Restoring Artwork to its Former Glory
With a steady hand, Xiangmei Gu wields paintbrushes and tweezers as the Smithsonian's only conservator of Chinese paintings
October 2009 |
By Abby Callard
Saving Punjab
A Sikh architect is helping to preserve cultural sites in the north Indian state still haunted by 1947’s heart-wrenching Partition
September 2009 |
By Geoffrey C. Ward
In Damascus, Restoring Beit Farhi and the City’s Jewish Past
An architect works to restore the grand palace of Raphael Farhi, one of the most powerful men in the Ottoman world
June 11, 2009 |
By Stephen Glain
Via Aurelia: The Roman Empire's Lost Highway
French amateur archaeologist Bruno Tassan fights to preserve a neglected 2,000-year-old ancient interstate in southern Provence
June 2009 |
By Joshua Hammer
After Space, Saving Suits, Boots and Gloves
The spacesuits that kept U.S. astronauts alive now owe their survival to one woman
May 2009 |
By Megan Gambino
Isfahan: Iran's Hidden Jewel
Once the dazzling capital of ancient Persia,Isfahan fell victim to neglect, but a new generation hopes to restore its lost luster
April 2009 |
By Andrew Lawler
Preserving the World’s Most Important Artifacts
The Memory of World Register lists over 800 historic manuscripts, maps, films and more to help raise funds for preservation
March 30, 2009 |
By Judith H. Dobrzynski
15 Must-See Endangered Cultural Sites
Some of the world's most precious and historic sites can be visited today—but might be gone tomorrow
March 2009 |
By The Smithsonian Staff
Endangered Site: Fenestrelle Fortress, Italy
The "Great Wall of the Alps" covers 320 acres and is one of the largest fortified structures in Europe
March 2009 |
By T. A. Frail
Endangered Site: Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem
The basilica believed to mark the birthplace of Jesus Christ has survived invasions, rebellions and earthquakes
March 2009 |
By Abigail Tucker
Endangered Site: Chan Chan, Peru
About 600 years ago, this city on the Pacific coast was the largest city in the Americas
March 2009 |
By Bruce Hathaway
Ireland’s Endangered Cultural Site
A new tollway threatens the archaeologically rich Hill of Tara that is the spiritual heart of the country
March 2009 |
By Amanda Bensen
Endangered Site: The City of Hasankeyf, Turkey
A new hydroelectric dam threatens the ancient city, home to thousands of human-made caves
March 2009 |
By Diane M. Bolz
Endangered Site: Xumishan Grottoes, China
This collection of ancient Buddhist cave temples date back to the fifth and tenth centuries, A.D.
March 2009 |
By Lyn Garrity
Endangered Site: Historic Route 66, U.S.A.
The 2,400 mile highway was eclipsed by interstate highways that bypassed neon signs of roadside diners
March 2009 |
By Megan Gambino
Dampier Rock Art Complex, Australia
On the northwestern coast of Australia, over 500,000 rock carvings face destruction by industrial development
March 2009 |
By Laura Helmuth
Endangered Site: Visoki Decani Monastery, Kosovo
The fate of the 14th-century abbey has been darkened by ethnic violence in the Balkans
March 2009 |
By Kathleen Burke
Endangered Site: Jaisalmer Fort, India
The famed fort has withstood earthquakes and sandstorms for a millenia, but now shifts and crumbles
March 2009 |
By Anika Gupta
Endangered Site: Centennial Baptist Church
Built by a self-taught black architect, the Arkansas church has hosted leaders in the black community for over a century
March 2009 |
By Marian Smith Holmes
Endangered Site: Chinguetti, Mauritania
The rapidly expanding Sahara Desert threatens a medieval trading center that also carries importance for Sunni Muslims
March 2009 |
By Jeanne Maglaty
