This year’s session of the World Heritage Committee has resulted in 21 new sites, from the controversial Old City of Hebron in the West Bank, to a men-only island in Japan.
UNESCO
UNESCO Adds 17 Le Corbusier Buildings to World Heritage List
UNESCO announced Sunday that 17 of Le Corbusier’s 20th-century buildings will be added to its World Heritage List.
The Fight to Save a Land Art Masterpiece in the Heart of Mexico City
Situated within one of Mexico City’s remaining areas of untouched land, Espacio Escultórico is considered by many as one of Latin America’s most significant works of land art.
UNESCO Report Details How Climate Change Threatens World Heritage Sites
The Statue of Liberty is a favorite victim of Hollywood’s climate change disaster scenarios.
Aerial Photos of Palmyra Show Extent of Damage Done by ISIS
Working with the Syrian Directorate-General of Antiquities and Museums (DGAM), a team of digital surveyors have shared what it describes as some of the first images and videos to emerge from Palmyra since the ousting of ISIS in late March.
Italy and UNESCO Establish Task Force to Protect Cultural Heritage in Conflict Zones
Italy has teamed up with the United Nations to create a task force whose goal is to protect ancient artworks, artifacts, and archaeological sites in conflict zones from extremists.
UNESCO Designates 24 New World Heritage Sites, Including the Alamo
The United Nations has officially designated the Alamo as a UNESCO World Heritage Site over the weekend.
Why One Ecuadorian Town Has Three Panama Hat Museums
CUENCA, Ecuador — The cool breeze in Cuenca, a city nuzzled in the Ecuadorian Andes at 8,000 feet elevation, blows through its cobblestone streets, rustling the skirts of indigenous women who wear long braids down their back with a baby wrapped in a bright colored shawl slung over their shoulders.
Yemeni War Leads to Massive Destruction of Cultural Heritage
It’s not just Yemen’s future that’s at risk in the country’s current civil war, but also its past.
The World Waits Anxiously as ISIS Seizes Ancient City of Palmyra
The ancient Roman city of Palmyra in Syria has been seized by ISIS fighters, fueling fears that its ancient artifacts and buildings could meet the same fate suffered by antiquities in Mosul, Nimrud, and Hatra.
Syria Has Reputedly Hidden Away 99% of Its Cultural Heritage Artifacts
It’s rare to hear any positive news associated with cultural heritage and Syria these days, but there is a ray of hope.
UN Security Council Takes Aim at ISIS Antiquities Trafficking
Last week the United Nations Security Council adopted a new resolution to curb the trade of looted antiquities from Iraq and Syria. UN Security Council Resolution 2199 prohibits the trade of artifacts illegally removed from Syria since 2011 and Iraq since 1990.