Just days after a 1,200 year royal tomb was unearthed in Peru, a nearby pyramid that stood for thousands of years was torn down by property developers. It is one of just many historical monuments that have been irreparably destroyed over the past few months. A Mayan pyramid was flattened in Belize in May for […]
As an ambassador for peace, internationally known Malian artist Oumou Sangaré will lead a stalwart line-up of African musicians in one of two caravans that make up the 2013 Festival au Désert in Exile. An international music event that draws thousands of people annually to Mali, the Festival au Désert (Festival in the Desert) was […]
The irreplaceable historic and architectural treasures of Mali’s great desert city, Timbuktu, are under threat of destruction by Islamist rebels occupying the city. Timbuktu, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1988, has already suffered several attacks on its religious monuments, including the destruction of several ancient shrines of Muslim saints that the fundamentalist attackers consider […]
July marked the 100th anniversary of the rediscovery of Machu Picchu, an appropriate time to reflect on the impact of tourism on the UNESCO World Heritage Site. According to the Associated Press, the ancient Incan city welcomes an average of 1,800 visitors per day. With so much tourist activity at the ruins and the surrounding […]
Belize is quickly becoming an international tourism hot spot, but will the country deal with an influx of tourists sustainably, with respect for indigenous groups and the environment? Or will it go the way of American fast food franchises, cruise ships and garbage? With the construction of a major new highway underway, some groups are […]
There’s a lot of coverage in the media about threats to different ecosystems around the world—not to mention the planet-wide threat of global warming—but except on rare occasions, the threats facing irreplaceable cultural heritage sites tend to garner much less attention. “Coral reefs, the Amazon, and polar bears are getting a lot more press than […]
Across global civilizations the axiom “to the victor goes the spoils” has ruled nation building and enhanced museum collections. Colonial expansion, imperialism and war have been the basis for many of the cultural collections currently housed in national museums and archives around the world. Despite anger on the part of countries that lost cultural treasures, […]
