Israel is of course known primarily for its many ancient and religious monuments. It is hard not to see a church, mosque or synagogue at any given place in the historical city centers. And this is clearly visible in the winning pictures too. Multiple religions are represented. But most interesting is perhaps, that one monument made it twice to the top-10: the Tower of David in Jerusalem, even though it is hardly comparable. On the first place the Tower is covered in snow, and if it weren’t for the call on the far left, it could have been a photo of ages ago. The Tower re-appears on the eighth place, where it has a much more modern look, with the lights of the trafic visible in the long exposure photograph. The two views on this same monument couldn’t be much more different.

1st place: The Tower of David in Jerusalem, by Zev Rothkoff

2nd place: The Waldheim in Evangelical Church in Alonei Abba, by Nitzan Zehavi

3rd place: Ma’ale Akrabim (Scorpions Pass), by Ilan Arad

Mahmood Mosque, Kababir, Haifa, by Estherab

Reading Power Station in Tel Aviv, by Daniel Winter

Dormition Abbey, Mount Zion, Jerusalem, by Eldadc1

The Old Russian Embassy, Rothschild Boulevard, Tel Aviv, by Degser

The Tower of David in Jerusalem, by Yonah baby

The Hanging Bahá’í Gardens, Haifa, by Oryan Shechter

Dome of the Stella Maris Monastery, Haifa, by Iliakriv

• Wikimedia Commons project page with more national images
• Elaborate report in BLAAT

22 pictures were exhibited: 10 corresponding to local winners and the 12 winning pictures of the international contest. This exhibition was partially funded by the international organization of Wiki Loves Monuments 2012.

After the opening event, the exhibition was relocated to the main building of the university were it stayed for 2 more weeks. Dozens of students, professors and visitors enjoyed these beautiful pictures, read about the history of the contest and how the pictures were selected (through the jury reports).  It was also a great opportunity to officially announce this year’s national contest. (yes! Panama is participating again).

To see more pictures of the exhibition, please visit the Commons gallery

Sometimes the perspective is all in the symmetry (the tower of Herveo), or by showing the full depth of a deteriorating building (Bello railroad station), but sometimes it is all about oh-so-familiar action (the pigeons at the church of Veracruz). A wonderful set of heritage, and a promise for more next year!

1st place: Capilla de Siecha, by Martinduquea

2nd place: Torre Herveo, by Verlaciudad

3rd place: Castillo de San Felipe de Barajas, by Matiasmaggio

Catedral de Manizales, by Alejandra Buriticá

Estación del Ferrocarril Bello, by Betogoico58

Iglesia de la Veracruz, by Betogoico58

Sector Antiguo de la ciudad de Buga, by Hernán Ordóñez Valverde

Sector Antiguo de la ciudad de Villa de Leyva, by Oscarphoto

Sector Urbano del Municipio de Turmequé, by Sfabarafe

Zonas Arqueológicas en la Cuenca Alta de la Quebrada Piedras Blancas, by Betogoico58

• Wikimedia Commons project page with more national images
• Announcement of the winning pictures in Spanish

Because of the smaller size of the country, it may be not so surprising that several people won multiple prizes in the top-10 of Andorra. Congratulations!

1st place: Romanesque Church of Sant Miquel d’Engolasters, by Angela Llop

2nd place: Church tower of Sant Martí de la Cortinada, by Maria Rosa Ferré

3rd place: Romanesque Church of Sant Romà de les Bons, by Angela Llop

Old Santuary of Meritxell, by Ferran Llorens

Romanesque Bridge of La Margineda over River Valira, by Jaume Meneses

Environs of Sant Miquel d’Engolasters, by Weefemwe

Romanesque and Medieval Church of Sant Martí de la Cortinada, by Maria Rosa Ferré

Church tower of Sant Miquel d’Engolasters, by Maria Rosa Ferré

Church tower of Sant Joan de Sispony, by Maria Rosa Ferré

Pre-Romanesque Church of Santa Coloma d’Andorra, by Maria Rosa Ferré

• Wikimedia Commons project page with more national images
• All winning pictures from Andorra & Catalonia

Volunteers who helped organize Wiki Loves Monuments
Photo: Pierre Selim, CC BY-SA

Wikipedia is written by volunteers, and Wiki Loves Monuments is primarily organized by volunteers. In that sense, both are very much the same. But Wiki Loves Monuments doesn’t stand on itself as a project, like Wikipedia does. So when people think about why volunteers are working on organizing this mega photo contest, they first assume that it must be about all the photos we’re collecting – because we all love photography.

And of course, that plays a role. But there’s more to it. For example, it is a great way to develop more skills and enthusiasm in our chapters. Wiki Loves Monuments is a well documented initiative, which makes it easier to organize. Some infrastructure is already in place, and it is a good excuse to get in touch with potential partners who are into cultural heritage in their country. The combination of promoting local cultural heritage, a competition element and Wikipedia has proven to be a golden one.

But more importantly, as a movement we have been working to get more people involved in contributing to Wikipedia and its sister projects. And that is just what Wiki Loves Monuments is: an easier and nicer way to contribute content to Wikipedia! You can upload photos which you know will be useful, and you can see the result of it rather quickly. The interface is simplified and if you get the hang of it you already know a topic you can move forward. We get in touch with people we’d normally hardly meet: people who love cultural heritage you can find on the streets: houses, churches, temples, castles or other tangible heritage. Some of these people, often a bit older than the average Wikipedian (27 year old man), might become more interested in editing on cultural heritage topics on Wikipedia.

But maybe the key reason why we’re doing this all is awareness. Making people aware that Wikipedia is run by volunteers. Making people aware that Wikipedia can be edited by anyone. Making people aware that they have much valuable material that can be shared under a free license. Making people aware that they can choose for their photos and writings to lie on the shelf, unused, or to be published under a free license, be re-used by others and built upon. Working, step by step, to that world where every person can share in the sum of all human knowledge.

Out of 2,300 nominations from the 35 countries participating in Wiki Loves Monuments 2012, the winner that was chosen by Europeana’s friends on Facebook is this amazing picture of a cross near the Bran Castle in the vicinity of Braşov, Romania, more famously known as the “Dracula’s Castle”, taken by LibertinaGrim.

You can read more about LibertinaGrim’s story on the Europeana blog; for now, please enjoy the atmosphere of this beautiful shot!

A cross near the Bran Castle in the vicinity of Braşov, Romania.
Author: LibertinaGrim, CC-BY-SA 3.0 Romania.

(English) Safdarjung’s Tomb, a garden tomb with a marble mausoleum in New Delhi, India. It was built in 1754 in the late Mughal Empire style, and was described as “the last flicker in the lamp of Mughal architecture”.
(Hindi) सफदरजंग का मकबरा दिल्ली की प्रसिद्ध एतिहासिक इमारतों में से एक है। यह मकबरा दक्षिण दिल्ली में श्री औरोबिंदो मार्ग पर लोधी मार्ग के पश्चिमी छोर के ठीक सामने स्थित है। सफदरजंग का मकबरा अंतिम मुगल बादशाह मुहम्मद शाह (1719-1748) के शक्तिशाली व कुशल प्रधान मंत्री सफदरजंग की स्मृति में नवाब शुजादुल्लाह ने 1754 ई.में बनवाया था।
by Pranav Singh, CC-BY-SA 3.0 Unported

It is probably thanks to the power of the media that we are now happy to correct our previous announcement and let you know that Pranav has managed to contact us, and that he will be able to make the first pick out of the prize pool while David Corral Gadea, the author of the second-best picture of the Aqueduct of Segovia, will be able to make the second pick of his prize of choice. Of course, we leave it to Pranav’s devision whether he chooses the first prize and visits Wikimania 2013 in Hong Kong or decides on one of the the other awards we offered this year.

We would like to use this post to thank both Pranav and David for their patience and understanding while we were debating on the possible solution for the situation; we hope that they will share our belief that the decision that was reached is fair for both sides.

The Russian jury presents 10 photographs which were selected in the Russian part of the competition and represents the country in it. The photos which depict churches, castles, and street views, are not only of a high technical and aesthetic quality, but will perfectly illustrate encyclopaedic articles.

More than 16,000 of the 360,000 photos of architectural monuments submitted during the contest came from Russia; the 9th highest number of submission from amongst all participating countries.

The Russian part of the contest expanded its range from the single region in WLM 2011. A substantial number of suggestions related to the database of monuments were received, and the Russian contest organisers hope that this will lead to Russian photographers surpassing 2012′s numbers in the 2013 competition, which is planned to be expanded to cover the entire country.

Hermitage pavilion in Tsarskoe Selo, Saint Petersburg, by Florstein

Cave Church of Our Lady of the Sicilian, by Sdl77

Priory Palace on the Black Lake in Gatchina, by Canes

Sts. Peter and Paul Chapel from the village of Tipnitsy, by Pedro J Pacheco

The palace of the former Marfino Estate, by A.Savin

The Round Tower in Vyborg, by Fotograd

Churchyard in Gimreka, by Сергей Свердлов

Hermitage Portico with Atlantes, by Canes

Church of St. Nicholas in the village of Abrosimovo, by Solver64

Panorama of the Nikolo-Ugreshsky Monastery’s wall, by Heuschrecke

• Wikimedia Commons project page with more national images
• News blog in Russian