International Day for Monuments and Sites 18 Apr 2024

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 medieval city walls of Ávila in Spain. Built between the 11th and 14th centuries, these fortifications have a perimeter of 2,516 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.

© Scott Suriano/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

A mountaintop cultural wonder
18 Apr 2025International Day for Monuments and Sites

More Desktop Wallpapers:

19 Feb 2026Dragons Eye, Uttakleiv Beach, Norway
17 Sep 2025A young bull moose, Denali National Park, Alaska, United States
Happy 70th to the North York Moors
24 Oct 2025Night view of the RMS Queen Mary, Long Beach, California, United States
19 Oct 2025Apples ready for harvest, Minnesota, United States
13 Sep 2023Hemakuta Hill, Hampi
30 Sep 2023Shenandoah National Park, Virginia, USA
10 Dec 2025Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba, Andalusia, Spain
14 Nov 2023Russell lupines, Lake Tekapo, New Zealand
28 Sep 2023World Maritime Day
3 Jan 2025Happy Birthday, JRR Tolkien!
4 Jan 2026Kings Mountain, Chugach Mountains, Alaska, United States
Whats so funny?
Poetry in suspense
2 Oct 2023World Architecture Day
7 Aug 2024Vineyards above the Moselle River, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany
5 Jan 2024International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival, Harbin, China
The glowing winter
Dare to delve into this dense swamp
A public restroom or a tourist spot?
16 Jul 2025Temple of Philae, Aswan, Egypt
A glowing square of squares
16 Apr 2025Natural Bridges National Monument, Utah, United States
4 Sep 2024Dusky eagle-owls, Pakistan
A magical resting place
29 Nov 2023Rockefeller Centre Christmas Tree lighting
20 Jul 2025Moon Day
24 Nov 2025Gwalior Fort, Madhya Pradesh, India
Where is this historical bridge?
The other great barrier reef