marmot
Pride and Joy
Jun 16, 2024Happy Fathers Day!
Dec 17, 2024Traditional red fishermens cabins, Reine, Norway