NewsDisasters & destruction
Ancient Chinese sites hit by flash floods this summer
Deadly rains in central Henan province threatened key Unesco World Heritage sites and hundreds of national relics. Experts warn the disaster may be a taste of future trouble
NewsMuseums & Heritage
An ancient Buddhist city is perched on top of an Afghan copper reserve worth $50 billion—what will happen to it under Taliban control?
Cultural heritage workers estimate they have five years to secure the heritage site’s contents before it is destroyed to extract the ore
AnalysisAfghanistan
Afghanistan: the historical sites of key concern after the Taliban's return
From the Bamiyan Valley to an ancient spiritual centre of Zoroastrianism and Buddhism, former Unesco senior official Francesco Bandarin looks at the embattled country’s most important landmarks
BlogDiary
Llongyfarchiadau!*—Wales’ slate landscape awarded Unesco world heritage status
NewsUnesco World Heritage Site
Liverpool loses Unesco world heritage status—'really disappointed' mayor plans appeal
Committee finds that construction projects have reduced cultural value
NewsBlack history
African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund grants $3m to Black historic landmarks
The $50m grant programme, launched in the wake of the Unite the Right rally, aims to preserve histories beyond Confederate heritage
CommentVenice
Now is the time for Unesco to call Venice's authorities to order
For decades, short-termism and conflicting interests have prevented a sustainable plan for Venice from being developed or enacted
NewsMuseums & Heritage
Unesco warns that Stonehenge will go on its danger list unless plans to build tunnel beneath it are modified
World Heritage Site status may also be removed from Liverpool's waterfront after excessive development
NewsCorita Kent
Hallelujah! Former studio of 'nun-turned-artist' Corita Kent designated historic cultural landmark
The Hollywood studio where Kent made works challenging social injustice in the 1960s was due to be demolished to make room for a parking lot
NewsUyghur
China's destruction of Uyghur cultural property evidence of 'genocidal intent', UK MPs declare
Members of Parliament send warning to China ahead of motion to acknowledge human rights abuses against minorities in Xinjiang region
NewsStatues
Oxford college will not remove controversial statue of British imperialist Cecil Rhodes
Independent commission recommends contextualising the sculpture instead
NewsArcheology
Archaeologists rush to record the Rio Grande’s art amid threat from flooding and drug cartels
Ancient rock art near Texas-Mexico border could be lost forever
NewsLoot
Looted Libyan sculpture seized at Heathrow Airport heads back home with help from the British Museum
The funerary piece was illicitly excavated from the ancient city of Cyrene which is under threat from property developers
NewsAngkor Wat
After objections, Cambodian government rejects proposal for theme park on the outskirts of the Angkor Wat temple complex
Culture and Fine Arts Ministry signals a potential openness to a scaled-down proposal
NewsPolitics
Keep your distance, former culture ministers warn UK government
Independence of museums and heritage bodies is at risk, say Ed Vaizey and Chris Smith, as Johnson’s government pushes ‘anti-woke’ agenda
NewsExhibitions
5,000 years in 350 objects: Victoria and Albert Museum reveals details about its epic 'immersive' Iran show
With ten sections covering ancient Iranian history to contemporary art, London museum plans to open delayed show in February
CommentCultural heritage
Finally, rebel experts come to the rescue of Unesco’s failing World Heritage programme
New organisation, Our World Heritage, is putting Unesco's feet to the fire
NewsMuseums & Heritage
From the Dalai Lama’s tailoring to beekeeping in Kenya, British Museum saves world's dying skills
Endangered Material Knowledge Programme will be extended for seven more years with £8.8m grant from Arcadia fund
NewsHagia Sophia
Gli, the cat of the Hagia Sophia, has died, aged 16
The famous feline was born at the UNESCO World Heritage Site that was controversially converted into a mosque earlier this year
NewsRestitution
Australia pledges millions towards repatriation of Aboriginal artefacts from overseas collections
Government extends pilot project to return objects to Indigenous peoples—including those held by private collectors
NewsCultural heritage
Jair Bolsonaro, long criticised for anti-black statements, removes a painting of Afro-Brazilian deities from presidential offices
The Brazilian president allegedly requested the removal of Os Orixás by the artist Djanira da Motta e Silva at the behest of his wife, an Evangelical Christian
CommentCultural heritage
Why we should be concerned about President Erdogan turning museums into mosques
Hagia Sophia and the Chora Church will remain “open to all”, Turkish government promises—but restricted access may not be the primary worry
NewsMuseums & Heritage
First Hagia Sophia, now Turkey's 'Sistine Chapel of Byzantium' will be turned back into mosque
The 14th-century mosaics at Chora Church—which was converted to a museum in 1945—risk being covered up and remaining part-restored
NewsHagia Sophia
Russia to fund small-scale replica Hagia Sophia in Syria that will be used as a church
Tactical move comes after Turkish president ordered historic Istanbul site to be turned into a mosque
NewsCathedral of Notre Dame
Saving Notre Dame's 'voice': mammoth restoration begins on cathedral's fire-damaged organ
Beginning today, the piece by piece removal and cleaning of the instrument is the latest stage of the building's reconstruction
NewsLaw
International Criminal Court trial begins of Jihadist police chief accused of destroying Timbuktu’s cultural heritage
Al Hassan Ag Abdoul Aziz Ag Mohamed Ag Mahmoud is on trial for war crimes in Mali
NewsMuseums & Heritage
Facebook and Instagram ban trading of historical artefacts
Heritage group Athar were part of a campaign highlighting the social media giants' “black market in antiquities”
FeatureConservation & Preservation
Digital technologies allow us to create precise copies of artefacts—but what does this mean for the idea of 'authenticity'?
Online book demonstrates the groundbreaking work by Factum Foundation to create high-resolution facsimiles but also raises questions of value
ReviewBook Shorts
Culture of chivalry is not quite dead, but it certainly is not what it used to be, new book shows
Essays on the concept are useful for their discussions of arms, heraldry, castles and gardens as well as its long lasting effect on European culture
ReviewBook Shorts
Book of discarded family pictures reminds us of our mortality
Personal collection of anonymous photographs made from Kodachrome slides shows the transience of our lives
NewsClimate Change
Cultural heritage experts rally in Edinburgh to find solutions to climate crisis
Supporters of new international Climate Heritage Network argue that the sector has a “moral duty” to act
NewsConservation & Preservation
Poignant online videos showcase 20 sites from Alabama’s civil rights era
World Monuments Fund joins partners in launching an oral history project
NewsCathedral of Notre Dame
Construction on Notre Dame pushed back to 19 August as steps taken to decontaminate site from lead
Construction had been expected to start a week earlier, but new safety measures for the protection of workers are still being tested
ReviewExhibitions
Unfinished quarters of a Bavarian palace create a striking backdrop for contemporary art
Imaginatively curated, the fourth edition of the Königsklasse exhibition is as monumental as the Herrenchiemsee Palace in which it is installed
AnalysisClimate Change
Venice has no official plan for how to deal with climate change
A new report by Icomos details how the science/culture divide is stopping world heritage coming to the aid of climate change and urges speedy action
CommentUnesco
A former Unesco chief denounces its failure to protect Venice at Baku meeting
“Where have the ethics and sense of a global mandate to protect the world’s heritage gone?”, asks Francesco Bandarin
NewsMuseums & Heritage
Cultural divisions deepen in Jerusalem amid Israeli election campaign
Christian institutions are calling attention to their marginalisation in wake of Israel’s focus on Jewish-centric policies
NewsUnesco
In a first, Unesco gives Frank Lloyd Wright buildings World Heritage status
US architect's distinctive designs are among 29 cultural sites recognised for their “outstanding value to humanity”
ArchiveBooks
Lost libraries and broken Buddhas: war, iconoclasm and social media
The history of cultural destruction as a propaganda tool
ArchiveCambodia
Cambodia to host culture and tourism conference
Preservation, cultural routes, urban regeneration through tourism are all set to be discussed
ArchiveCultural heritage
Iconoclasm reborn with Islamic State fanaticism: The destruction of cultural heritage as propaganda
The extent of the destruction is uncertain in the fog of war
ArchiveCambodia
Light is finally being shed on the issue of restitution of looted art
The restitution of Cambodian statues by major museums and auction houses is an encouraging sign
ArchiveNews
Great War memorials go online for first time
The project has already documented around 2,000 works
ArchiveNews
Syrian war’s devastating toll on antiquities
Unesco places major national heritage sites on danger list as ground combat, air strikes and looting reduce ancient settlements to rubble
ArchiveTourism
Return of Morgantina Venus inspires Sicilian tourism enterprise
Public-private tourism partnership aims to make more of the island’s heritage.
ArchiveCambodia
Demilitarised zone established to protect shelled temple on border between Cambodia and Thailand
Thai army cedes ground but future of Cambodian World Heritage site remains unresolved
ArchiveCultural heritage
Draft Unesco Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage would extend controls 200 miles out from the coast
If the draft is approved by two-thirds of member countries at the General Conference next month it will be sent out for ratification. US and Russian support unlikely.
ArchiveAntiquities & Archaeology
Arles cultural centre falls foul of planning rules
French heritage authority wants Gehry-designed towers moved to reduce their impact on the city’s archaeology.
ArchiveCollectors
Many Chinese collectors use their wealth to repatriate once-looted objects
Why bringing it back home is a mark of respect
ArchiveWar & Conflict
Another casualty of the culture wars
Damage to the Egyptian Museum is just the latest example of the politicisation of archaeology.
ArchiveWar & Conflict
First evidence of damage to Gaza’s cultural sites emerges
Antiquities museum hit; fears grow for excavated archaeology.
ArchiveNews
Georgia and Russia rattle their sabres over war damage
Both sides claim the other damaged historic buildings
ArchiveUnderwater Archaeology
Conservation project focuses on Jewish heritage sites and underwater archaeology
Israel and India join forces
ArchiveAntiquities & Archaeology
Unesco to step in to examine so-called “pyramids”
Academics claim that the dig is “pseudo-archaeology”
ArchiveProvenance
US museum directors debate antiquities provenance dilemma
Should museums acquire objects without provenance, which may have been looted? Yes, say several panelists
ArchiveArt trade
Excavations and trade are essential to the study of antiquities
An international symposium hosted by the Association of Art Museum Directors (AAMD) comes together to discuss the art trade and cultural heritage preservation.
ArchiveIraq
Iraq was turned into the world centre for the destruction and looting of some of humanity’s most ancient symbols of civilisation
And so it came to pass that not a single world renowned site or treasured museum was protected
ArchiveKosovo
Unesco reconstruction plan for Kosovo
Lack of trust between Serbs and Muslims continues to hinder restoration efforts
ArchiveConservation & Preservation
How to protect British sites from the destruction of war after 1954 Hague Convention ratification
Now the UK is a signatory, it must consider how best to conserve its cultural heritage should an invasion ever occur
ArchiveIraq
The destruction of culture in Iraq has been enormous; now conservation must be a priority
We can help by providing training in site management techniques, in museology and in conservation
ArchiveExcavation
Could the Bulaghi dam project be a blessing in disguise?
A modernisation project might just save an unearthed historical site in Iran that could one day prove to be invaluable to the study of the region.
ArchiveLooting
Italy's attempt at curbing illegal art excavation and trade backfires
Make the citizen your ally if you want to save the nation’s past
ArchiveAntiquities & Archaeology
Construction of dams in Iran submerges crucial archaeological sites
“To see this happen breaks my heart”, says archaeologist Dr Henry Wright
ArchiveConservation & Preservation
UK considers how to protect its heritage in the event of war
Thousands of important sites could be marked with metal plaques
ArchiveNews
Landslide warning at Macchu Picchu
Geologists have found the land on the steep slope at the back of the fortress is sliding down at a rate of a centimetre a month
ArchiveUnesco
The US rejoins Unesco, analysis suggests the organisation being used as an extension of US foreign policy, as part of the ongoing 'war on terror'
Congress is expected to approve a $71.4 million payment to Unesco, the first US contribution in 18 years
ArchiveRestitution
Warning from Greek Culture Minister: give back the Parthenon Marbles—or your reputation suffers
The Acropolis museum is under construction, and the design for the permanent exhibition is in preparation
ArchiveUnesco
Places categorised as UNESCO's World Heritage Sites are subject to immense tourism: what is the effect?
As Unesco celebrates the 30th anniversary of the World Heritage Convention, this book analyses the effects of its policies in developing countries
ArchiveUnesco
Koichiro Matsuura dubbed "saviour of Unesco"
On the eve of the 30th anniversary of the World Heritage Convention, Matsuura explains his reform of Unesco and the return of the US to membership after nearly 20 years
ArchiveWar & Conflict
Archeologists and lawyers are urging the US government to take account of historic sites in Iraq as the military draws up its strategy
Iraq’s history is our history too
ArchiveMilwaukee Art Museum
Milwaukee Art Museum exhibits Leonardo da Vinci and the splendour of Poland
A new show highlights the oft-forgot historical art collections of Poland
ArchiveUnesco
"An absolute political priority": Bamiyan Buddhas may be rebuilt
Unesco will convene an international meeting next month to discuss reconstruction
ArchiveCambodia
US imposes import restriction on certain Khmer artefacts
“The pillage of such items from Cambodia is an emergency”
ArchiveUnesco
Unesco adopts a new Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage to protect shipwrecks lying in international waters
However, the US and UK say the it conflicts with existing maritime legislation and Russia, Norway, Turkey, and Venezuela vote no
ArchiveRaphael
Senatorial pulling power brings Raphaels to France
Despite curators’ protests, the French senate has pushed through a Raphael exhibition at the Musée du Luxembourg, Paris
ArchiveExhibitions
Exhibition on tomb-robbers' effect on archaeological sites opens in Palestrina, Italy
Wounded archaeology
ArchiveSeptember 2000
Negotiating a united front: Berlin's culture minister Christoph Stölzl takes on funding culture in the capital
It risked bankruptcy to become the capital, and a deal with the federal government gives Berlin DM100m a year—providing that plum institutions come under national control
ArchiveArt market
What's it worth to you? Stonehenge's value is assessed in a recent survey
English Heritage has carried out a contingency valuation of Stonehenge and discovered that 58% of those polled would be prepared to help finance the site’s improvement
ArchiveCambodia
Cambodian king urges Prime Minister to put an end to destroying ancient temples for black market trade
Corrupt military officials in cahoots with Thai art dealers are hacking away at the temples
ArchiveAfghanistan
Afghanistan’s historical sites devastated: An up-to-date survey
Looting, conflict and mining have caused terrible destruction
ArchiveTechnology
One of the most advanced and sophisticated computer-based analyses of an ancient landscape in Europe is taking the excavation out of discovery
To dig or not to dig?
ArchiveUnesco
Interview with Federico Mayor, UNESCO director general: Surveying the role of UNESCO
“A way of thinking that has visible form”
ArchiveAntiquities & Archaeology
Don’t just berate the thieves: look at the museums and excavators too
In the last of our series which publishes talks given in London this summer, Professor Sir John Boardman, Lincoln Professor Emeritus of classical archaeology and art at Oxford, singles out three areas for concern.
ArchiveConservation & Preservation
Harnessing the tourist industry to help Mediterranean historical sites
The Getty's floating conference on the conservation of archaeological sites.
ArchiveNews
Raphael looks after the arts: The EU's new programme for arts and heritage
While many details are yet to be fine-tuned, it should be ready to protect Europe's cultural treasures by the end of the year
ArchiveUnesco
Interview with Khamliène Nhouyvanisvong, UNESCO's new Special Representative to Cambodia
He plans to develop learning centres, nominate new World Heritage sites, preservation of monuments, and protection of Angkor
ArchiveUnesco
Over 150 ancient and Medieval Egyptian sites hit by October earthquake
Unesco is coordinating a restoration programme for buildings from the Pyramid of Cheops to the Blue Mosque
ArchiveRestoration
Let them take their art with them into the afterlife: Achille Bonito Oliva proposes a dignified exit for contemporary works of art
What is the point of restoring modern art? Is it reasonable to treat a Rauschenberg as if it were a Leonardo?
ArchiveConservation & Preservation
Tug-of-war over baroque church of San Luca in Genoa as baroque gem falls into ruin
The Spinola family has created a Foundation and is looking for sponsors; the State would like to get possession of the sadly-neglected building
ArchiveBills & Reforms
Senator presents bill in Parliament to liberalise circulation of Italian archaeological items
The proposal is greeted by suspicion and political posturing within the Italian art and archaeology world and even the Ministry of Culture.
ArchiveNews
War in Croatia: An open letter in protest of the devastation in Yugoslavia
Signatories include The Art Newspaper's own Anna Somers Cocks
ArchiveUnesco
The Yugoslav National Army has caused serious destruction to Sibenic cathedral, churches, castles and historic buildings in Croatia while attempting to divide their territory
The Minister for Education and Culture sends list of destruction to Unesco and invokes the 1954 Hague Convention
ArchiveWar memorial
The splendour of ruins?
To resurrect or not to resurrect Dresden’s Frauenkirche, which has been left in ruins as a slowly decaying war memorial
ArchiveUnesco
Number of sites protected by Unesco has increased, and campaign to raise money to protect them is launched
The safeguarding of these places of global, cultural importance will increase
ArchiveWar & Conflict
The law of war: The Hague Convention as military necessity or military convenience?
The 1954 convention is the product of nearly a century’s thought about cultural property in which it is implicit that it is the heritage of all mankind
Comment US politics
Under the Biden administration, can US cultural policy better reflect American values?
Building relationships with all stakeholders—from dealers and collectors to museums and archaeologists—is vital
Peter K. Tompa