Jordan unveils $US100 million master plan for the second millennium of Jesus’ baptism
Amman, Jordan RNS Jordan has launched a $US100 million master plan aimed at attracting one million Christian pilgrims to celebrations of the second millennium of the baptism of Jesus in 2030. The ambitious plan was unveiled by a not-for-profit foundation created by the Jordanian government to develop the “Bethany beyond the Jordan” area, on the […]
Essay: Russia’s invasion of Ukraine threatens a cultural heritage the two countries share, including Saint Sophia Cathedral
US-based religion scholar J EUGENE CLAY, in an article first published on The Conversation, says Kyiv’s Saint Sophia Cathedral, built under the reign of Grand Prince Yaroslav, whose father, Volodymyr, converted the region to Christianity, is among key cultural sites under threat in the country…
Ethiopian Government says it has recaptured Lalibela, UN World Heritage site
Addis Ababa Reuters Ethiopian Government forces and their regional allies have recaptured the town of Lalibela – a United Nations World Heritage Site – from Tigrayan forces, the Prime Minister’s office said on Wednesday. Forces aligned with the Tigray People’s Liberation Front had taken control of the town, in the Amhara region, in early August. […]
Turkish court considers status of Istanbul’s iconic Hagia Sophia
Ankara, TurkeyAP A state attorney on Thursday recommended that Turkey’s highest administrative court reject a request that Istanbul’s iconic Hagia Sophia, which now serves as museum, be turned back into a mosque, state-run media reported. The 6th century structure was the Byzantine Empire’s main cathedral before it was changed into an imperial mosque following the […]
Heritage site or home? Indigenous Thais fight for right to forest
Bangkok, ThailandThomson Reuters Foundation Hundreds of indigenous Karen people in Thailand face evictions from a national park that authorities wish to turn into a World Heritage Site, joining millions in a similarly precarious situation as authorities worldwide push tough conservation laws. The Kaeng Krachan is Thailand’s biggest national park, sprawled over more than 2,900 square […]