Wiki Loves Monuments is an international photo contest organized by Wikimedia. It features photos of heritage sites around the world, from Italy to India and Germany to Thailand.
For last year’s contest, a staggering 245,000 images were submitted by over 10,000 photographers. In the end, this vast pool of submissions was whittled down to only 15 winners.
All of the winning photos are beautiful, but I want to highlight a few that really stood out to me.
Wat Benchamabophit by BerryJ. This photograph features Wat Benchamabophit, a Buddhist temple in Bangkok, Thailand. I love how the symmetry of the temple contrasts with the distinctly asymmetrical background of the sky.
Svaneti towers by Dmytro B. In this photograph, Dmytro Balkhovitin captures the defensive towers typical of the Svaneti region in Georgia. The way the artificial light pierces this medieval scene is particularly interesting.
Notre Dame basilica by Diego Delso. This stunning photograph features the Notre Dame basilica in Montreal, Canada. It perfectly captures the church’s colorful vaults and intricate statues.
Verrucole Castle by Iris Gonelli. I can’t get enough of this photo of Verrucole Castle. The natural scenery and unusual lighting make for a beautiful composition.
To view all of this year’s finalists and winners, click here.