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:

23 Apr 2026Saint Georges Day
When art imitates life
24 Oct 2025Night view of the RMS Queen Mary, Long Beach, California, United States
16 May 2024International Day of Light
23 Jan 2024Maldives
23 Jan 2025Sundance Film Festival
Here we go!
25 Jul 2024Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee, USA
The bears and the bees…
A magical resting place
5 Nov 2023Guy Fawkes Night
28 Dec 2025Black-and-white ruffed lemur in Madagascar
27 Apr 2026The glass dome of Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, Milan, Italy
10 Jul 2024Collared aracari
17 Jul 2025Lavender fields in Plateau de Valensole, France
A butterflys best friend
18 Dec 2025Capitol Reef National Park, Utah, United States
A breathtaking cave when it’s cold
6 Jul 2025Tour de France
11 Oct 2025World Migratory Bird Day
A salty situation
6 Dec 2024Finnish Independence Day
6 May 2024The ruins of an ancient monastery, Skellig Michael, Ireland
In the running
Is it art?
2 Mar 2025Megalong Valley, Blue Mountains National Park, NSW, Australia
One on land, a million in space
Sep 1, 2023National Mushroom Month
6 Dec 2025Everglades National Park, Florida, United States
25 Mar 2026Juvenile manatees, Crystal River, Florida, United States