The Silk Roads Programme, one of s flagship initiatives, has served for more than three decades as a valuable tool for understanding how cultures and societies interact and enrich each other.
Culture
The story of the bells of Al-Saaa Convent dates back to 1876 when the bell tower was offered to Iraq by Empress Eugenie of France. Along the years, it became a powerful symbol for all Mosuls community members. The structure of the Al-Saaa Convent was damaged during the occupation of the city by Daesh and its convent was looted and ransacked. The Convent lost its clock and three bells. After years of silence, the clock and bells now echo again in the city thanks to s flagship initiative .
The story behind a painting typically starts with identifying the artist and when the work was produced. Truth be told, there are some allegedly prized paintings that tell a story of criminal deception. Art forgery can be lucrative and often go undetected, but , including radiocarbon dating using accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS), can reveal the fakes.
How? All living things, including a paintings canvas (made of natural fibres) or frame (made of wood), absorb carbon from the atmosphere, including carbon-14. Carbon-14 is an unstable isotope that decays at a known rate. When plants or animals die, they cease to absorb carbon, and the radioactive carbon already accumulated decays. Thus, the age of material can be determined by the amount of carbon-14 present, using AMS to measure the ratio of carbon isotopes.
presents the Meteora, a region of almost inaccessible sandstone peaks, monks settled on these 'columns of the sky' from the 11th century onwards. Twenty-four of these monasteries were built, despite incredible difficulties, at the time of the great revival of the eremetic ideal in the 15th century.
At the core of all the faith systems and traditions is the recognition that we are all in this together and that we need to love and support one another to live in harmony and peace in an environmentally sustainable world. As our world continues to be beset by conflict, , and the spread of hate speech, let us observe the International Day of Human Fraternity (4 February), while doubling our efforts to spread the message of good neighbourliness based on our common humanity - a message shared by all faith traditions.
Reviving a Jewish cemetery in Morocco
presents a story about how a father and his daughter connected through the preservation of an old cementry. It also tells how civilizations from different religious beliefs live together in peace.
presents fashion designer Stella Jean, who works with the women of Illiary Threads4Dreams to create her newest fashion collection from natural alpaca fleece.
Being part of 's Intangible Cultural Heritage inscriptions means recognising the country's heritage and its importance in maintaining cultural diversity in the face of increasing globalisation.
The , taking place on 22-23 November 2022, in Fez, Morocco, is a leading platform for promoting intercultural dialogue, understanding and cooperation. The Forum is hosted by , as part of its mission to improve understanding and cooperation among peoples across cultures and to reduce polarization at local and global levels. The Forum takes place against a wide array of global challenges including the surge of hate speech and racism, thus, finding pathways to peace rooted in mutual respect has never been more urgent.
Audiovisual archives tell us stories about peoples lives and cultures. They represent a priceless heritage of our collective memory and a valuable source of knowledge. The will be celebrated in conjunction with the 30th anniversary of the . On this Day, let us remember that the world's documentary heritage belongs to all, should be fully preserved, and protected for all. Visit the , made up of a selection of videos digitized to make our history available to a worldwide community of users.
Around the world, artists face daily challenges when creating and sharing their work. Often, the fundamental human right to freedom of expression is threatened. s 2022 Global Report, Addressing culture as a global public good, draws on global data and recommendations to help better protect artists worldwide. Video .
In 2022, the . The 1,154 natural and cultural heritage sites in over 160 countries are the testament to the universal appreciation and achievement of this groundbreaking legal framework. has launched a year-long programme to galvanize profound reflections on the future of heritage titled The Next 50: World Heritage as a source of resilience, humanity and innovation. The Next 50 culminates in Florence, Italy, with a major conference in November in tribute to the adoption of the Convention on 16 November 1972.
In 2018, UNESCO launched a flagship initiative to . On the 5th anniversary of the liberation of Mosul from the shackles of violent extremism, and its main partner, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), present the visuals of the Al-Nouri Mosque and the Al-Hadba Minaret, currently being reconstructed as they were. The mosque and the minaret will be rebuilt using the maximum of traditional materials and reusing the heritage elements that were found and collected in the rubble.
Following the evaluation of the World Book Capital Advisory Committee, the Director-General of , Audrey Azoulay, has designated Strasbourg (France) as World Book Capital for 2024.
Following the evaluation of the World Book Capital Advisory Committee, the Director-General of , Audrey Azoulay, has designated Strasbourg (France) as World Book Capital for 2024.