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:

Sep 29, 2024West Cornwall Covered Bridge, Connecticut, USA
May 2, 2025Striated heron on a Victoria water lily, Pantanal, Brazil
Butterfly, fly away
Piecing together a better tomorrow
Dec 24, 2024Silent night, sparkling lights and hearts full of joy
A day for giving
May 15, 2024The Blue City of Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India
Aug 15, 2024Independence Day
Dec 15, 2024Lake Misurina, Dolomites, Italy
Jun 18, 2024Lupine fields, Snæfellsnes, Iceland
A curious little otter pup
Sway with the Amazonian canopy
Feb 22, 2024Bathing boxes at Brighton Beach, Australia
Nov 29, 2025Red deer stag in De Hoge Veluwe National Park, Netherlands
Feb 1, 2024Aýna, Albacete, Spain
Bright blue lakes and rugged mountains
40 years of recovery
Amber waves of grain
A pink moon over Arizona
May 22, 2024International Day for Biological Diversity
Jun 26, 2024Banggai cardinalfish with sea anemone
May 9, 2025International Chameleon Day
Purple bliss as far as the eye can see
Oct 1, 2023Lake Bled, Slovenia
Sep 8, 2024International Literacy Day
Beautiful falling waters
Monsoon awakens the sleeping mountains
Sep 26, 2023Venice Skatepark, Los Angeles, California
Oct 2, 2023Gandhi Jayanti
Boardwalk nostalgia