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:

May 24, 2026European Day of Parks
Feb 28, 2026Oloupena Falls, island of Molokai, Hawaii, United States
Blue Skies in Beautiful Bavaria
What are these predators doing?
Jul 25, 2026Praia das Catedrais, Galicia, Spain
Spring is coming
An engineering marvel
Mar 21, 2025Happy International Day of Forests!
Jan 9, 2024Gayathri Reservoir, Karnataka, India
A splash of colour
Aug 16, 2024Roller coaster in Nagashima Spa Land, Mie Prefecture, Japan
An ugly duckling no more
Oct 30, 2025Pushkar Camel Fair
May 22, 2024International Day for Biological Diversity
May 29, 20261953 Mount Everest Expedition
Dec 14, 2024Northern hawk-owl, Canada
‘Moravian Tuscany’
Bring out the king cakes
May 10, 2024Misool, Raja Ampat Islands, Indonesia
Jan 27, 2026Dalmatian pelicans, Lake Kerkini, Greece
Dec 1, 2025Antarctica Day
Oct 10, 2026World Migratory Bird Day
Jul 13, 2024Fairy chimneys and cave dwellings in Cappadocia, Türkiye
Nov 29, 2024Mont-Saint-Michel, Normandy, France
Where the humpback whale sings
Jul 16, 2025Temple of Philae, Aswan, Egypt
Feb 5, 2024Monarch butterflies
Jul 7, 2026Plate-billed mountain toucan with orchids, Ecuador
Jun 10, 2024The city of Osaka at night, Japan
Sep 3, 2023Skyscrapers in Manhattan