Now on its 16th edition, Wiki Loves Monuments still retains its crown as the world’s largest photo contest. Each year since 2010, photographers from around the globe have come together to celebrate cultural heritage through their camera lens—and donate it all to benefit Wikimedia’s freely shared knowledge.

Despite Wiki Loves Monuments’ size and scope, it is primarily run by local organizers. For the most recent edition of the contest, 3,789 people submitted 227,918 photos to locally run national contests in September and October 2025. Each country then submitted its winners to a nine-person expert jury, who closely examined and identified the below 25 winners during a multi-month selection process .

This year’s winner, shown above, captured a wall and gate near the Dayr-e Gachin Caravanserai in Iran. Dayr-e Gachin has been called the “mother of Iranian caravanserais” due to its size and importance. It is also a well-photographed UNESCO World Heritage Site, one of 54 caravanserai to share the honor .…