NewsTurkey
Court ruling converting Turkish museum to mosque could set precedent for Hagia Sophia
Decision that Kariye Museum must become a Muslim house of worship again could imperil its Byzantine art and have repercussions for other early Christian monuments
NewsVenice
Where are the flood barriers, cry the citizens of Venice after its second worst flood since records began
More evidence has emerged that the flood barriers have serious technical problems
NewsIraq
As protests rage in Iraq, experts say culture is key to long-term reconstruction
Iraqi culture ministry announces new national museum in Baghdad as Mosul restoration plan is extended to historic churches
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
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”
NewsBrazil
Unesco visit brings new growth to Roberto Burle Marx’s home and garden
Brazil funds major renovation of landscape architect's lush estate, which could become a World Heritage site in 2020
CommentVenice
The Turkish shareholders in the port of Venice want to keep cruise ships coming—and the mayor supports them
The World Heritage Committee is meeting in Baku and intends to dodge declaring Venice endangered for the third time
NewsCathedral of Notre Dame
World Heritage Committee will not discuss Notre Dame at its 2019 annual meeting
France is due to provide a report on the fire-ravaged church this year
NewsHeritage
Planned cable car attraction over Belgrade historic fortress ‘should be suspended’
Kalemegdan served as a military site for the Roman Empire and is a candidate for Unesco World Heritage status
NewsCathedral of Notre Dame
French senate says Notre Dame must be restored 'in the same way as before'
Wim Delvoye, one of the artists who submitted a proposal, says he is confident the government will pivot to his solution
NewsHeritage
Opposition flares as Peru’s government makes way for airport near Machu Picchu
A petition has been launched to prevent the Peruvian government from continuing the project
NewsLeonardo da Vinci
Italy secures loan of Leonardo da Vinci's Benois Madonna from Russia's Hermitage museum
There has been intense competition to borrow works by the artist during the 500th anniversary of his death this year
NewsHeritage
Exhibition of Gormley’s figures repopulates a Greek island’s ancient ruins
Life-size "bodyforms" are positioned amid ancient grottoes, agoras and sculptures
CommentCathedral of Notre Dame
Notre Dame should be rebuilt as it was
The cathedral’s 19th-century additions are as much part of its history as its Gothic vaults, says a former director of Unesco’s World Heritage Centre
NewsMuseums & Heritage
Weimar—birthplace of Bauhaus—opens new museum dedicated to the influential design school
On the same day, the nearby Neues Museum Weimar will open a new permanent exhibition on early Modernism
NewsUnesco
Goodbye Venice, goodbye Ravenna, goodbye Ferrara, goodbye Carthage?
Many World Heritage Sites around the Mediterranean are at grave risk from sea-level rise by 2100, report says
NewsUnesco
UK threat to leave Unesco reignites debate about purpose of UN culture body
The US and Israel announced plans to leave the international organisation last year
NewsDisasters & destruction
Syrian museums seek Russian expertise to restore destroyed Palmyra sculptures
Ancient city occupied by Islamic State was retaken by Syrian army with Russian support in 2017
NewsUnesco
Mumbai’s Victorian Gothic and Art Deco business district declared a Unesco World Heritage Site
British-era buildings in historic Fort area nominated by “several citizens’ groups”
NewsConservation & Preservation
World Monuments Fund gives $1m for post-quake restoration of Mexican archaeological site
Monte Albán, the ancient capital of the Zapotec people, was damaged by earthquakes in 2017
NewsLooting
Scotland Yard joins global crackdown on looted pharaonic antiquities
The initiative, which involves governments and the art world, will set up a public database of objects
NewsPalestine
Gifts multiply for fledgling Palestinian museum’s solidarity collection
Sixty works donated by European and Arab artists will stay at the Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris until a permanent home is built
NewsUnesco
Unesco: the view from Israelis and Palestinians
How disparate approaches to international law play out at the organisation
CommentVenice
Venice is in peril: Unesco should come to the aid of Venice as it did after the great flood of 1966
Its official international role, to which Italy signed up, enables it to mobilise world expertise and funds
Francesco Bandarin