St Gregory Church in Ani Ruins, Kars, Türkiye 29 Dec 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
29 Dec 2023Happy Hogmanay!
29 Dec 2024Borobudur temple, Java, Indonesia

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Shell-ebrating sea turtles
27 Sep 2025Clark Range, Yosemite National Park, California, United States
Taking a New Year nap
5 Jul 2026Lavender rows, Plateau de Valensole, Provence, France
17 Mar 2026Happy St Patricks Day!
2 Jun 2024Baia del Silenzio in Sestri Levante, Italy
15 Sep 2025Point Reyes National Seashore, California, United States
West of Windermere
29 Jan 2025Porto, Portugal
10 May 2025Minnesota State Capitol, St Paul, Minnesota, United States
24 Mar 2024Silvereyes
Ride the wave
7 Mar 2026The Brocken, Harz National Park, Germany
7 May 2025Dunluce Castle, County Antrim, Northern Ireland
10 Mar 2026Bláhver, Hveravellir, Iceland
Do pandas enjoy winter?
30 May 2025Little Pigeon River, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, United States
30 Dec 2025Whooper swans, Kotoku Pond, Japan
Check out The Magic City of Miami
15 Feb 2025Kingfisher
15 Sep 2023Glenariff Forest Park, County Antrim, Ireland
26 Dec 2023Happy Boxing Day!
An ocean of stars above the desert
Celebrating the Scottish bard
Tomb of the Golden Pharaoh
12 Jul 2026Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument, Maine, United States
22 May 2024International Day for Biological Diversity
Meet for lunch?
The other great barrier reef
Theres no denying the power of Denali