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

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:

Nov 17, 2024Red deer stag in Glen Affric, Scotland
Feb 5, 2026Salt evaporation ponds on the island of Gozo, Malta
Gateway to Latin America
Night outside the museum
Sport where you least expect it
Check out these ‘sea cows’
Oct 24, 2023Vijayadashami
Jan 21, 2026Sand dunes in the Thar Desert, Rajasthan
Sep 3, 2024Crystal Lake in the Enchantments, Washington, United States
Panoramic Penzance
Mar 5, 2024Bangkok, Thailand
Man-made, meandering Lake Powell
Jun 19, 2026La Rocchetta Lighthouse, Piombino, Tuscany, Italy
Let the Great Backyard Bird Count begin!
103 years of Zion
Meet an expert on the dog days of summer
Jan 16, 2025Pinnacles National Park, California, United States
Something to ‘bee’ thankful for..
Oct 20, 2025Hoffmanns two-toed sloth, Ecuador
Apr 25, 2024Adélie penguins
May 22, 2026International Day for Biological Diversity
Dare to tread through the fairy flower?
Apr 20, 2025Easter
Jul 31, 2024Hoodoos, Sunset Point, Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah, USA
See-through cephalopod
Jan 29, 2026Milwaukee City Hall, Wisconsin, United States
Sep 23, 2024Sea otter in Prince William Sound, Alaska, USA
So close, yet so far
Feb 3, 2026Emerald Bay and Fannette Island, Lake Tahoe, California, United States
May 25, 2025Butchart Gardens in Brentwood Bay, British Columbia, Canada