Renovation and Restoration
How to Save the Taj Mahal?
A debate rages over preserving the awe-inspiring, 350-year-old monument that now shows signs of distress from pollution and shoddy repairs
September 2011 |
By Jeffrey Bartholet
A Tour of California's Spanish Missions
A poignant reminder of the region's fraught history, missions such as San Miguel are treasured for their stark beauty
May 2011 |
By Jamie Katz
Warsaw on the Rise
A new crop of skyscrapers symbolizes the Polish capital's effort to rebuild its downtrodden image
February 2011 |
By Rudolph Chelminski
Secrets of the Colosseum
A German archaeologist has finally deciphered the Roman amphitheater's amazing underground labyrinth
January 2011 |
By Tom Mueller
Searching for Buddha in Afghanistan
An archaeologist insists a third giant statue lies near the cliffs where the Bamiyan Buddhas, destroyed in 2001, once stood
December 2010 |
By Joshua Hammer
Reinventing Rio
The dazzling but tarnished Brazilian city gets a makeover as it prepares for the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympic Games
September 2010 |
By Alan Riding
Home Away From Rome
Excavations of villas where Roman emperors escaped the office are giving archaeologists new insights into the imperial way of life
June 2010 |
By Paul Bennett
A 160-Year-Old Photographic Mystery
In 1851, Levi Hill claimed he invented color photography. Was he a genius or a fraud?
April 2010 |
By Amanda Bensen
Glimpses of the Lost World of Alchi
Threatened Buddhist art at a 900-year-old monastery high in the Indian Himalayas sheds light on a fabled civilization
April 2010 |
By Jeremy Kahn
Demolishing Kashgar's History
A vital stop on China's ancient Silk Road, the Uighur city of Kashgar may lose its old quarter to plans for "progress"
March 2010 |
By Joshua Hammer
Can Auschwitz Be Saved?
Liberated 65 years ago, the Nazi concentration camp is one of Eastern Europe's most visited sites—and most fragile
February 2010 |
By Andrew Curry
Uncovering Secrets of the Sphinx
After decades of research, American archaeologist Mark Lehner has some answers about the mysteries of the Egyptian colossus
February 2010 |
By Evan Hadingham
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
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
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
Samarra Rises
In Iraq, the restoration of the shattered Mosque of the Golden Dome brings together Sunnis and Shiites in an unlikely alliance
January 2009 |
By Joshua Hammer
A Monumental Struggle to Preserve Hagia Sophia
In Istanbul, secularists and fundamentalists clash over restoring the nearly 1,500 year-old structure
December 2008 |
By Fergus M. Bordewich
Saving the Nation's Flag
After nearly two centuries of exposure, the Star-Spangled Banner gets a much needed overhaul
October 1998 |
By Michael Kernan
