Podcasts about world heritage

How do we expand liveability, community & truly affordable housing in the midst of a World Heritage area, while resisting poor development?Speakers:Tania de Bortoli, Blue Mountains Conservation SocietySarah Redshaw, Councillor, Blue Mountains City CouncilSuzie van Opdorp, Councillor, Blue Mountains City CouncilThis episode was first broadcast on Radio Blue Mountains 89.1 FM on 18th September 2026 by Blue Mountains Unions & Community (BMUC) and presented by Debra Smith.If you'd like to add to the discussion, you can ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠leave an audio comment about our show⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, which may be added to one of our podcasts.You can find past episodes related to housing and development in this playlist.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apply to be a guest on our radio show⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, Rights, Rorts and Rants on Radio Blue Mountains 89.1FM, Fridays from 4pm to 6pm or livestreamed via ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠rbm.org.au.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join a union - 1300 486 466 or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠join online⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.  Join ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BMUC⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.Blue Mountains Unions & Community pays its respect to and acknowledges, the Darug and Gundungurra First Peoples of the Blue Mountains area and acknowledges this is Aboriginal Land that was never ceded.Disclaimer: Rights, Rorts and Rants explores a range of issues from different perspectives. The views expressed on the show and podcast are not necessarily endorsed by Blue Mountains & Community. 

At more than 122 kilometres long, K'gari formerly known as Fraser Island is the world's largest sand island and a World Heritage-listed site, with endless beaches, crystal-clear lakes, ancient rainforest and plenty of wildlife. How do you make the most of a visit to K'gari?

A decade after President Xi Jinping and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi toured Luxor, a city widely known as one of the world's largest open-air museums, the two leaders again stepped into the world of ancient Egypt — this time at the Grand Egyptian Museum on the Giza Plateau.On Wednesday, during Xi's state visit to Egypt, the two presidents and their wives visited the museum, viewing treasures including the throne, golden mask and royal chariots of Tutankhamun. Surrounded by artifacts tracing thousands of years of Egyptian civilization, Xi called the museum "a book with endless pages".During the tour, Xi noted that China and Egypt are both ancient civilizations and countries rich in World Heritage sites. He called on the two sides to uphold a vision of civilization based on equality, mutual learning, dialogue and inclusiveness, implement the Global Civilization Initiative, and promote inclusive coexistence and mutual learning among different civilizations.Museums have been repeatedly featured in Xi's engagement with history and civilization — as places for understanding cultural roots and as settings for encounters with other civilizations.In a congratulatory letter to the first UNESCO High-Level Forum on Museums in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, in November 2016, Xi described museums as important places for protecting and passing on human civilizations and as bridges linking the past, present and future, with a special role in exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations.Whether on domestic inspection tours or overseas trips, Xi's visits have taken him to many museums, such as the Sanxingdui Museum in Sichuan province and the Yinxu Museum in Henan province, key sites of early Chinese civilization.During a visit in April 2021 to the Anthropology Museum of Guangxi in Nanning, the capital of the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, Xi said that he made time to visit museums during local inspection tours to better understand a place's historical and cultural development.At a symposium at the Dunhuang Academy in Gansu province in August 2019, Xi spoke about cultural confidence and learning from other civilizations."Only a self-confident civilization can absorb and draw on the achievements of other civilizations while maintaining its own characteristics," he said, calling for broader cultural exchanges with other countries and more active efforts to learn from the achievements of civilizations around the world.Dong Biao, a researcher at Peking University's Institute of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, said museums preserve both the tangible achievements and the cultural and intellectual legacy of human civilizations, enabling people to engage more directly with the creativity, ways of life and ideas of past societies.A deeper understanding of one's own history and culture can strengthen cultural identity and confidence, Dong said.For Xi, museums offer people a chance to discover unfamiliar histories, recognize common threads of human creativity and gain a deeper understanding of one another."In the many places I have visited around the world, what fascinates me the most is civilizations in their rich diversity," Xi said at the opening of the Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations in May 2019.Xi's overseas visits over the years have included stops at museums and historic sites such as the Amir Timur Museum in Uzbekistan and the ancient Maya ruins of Chichen Itza in Mexico.At the Acropolis Museum in Athens, Greece, in November 2019, one such cultural encounter unfolded around a single artifact.Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, were visiting the museum with then Greek president Prokopis Pavlopoulos and his wife when they stopped before the relief known as the "Pensive Athena".Pavlopoulos explained that Athena, the goddess of warfare and wisdom in Greek mythology, was resting and contemplating after battle. Xi said she was reflecting on what war meant and cited the ancient Chinese idiom "zhi ge wei wu", which means that to be able to stop war is the true art of war.Xi later said the museum visit had deepened his understanding of ancient Greek civilization and made him further realize how much the Chinese and Greek civilizations have in common.Museums have also served as settings in which Xi introduced China's history and cultural ideas to visiting foreign leaders.During Donald Trump's first state visit to China in November 2017, Xi and Peng accompanied the US president and first lady Melania Trump through the Palace Museum, or Forbidden City.As they walked along its central axis, Xi introduced the history, architecture and culture of the ancient palace. They visited the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the Hall of Central Harmony and the Hall of Preserving Harmony, whose names reflect the Chinese cultural ideal of harmony.Wang Yiwei, vice-president of the Academy of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era at Renmin University of China, said that exchanges among civilizations are not only about preserving the past, but also about how societies understand one another in the present.He said the Global Civilization Initiative put forward by Xi reflects this emphasis by calling for respect for the diversity of civilizations and for equality, mutual learning, dialogue and inclusiveness.At a time of geopolitical rivalry, conflicts and differences over values, Wang said that dialogue among civilizations cannot replace political negotiations or resolve disagreements over national interests. But it can help countries better understand one another's histories, identities and development paths, reduce misperceptions and strengthen the basis for mutual understanding.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife, Peng Liyuan, visited on Wednesday the Grand Egyptian Museum accompanied by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and his wife.The two heads of state and their spouses took in the exquisite and imposing stone carvings and inscribed stone pillars. They then gazed out at the pyramids from the museum's observation deck.Entering the Tutankhamun exhibition hall, the two presidents viewed such prized treasures as the pharaoh's throne, the golden mask and royal chariots.Noting that China and Egypt are both ancient civilizations and countries rich in World Heritage sites, Xi said that across time and space, the two civilizations have been reaching out to each other, adding new chapters of everlasting friendship between the two peoples.Xi called on both sides to uphold the vision of civilization based on equality, mutual learning, dialogue and inclusiveness, and implement the Global Civilization Initiative.He also urged the two countries to promote the inclusive coexistence and mutual learning among different civilizations, and pool greater strength from civilizations to advance the building of a community with a shared future for humanity.Sisi thanked Xi for extending congratulations on the opening of the museum last year. He said the ancient Egyptian and Chinese civilizations share the qualities of openness, inclusiveness and harmonious coexistence amid diversity, which closely aligns with the vision of the Global Civilization Initiative proposed by Xi.The Egyptian side stands ready to work with China to step up people-to-people and cultural exchanges, promote mutual learning among civilizations, and make the world more harmonious and inclusive, Sisi said.Grand Egyptian Museum大埃及博物馆observation deck观景平台golden mask黄金面具Global Civilization Initiative全球文明倡议community with a shared future for humanity人类命运共同体

Nightlife takes listeners to the places that have just been awarded World Heritage listing, spanning from Brazil to Russia, Finland to Iran, the world's officially most precious places. 

This is a special episode talking about the newest UNESCO World Heritage cultural site: The Asuka and Fujiwara Ancient Capitals. This is particularly relevant as it is directly related to the history we are currently examining in this podcast. For more information, check out the blogpost at: https://sengokudaimyo.com/podcast/episode-unesco  Rough Transcript: Welcome to Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.  My name is Joshua, and this is a special episode on Japan's newest UNESCO world heritage site: the Ancient Capitals of Asuka and Fujiwara. Rarely do I focus too much on current events in this podcast.  After all, we are still dealing with the events of the 7th century, and that is hardly "current" in any sense.  However, just last month, at the end of July 2026, the UNESCO World Heritage Convention met and made a ruling on inducting the Ancient Capitals of Asuka and Fujiwara as one of the newest World Heritage sites. Given the obvious relevance of this to this podcast, I thought it was worth talking about. As such we'll go into a little history of the UNESCO world heritage convention, what it means, and how sites get added—or even removed—from the list.  And then we'll talk about the addition of the Ancient Capitals of Asuka and Fujiwara, what is included in that description, and what part those various locations play in the story of Japan's history, which we've been laying out for the past several years.  Warning up front:  This is probably going to be a longer episode than usual, as there is a lot to cover, but it still didn't seem to make sense to break it up into two parts. Before we get into the background of UNESCO more generally, let's talk briefly about the news.  The Ancient Capitals of Asuka and Fuijwara had been on UNESCO's tentative list since 2007, and following an on-site evaluation in September of 2025, the International Council on Monuments and Sites, or ICOMOS, made a recommendation in June 2026 that the property be inscribed on the World Heritage list. On 26 July, 2026, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee met in Busan, South Korea and accepted the recommendation.  This becomes Japan's 22nd cultural World Heritage site, and the 27th World Heritage property in Japan, since the World Heritage program is also inclusive of natural heritage sites, such as Yakushima, Amami-Ohoshima, the Ogasawara islands, and the mountainous regions of Shirakami-Sanchi, and Shiretoko, in Hokkaido. The recommendation for Asuka and Fujiwara was not just for a single site, but includes 19 individual sites and over 1,100 hectares of "buffer zone".  The individual sites are listed on the UNSECO World Heritage website as follows: •             Asuka Palace Site •             Asuka Pond Garden Site •             Asuka Water Clock Site •             Sakafuneishi Ritual Site •             Asuka-dera Temple Site •             Tachibana-dera Temple Site •             Yamada-dera Temple Site •             Kawara-dera Temple Site •             Hinokuma-dera Temple Site •             Ishibutai Mounded Tomb •             Shobuike Mounded Tomb •             Kengoshizuka Mounded Tomb •             Fujiwara Palace Site •             Daikandaiji Temple Site •             Motoyakushiji Temple Site •             Mounded Tomb of Emperor Temmu and Empress Jito •             Nakaoyama Mounded Tomb •             Kitora Mounded Tomb •             Takamatsuzuka Mounded Tomb So these are the specific locations, that were included in the single designation.   And these are how they are officially listed on the UNESCO World Heritage site in English, so for anyone who is going to comment that saying Asuka-dera Temple is redundant, because "Tera" already means "Temple", let's just not, shall we?  They are all in the Asuka and Kashihara area, and easily accessible, one from the other, so you can go and visit them if you would like.  I suspect that there is going to be a bit of push for that area in the coming tourist season as they now put up official UNESCO world heritage site markers.  And you may have noticed that a lot of these site names may sound very familiar, because the majority of them are places we've already mentioned on the podcast – but more on that later. But first, what does it mean to be a UNESCO World Heritage Site? UNESCO is the "United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization".  It was founded in 1945, with the stand-up of the UN itself, as a successor to the League of Nations' International Committee on Intellectual Cooperation.  That said, the idea of a "World Heritage Site" didn't come about until 1975, with the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, with the first sites being designated in 1978. Prior to this, UNESCO had been involved in various attempts to help preserve various monuments of historical significance.  They begin working with various museums and other organizations, and in 1965 UNESCO created ICOMOS, an international professional association to work towards the conservation and protection of cultural heritage.  A site designated as a World Heritage Site must be considered to be of "outstanding universal value" and can fall under one of two categories.  The first, and perhaps the one that most often comes to mind, are the cultural sites.  The second are natural sites considered of outstanding value.   With the 1975 convention, UNESCO had leaned heavily on ICOMOS as an advisory body regarding sites of particular cultural significance.  A similar body, the World Conservation Union, provides input on sites of natural significance. To be determined a World Heritage site, there is a set of ten criteria, and a site must meet at least one of the ten.  This means that a site must: i.            Represent a masterpiece of human creative genius ii.           Exhibit an important interchange of human values iii.          Bear a unique or at least exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition or to a civilization iv.           Illustrate a significant stage in human history v.            Be an outstanding example of a traditional human settlement, land-use, or sea-use vi.          Be directly or tangibly associated with events or living traditions, with ideas, or with beliefs, with artistic and literary works of outstanding universal significance; or it must vii.         Contain superlative natural phenomena viii.        Be an outstanding example representing major stages of earth's history ix.          Be an outstanding example representing significant on-going ecological and biological processes in the evolution and development of ecosystems and communities of plants and animals; or it must x.           Contain the most important and significant natural habitats for conservation of biological diversity. I abbreviated that list, but it gives you an idea of what the committee is looking for. To be placed on the list, a site must first be nominated.  Nominations are made by UN member countries and placed on a Tentative List.  From there, they can be selected into a Nomination File, which is then evaluated by the advisory organizations as appropriate.  The World Heritage committee meets once a year, at which time they may determine whether a nominated site will be added to the World Heritage list or if more information is needed. Having a site listed as an UNESCO world heritage site carries prestige and can drive tourism and revenue to help protect the site.  Members can request financial assistance with some conservation projects, and signatory nations are expected to contribute to the conservation of world heritage sites.  At the same time, the host country is expected to provide regular reports on the conditions of the site and efforts being undertaken to conserve it.  Should the situation change so that key aspects of the site's intrinsic value are lost, the World Heritage Committee may choose to revoke a designation.  This has only been done a few times, but it is always a possibility. All of this means that the Asuka and Fujiwara capital sites are now eligible for certain types of financial assistance and international aid to help further preserve and even restore certain aspects, such as the tomb murals in the Takamatsuzuka and Kitora kofun.  But let's talk about the sites that have actually been included, and to do that, we'll go through in roughly chronological order, based on the timeline that was given by Japan in the nomination documents, and what makes the most sense for narrative cohesion.   That said, it is important to note that the dates on the timeline in the UNESCO nominating document are where we first see mentions of the monuments, not necessarily when the temples were first constructed or anything like that.  If you want to learn more, check out the documentation submitted on the UNESCO world heritage website. And speaking of learning more, many of the sites we are about to discuss we have covered in previous episodes—though some more than others.  We'll call out relevant episodes as we can, but you can also find out more by searching on our website, sengokudaimyo.com, for more information about any of these topics. Let's start with Asukadera, or Asuka Temple.  The nominating document notes that it was completed in 596, though it had been started quite a bit earlier.  We discussed Askua-dera and many of the other temples back in episode 142, though Asuka-dera itself has been a part of the story since at least Episode 92, with the rise of Soga no Umako.  Asuka-dera, as you may recall, started off as a private temple for the Soga family, though they were so intertwined with the royal family that it almost didn't make a difference.  For the longest time it was the primary temple site at least in the Asuka region, and defined what Buddhism looked like early on.  Later it would be included as one of the Four Great Temples, and it would eventually move to Nara, though a temple would continue to operate on the site until the modern day.  That said, through fires and reduced patronage, the current temple is much reduced from its former glory.  Still, archeologies have found indications at the site demonstrating the true extent of the temple at the height of its power and influence, and how it truly played a key role in numerous events surrounding the building of a continental style state government. Speaking of the Soga family, the next site on the list, dated to 626, is Ishibutai kofun.  Ishibutai kofun was originally a square kofun, or Houfun, thought to be the resting place of Soga no Umako, the Grand Minister and head of the Soga family who led it to prominence in the age of Kashikiya Hime, aka Suiko Tenno.  We talked about his passing in episode 103.  Excavations have suggested that the tomb took up an area about 85 meters to a side.  This included an outer moat and an inner, platform, about 50 meters square.  The burial chamber is a horizontal stone chamber created with impressive megaliths—a fancy word that just means "big stones".  In this case we are talking about stones that rival or even dwarf those at monuments like the famous Stonehenge, in England.  The stones are part of what give it its name, Ishibutai, or Stone Stage, because unlike in other kofun, these ones are exposed.  There is a theory that after the fall of the Soga family, and the deaths of Soga no Iruka and Soga no Emishi, the tomb was deliberately uncovered as a form of posthumous punishment. Because it is not a tomb under the care of the Imperial Household Agency, Ishibutai kofun has seen extensive excavation from 1933 to 1975.  That said, most of the funerary goods were likely stolen a long time ago.  There were some various bits and pieces found here and there—gilt and bronze implements and earthenware shards, but otherwise nothing truly significant.  They did find evidence of other tombs, nearby.  Perhaps ironically it seems that these other tombs were leveled to make room for Ishibutai kofun, making its own uncovering feel somewhat karmic, in a way. The next site, if we were to follow the timeline, is the Asuka Palace site.  This actually encompasses the site of at least four different palaces, which we discussed back in episode 134, with a blogpost showing the various palace remains, if you want to compare them.  In 630 we have the construction of the Okamoto Palace of Kashikiya Hime.  Then, in 643, we have the Itabuki Palace built for Takara Hime during her first reign as Kogyoku Tenno.  This was the location of the famous Isshi Incident, when Takara Hime's son, Naka no Oe, instituted the coup against Soga no Iruka and his father, killing Iruka in court in front of his mother.  For more on that, check out episode 106.  It was later used when she and Naka no Oe left the Toyosaki Naniwa Palace and returned to Asuka.  It may be during the time of the Itabuki Palace that another one of the monuments was built.  This is the Shobuike Kofun.  The nomination document doesn't give a precise date for this one, and we really only know for certain that it was built in the 7th century, but they place it on the timeline shortly after the events of 643.  Like Ishibutai kofun, it is a hofun, or square kofun, surrounded by a moat with a horizontal burial chamber.  At only 30 meters long, it is not as large or as prominent as Ishibutai Kofun, possibly indicating that the occupants were not as prominent or that kofun building as a whole was falling out of fashion.  Inside, there were two stone coffins, in the "house shape", meaning the lid had a peaked roof appearance.  In addition, the interior of the coffins was lacquered, making these unique in the archipelago.  Finally, perhaps as is the case with Ishibutai kofun, the mound appears to have been deliberately dismantled at some point in the early 8th century, when Fujiwara-kyo was still the capital. We do not know who was buried at Shobuike Kofun, but there are two theories.  One theory proposes that, given the unique features, it may have been a member of the royal family.  Another theory suggests that it may be a tomb for members of the Soga family.  This theory is connected to the idea that Ishibutai is the tomb of Soga no Umako.  Given its shape and similarities, perhaps this tomb is for a relative?  In addition, though not part of the World Heritage Site nomination, there is a nearby square kofun known as Koyamada Kofun.  There is a theory that this other tomb might also have been a royal tomb—perhaps even a first burial for Tamura no Ohokimi, aka Jomei Tenno.  However, there is another theory that these two tombs, together, make up the tombs of Soga no Emishi and Soga no Iruka.  That would explain them both being of similar shapes, and similar to the kofun thought to be that of Soga no Umako.  It could also explain why Shobuike kofun was later destroyed, like with Ishibutai Kofun. Shortly after Shobuike Kofun was thought to have been built, the court moved to Naniwa for a time, before eventually returning to the Itabuki Palace.  Then, in 656, we have the Nochi-no-Okamoto Palace, aka the Later Okamoto Palace, built after the Itabuki palace burned down.  It was repurposed by Ohoama when he brought the court back from Ohotsu, and then expanded with the Ebinoko Enclosure, among other changes, turning it into the Kiyomihara palace, where Ohoama and then Uno no Sarara ruled until the completion of the Fujiwara Palace around 694. Around the same time as the Later Okamoto Palace was the construction of the Sakafuneishi Ritual Site.  This site is located on a hill on the east side of the Asuka valley, overlooking the Asuka palace site.  There they have found stone walls, a strange carved stone with channels for what appears to be water or liquid for some kind of ritual purpose, and, towards the bottom of the hill, a stone turtle basin and water spout that appears to have once been connected to a spring.  Of all of the included sites, this is perhaps the most enigmatic in terms of how it was used and what was going on there.  It is likely that this is what is referred to in the Chronicle as the Tou no Mine site, where it is said that they built an enclosure encircling two tsuki trees, calling the site the Futatsuki Palace.  That said, today the name "tou-no-mine" is applied to a peak some distance further up the valley and into the mountains, and I do not believe that any concrete evidence of a "palace" has been found at either location.  Still, it demonstrates that there was something going on that was important enough to build walls and create intricate stone carvings—not something we necessarily find everywhere, though they are particularly prolific in the Asuka region once you consider all the various stone carvings that have been located there.  Current thinking seems to suggest that it was a site where sovereigns from Kashikiya Hime through Uno no Sarara conducted rites associated with ascension to the throne.  The walls show evidence of being built earlier in the 7th century, which we discussed in Episode 118, and then damaged during the incredibly powerful Nankai earthquake during the Hakuho era.  We talked about this earthquake back in episode 139, along with other natural disasters.  This was an earthquake of immense power, known as a Nankai Megathrust Earthquake, that caused destruction across the archipelago, from Shikoku up through the Kanto region.  Walls show evidence of being repaired in Temmu's time and the site appears to have been in use up through the 9th century.  This means it was still being used in some capacity even after the court had moved up to Heian-kyo, in modern Kyoto, but who knows by whom. By the way, I feel like I should address something here.  Often times there is a bit of an archaeological joke that if you don't know what something is it gets termed a "ritual site" or a "ritual implement".  And, granted, "ritual" does not necessarily mean "religious".  Brushing your teeth each day could be considered a ritual.  So is the inauguration of a new president or prime minister.  It just refers to something that we do regularly, usually as part of a societal tradition.  Often it is symbolic, though sometimes it can have a greater function.  So in all likelihood whatever was happening at the Sakafuneishi site probably was a kind of "ritual", whether it was religious or not, but we just don't have enough info to know what that might have looked like.  The physical evidence does not conform to any other well known practice, so we are left guessing. Compare this to another "ritual" site, the next on our list:  The Mizuochi site.  When it was first discovered in 1972, it was clear that it was important.  There was a large building foundation, in the shape of a square podium, faced with paving stones.  It was also near to Asukadera and the location where various stone figures had been found at the turn of the century.  It would take several more years to discern enough features to come to the realization of what it was for.  This was due to the discovery of highly unusual features and artifacts. For instance, there is the central building, designated SB200.  It had pillars set on base stones, forming a grid pattern in a square—four spans long on each side.  This is unusual compared to other buildings on the site, which had more conventional pillars embedded in the ground.  Each span of the pillars at SB200 was a uniform distance.  The podium on which the building was placed was just under 11 meters on each side, and a little more than a meter in height.  The pillar bases were further strengthened under the floor level, meaning that the resulting structure would have been remarkably sturdy.  In the center of the building was a stone platform, set about a meter below the surface, where they found the remains of a large and small lacquered wooden boxes.  Around the platform were buried wooden culverts and copper pipes, which would have been able to carry water to and from the site. There was nothing else like this discovered anywhere else, but given the nature of everything, it seemed to make sense that this was the site of the clepsydra, the water clock, which Naka no Oe is said to have built.  Pottery shards from around the 650s and 660s seem to back up this identification, and simulations have demonstrated how the water clock may have actually worked.  As such, the site seems to have been fairly well identified, which is really remarkable, and provides an incredible link to that era.  Not only that, but the technology demonstrated was incredibly advanced for its time.  As such, it truly is a remarkable site.  For more, check out Episode 127, where we talked more in depth about the importance of time and direction in Ancient Yamato. The next site on the list is the Kengoshizuka Kofun.  This mounded tomb is said to have been built around 667 CE—around the time that Yamato was supporting Baekje in a failed attempt to stave off that country's destruction at the hands of the Silla-Tang alliance.  This is an octagonal shaped kofun—a shape which is thought to have only been used by members of the royal family.  The academic position is that this is the tomb of Takara Hime—aka Saimei Tennou—who had died just as Yamato was starting to send troops to the Korean peninsula.  This theory is at odds with the Imperial Household Agency, which has designated a different tomb—Kurumaki-Kenno Kofun—as Saimei Tennou's mausoleum The story as it is recounted in the Nihon Shoki goes something like this.  As Yamato was gathering forces to defend Baekje—see episodes 123 and 124 for what happened—Takara Hime passed away at the temporary court set up in Asakura, in modern Kyushu.   With Yamato just about to launch a military campaign, they couldn't also hold a royal funeral, so they had her body taken back to the Nara basin..  Takara Hime's remains were temporarily interred at the plain of the Asuka River—Asuka-gawara.  It wouldn't be until after the conflict was over—a little more than 5 years later—that she would be buried.  At that time, we are told that she was buried together with Royal Princess Hashibito, her sister-in-law, at Wochi Hill—little market hill—and that the royal granddaughter, Princess Ohota, was buried in front.  And indeed, the layout of Kengoshizuka Kofun  has space for two coffins, and the archeologists found evidence of another burial in "front" of the kofun.  So in all ways this  seems to accord with the Chronicles, though the Imperial Household Agency has not chosen to change its designation.  I suspect that if they did it might cause some issues due to the limits of what archaeologists are allowed to do with tombs designated as royal mausoleums. Kengoshizuka Kofun has been remarkably reconstructed, so that you can go and see what it probably looked like when it was first built.  Since it was not designated as an imperial mausoleum by the Imperial Household Agency, archaeologists were able to excavate Kengoshizuka, and they found some remarkable finds, including a particularly spectacular coffin fitting made of cloisonne hexagonal plates with images of flowers that were connected to each other.  There also appears to have been a coffin made with lacquered linen, rather than the stone or tuff coffins found elsewhere.  So that's Kengoshizuka Kofun.  That's #7 on our list.  Moving on to #8, on the timeline at 673, it is Kawara-dera, and I'm going to lump this in with Tachibana-dera, which is noted on the timeline at 680.  In fact, the nominating document proposes a much earlier timeline for the start of Tachibana-dera, starting in the 640s, with Kawara-dera in the 660s, about two decades later. These two temples sit across from one another, and at one time they appear to have been coupled together as a monastery and a nunnery.  In fact, the nominating documents call out Tachibana-dera as Japan's oldest nunnery. The actual founding of these two temples is somewhat in dispute.  Let me start with Tachibana-dera.  Tachibana-dera claims to have been founded by none other than the legendary Shotoku Taishi.  It is said that the land of Tachibana-dera was the area of the palace where Prince Umayado, aka Shotoku Taishi, was born, and that in 606 he had the property turned into a temple.  As such, it claims to be one of seven major temples built by the Prince.  However, we don't have any actual documentation for the temple until it shows up in 680, due to the report of a fire.  We do see it in numerous poems in the Man'yoshu, which is one of the ways we can also tell that it was a nunnery. More information can be gleaned from the archaeological excavations at the site.  The original temple was clearly built on the same Baekje designs as others of that period.  In an interesting twist, it appears as though the temple was not oriented north to south, as others were, but rather it was oriented west to east.  This would have had it facing the royal palace, initially, in a configuration very similar to that of Shitennoji, in Osaka, or Yamadadera, which is also one of the sites included in UNESCO World Heritage designation. The original temple had a middle gate, a pagoda, a main hall—or kondo—and a lecture hall (Koudou).  It was surrounded by a walled corridor.  Some of the roof tiles that have been found appear to be from the first quarter of the 7th century, but there are many more from the mid-7th century, suggesting that full-scale construction wasn't carried out until that period.  None of the original buildings appear to have survived, though there is an Asuka era stone statue, as well as various important cultural properties that have been preserved, and excavations have given us an idea of what it looked like, originally. Compare that to Kawara-dera, which sits to the north of Tachibana-dera.  We've talked about Kawara-dera before, as it was eventually designated one of the four national temples.  It was clearly built at a later date than Tachibana-dera, though when, exactly, is still unclear. There is mention of a Kawara-dera in an entry for 653, but even then, the Chronicles note that may have actually been at Yamada-dera, on the other side of Asuka, indicating that even the Chroniclers weren't entirely sure.  That leaves the first clean mention of the temple at 673, in the reign of Ohoama, aka Temmu Tenno.  There is a note, prior to this, in about 656, which talks about "Kawara no Miya", or the Kawara Palace. This is where Takara Hime briefly moved after the fires damaged the Itabuki Palace, which was rebuilt into the Later Okamoto Palace.  It is thought that Kawara-dera is on the site of that temporary palace, and it is possible that the building of that palace lent something to the eventual creation of Kawara-dera. Kawara-dera has a unique layout, known specifically as the Kawara-dera style temple layout.  Although the overall temple is built on a north-south axis, the west main hall faces east, towards the pagoda, in the southern courtyard.  There was then a central main hall, and then the northern courtyard, with the koudou, or lecture hall, facing south.  There is also evidence that the east gate was sizeable—possibly larger than the south gate.  If so, it may be that this temple, like Tachibana-dera, was also facing east—facing the palace—but it was, at the same time, also on the same north-south access as other buildings and facilities.  This almost seems like they were perhaps compromising between facing the palace and utilizing the continental idea of a north-south alignment.  I almost wonder if the pagoda and western kondou weren't first built and then someone decided to change the orientation mid-way through the building process.  Either way, it is definitely unique. Although Kawara-dera was designated as one of the four national temples, it is the only temple that was not eventually moved up to Heijo-kyo, or Nara, when the capital eventually moved up there.  There are numerous theories as to why, but regardless of that, it stayed in Asuka and was no longer considered a national temple.  Over time it declined, and repairs could not be maintained across the entire complex.  Today, a successor temple, Gufuku-ji, sits on the site, but it is much reduced.  Fortunately, you can still see many of the exposed footings and get an idea for just what this temple was like back in its heyday. Now since we've mentioned it, it is probably worth talking about Yamada-dera, which is also on the list.  Like the others, there is a small successor temple to the north, but most of the ancient Yamada-dera grounds are visible, and if you go out there you can clearly see where all the buildings were.  There are signs and raised platforms depicting where the various buildings were at, so you can easily see what was there.  Furthermore, if you check out the Asuka Historical Museum, they have a remarkably well-preserved section of one of the walls of the gallery from the temple, including some roof elements.  It appears to have fallen down during a fire, and other material must have fallen on top of it so that the fire could not consume that section, leaving it in incredible shape. Yamada-dera is part of the Hosso sect—that is the sect following the teachings of the monk Xuanzang.  We talked about Xuanzang, and the monks who studied with him, back in episodes 120 to 122.  It is said to have been founded by Soga no Kurayamada no Ishikawa no Maro.  He was a relative of Soga no Emishi who supported Prince Naka no Oe in his coup in 645.  Soga no Kurayamada eventually became Udaijin, or Minister of the Right, and he was essential in implementing the Taika reforms.  Long story short, he was slandered, and fled to Yamada-dera, which was still under construction.  Rather than being taken by government forces, he took his own life, as well as that of his wife and eight children.  You can listen to the whole story back in Episode 112.  All of that is said to have happened here at that temple, in the year 649.  Perhaps because of the stain of that incident, the temple construction appears to have been halted for a time.  It wouldn't be completed until 685, when Ohoama and his wife, Uno no Sarara, a direct descendant of Soga no Kurayamada, were on the throne. Finally, there is one more temple from this early period that is mentioned, and that is Hinokuma-dera.  Of all of the temples so far, this one we probably have mentioned the least in the main podcast.  Hinokuma-dera is located to the southwest of the main Asuka valley, south of the famous Takamatsuzuka kofun.  It is first mentioned in a record dated to 686.  That indicates it must have been built some time prior, and archaeological excavations seem to place it at the second half of the 7th century, with the pagoda and main hall being completed in the late 7th century.   The temple continued to be maintained through the 8th century, but declined after the Heian period when the pagoda and lecture hall collapsed.  In the early 20th century a local Shinto shrine was relocated here, and remains, today. Hinokuma-dera was built as a private temple by the Yamato no Aya.  The Yamato no Aya are an intriguing group of people.  The name "Aya" implies a group that was originally employed as weavers, a technology brought over from the continent.  Indeed, they are said to have been largely immigrants who came and brought the technology with them.  The Aya were broken into different groups, with the Yamato no Aya being one of the more powerful.  The name appears again and again in the Chronicles, though in the time of Ohoama they were put on notice as a clan.  We aren't told what they did, exactly.  They seem to have made their way back into the court's good graces over time, however. Hinokuma-dera is interesting in that it is much smaller than the other temples we have discussed, and the form is quite different.  It isn't organized along cardinal directions, but rather with the koudou, or lecture hall, in the northwest and the kondou, or main hall, in the southeast.  The pagoda was between the two, slightly off-center to the northeast, directly across from the main gate, which faced southwest.  This means that you would enter from the southwest into a large, rectangular courtyard.  You could be facing a pagoda near the rear wall, with a lecture hall to your left and the main image hall to your right.  This is compared to Baekje temples that were on the periphery of the Baekje capital, and this may have been in a similar situation.  Based on the surrounding geography, it appears that some of the choices may have been made to conform with local geologic features, such as the ridge that it is on. It is interesting, however, for its uniqueness, especially as a private temple that did not have the resources of the court.  There were probably quite a few of these kinds of temples that we just don't see or hear about in the record.  When the court moved, first up to Heijo-kyo, but later on to Heian-kyo, in modern Kyoto, the head of the Yamato no Aya no doubt moved as well, and that probably led to the temple's decline, over time. Speaking of the court, there is one more part of the Asuka court that we should touch on before we leave the era of the Asuka palace.  At some point, probably related to the Later Okamoto Palace, the court created a pond and garden.  This Asuka Pond Garden site is first mentioned in 685, though it likely existed for some time.  Evidence suggests that it was built around the same time as the later Okamoto Palace, so sometime around 656, and based on excavations, we know that there was a south and north pond, divided by a middle bank.  Water flowed from the south pond to the north pond through a wooden pipe in that middle bank.  The south pond had a pentagonal shape, about 65 meters long, east to west, and 55 meters wide, north to south.  It was only 30 cm at its deepest point, with two islands in the pond itself.  The north pond was 36 meters east to west and 52 meters north to south, and it was up to 4 meters deep.  There was a stone overflow channel that was built for water to flow back into the Asuka river.  There was also a stone fountain, like that found at the Sakafuneishi site, and evidence of buildings and a wall around the site.  There has also been analysis of seed pollen, indicating what kinds of vegetation might have been grown in the garden. This was a lavish area that was purpose-built for entertainments of various kinds.  This is the area that the royal family and various nobles likely adjourned to at the end of the day for relaxation and for various banquets and other such gatherings. Of course, not all the court proceedings were so joyful.  In 686, Ohoama died, and for the next couple of years the court business was taken up with eulogies and memorials.  This is also when they built the next site included in the list: The mounded tomb of Temmu Tennou and, eventually, Jitou Tennou.  The tomb is an octagonal kofun, similar to the Kengoshizuka kofun for Takara Hime.  It is built to the southwest of the Asuka basin, a fair distance from the palace.  However, this positioning also puts it directly south of the site of the new Fujiwara Palace.  As the Fujiwara capital and palace site had already been selected, they would have been able to build this tomb in relation to the future palace, creating a direct north-south link between the two.  It is also along the same ridgeline as the tomb of Kengoshizuka and the tomb attributed to Kinmei Tennou and Princess Kibi no Himemiko. The octagonal tomb was built in five tiers.  It is about 42 meters on a side, built with rammed earth and then covered, originally, with dressed stones, while the surrounding area was paved.  Ohoama was buried in a sealed stone burial chamber in a dry-lacquered linen-made coffin, similar to what was found, again, at Kengoshizuka.  Later, when Uno no Sarara passed away, her urn was added to the tomb. Speaking of that, I cannot believe I didn't mention this in the last episode on Queen Uno no Sarara, but yes, she was cremated.  In fact, she is the first Yamato sovereign to have been cremated in the Buddhist style, rather than to have her body buried intact.  Today, almost cremation is the default in Japan—to the point that it actually has caused some issues with people who, for religious reasons, request a different type of burial.  However, at this point, it was still somewhat new.   Prior to Buddhism, all indications are that bodies were simply buried.  Buddhism brought in the concept of at least four different types of funerary rites.  There is dosou, or earth burial, but there was also suisou, water burial; fuusou, wind—or "air"—burial; and then kasou, fire burial.  Suisou would be committing a body to water, and fuusou generally means leaving the body on a stand, out in the open, to allow the body to decompose while birds, ideally vultures, come and do their work.  Of these, "kasou", fire burial or cremation, is linked to the historical Buddha, whose physical body is said to have been cremated, with the bones and teeth left behind considered holy relics.  That Uno no Sarara requested cremation would seem to indicate her own support of Buddhism and Buddhist institutions. The tomb of Temmu and Jitou has remained largely intact—at least compared to some that we have discussed this episode-- but not inviolate.  Over time, the site was allowed to become overgrown with trees and other vegetation.  In 1235 the tomb was robbed and in 1881 it was officially designated as an Imperial Mausoleum by the Imperial Household Agency, which now manages the site.  You can approach up to a point, but the tomb itself is largely off-limits to the public. Speaking of Uno no Sarara's support of Buddhism, we've already talked about her connections to Yakushi-ji, the next site on our list.  This temple was commissioned by Ohoama when his wife, Uno no Sarara, grew unexpectedly ill in 680.  She did recover, and the temple would eventually be considered one of the four National temples of the Yamato state.  It appears to have been built—possibly shifted slightly—specifically in line with the new avenues being laid out for Fujiwara-kyo, the new capital, and it fits neatly into place, taking up an entire city block.  When the capital moved, the temple was also moved.  The new temple sits up near modern Nara, in the area known as Nishi-no-kyou—the West (side of the) capital.  For the new site, the court may have used some of the materials from the original temple, though there does seem to have been a continued presence at the Fujiwara capital site until the 11th century.  To avoid confusion, the temple in the old Fujiwara capital site is referred to as "Moto-Yakushiji", meaning the Real or Original Yakushi Temple. Yakushiji was commissioned in 680, but work on the temple wasn't completed until 698, four years after the move to the new Fujiwara Palace.  Key features at this time were its size and its double pagodas, rather than just the single pagoda common in earlier temples.  This mimicked temple innovations happening on the continent, and was later adopted by several temples in the new capital of Heijo-kyo. Another national temple from around this time, also included in the nomination letter, is Daikandaiji.  Like Yakushiji, this temple was a grand statement of the Yamato state's ambitions.  Both were large temples that would have stood out, and as national temples they were symbols of state power and authority in matters both secular and spiritual. We discussed all of this in a previous episode, Episode 142, where we covered the four national temples, so I don't want to belabor it too much other than to give a brief overview.  In summary, what we know as Daikandaiji today is very likely the old Kudara Ohodera,  Kudara, in this instance, being spelled with the same kanji as for "Baekje".  Kudara Ohodera was the largest of the Asuka and Fujiwara era temples.  Its pagoda was over 80 meters tall, one of the tallest in Yamato at that time, and the main hall rivaled that of the Daigokuden, the main hall of the Fujiwara palace.   It also appears to have been moved twice.  First it was moved from its original location closer to the Asuka palace.  And then it appears to have been shifted to align with the avenues of the new Fujiwara capital.  The name was also changed.  "Kudara Ohodera" likely referred to the location where the temple was first founded by Tamura, aka Jomei Tennou.  It was then moved to Asuka and took on the name "Takechi Ohodera", given its new location, but then was renamed to Ohotsukasa no Ohodera, the Great Temple of the High Officials, or something like that.  This same name, read with the on'yomi reading, becomes "Daikandaiji". The temple was later moved to Heijo-kyo, where it was renamed to "Daianji", which means something like the Temple of Great Safety or Protection.   There is another story that says that the temple actually originated in the Kumagori dojo created by the legendary Shotoku Taishi, but, like so many such stories, that may have been added later to increase the temple's prestige.  As with so many of these temples, when the move was made to Heijo-kyo, the temple lost its national status, but remained active.  Without the upkeep by the court, it eventually declined, finally disappearing almost entirely.  Remains were rediscovered in the Edo and Meiji period, with major excavations in the 1970s and 80s.  From this, there is evidence of fire, even before construction was completed.  Indeed, there is a record of fire in 711.  The temple was likely under construction for much of the period of the Fujiwara capital's existence. This is probably as good a point as any to talk about the Fujiwara Palace itself.  I would note that the World Heritage site designation only includes the palace site, and not the entire capital city of Fujiwara-kyo.  That is probably for the best, as findings have suggested that the ancient capital was built on a plan far grander that previously thought. Initially, it was believed that the Fujiwara capital was built similar to Heijo-kyo and Heian-kyo, which is to say that it was modeled after the Tang capital of Chang'an.  This model creates a rectangular city with the main palace complex at the far north of the city.  Lower classes are typically housed in the southern regions while upper classes and nobility are provided land in the northern areas of the city.  Part of the reason to believe that the city was laid out like this has to do with the three mountains:  Mt. Unebi, Mt. Miminashi, and Mt. Kagu.  If the palace were located at the northern end of the city, then the city would fit rather nicely in the plains between these three mountains.  However, it appears that the plans for Fujiwara-kyo were much grander, and it appears that the Fujiwara palace sat not at the northern top of the capital, but instead it was in the middle.  This more closely approximates the ideal Confucian model, which created a square city divided into nine districts with the palace in the center.  However, it also means that the city grid is interrupted by the mountains, particularly by Mt. Miminashi, in the north.  To cover all of that land would be untenable, and much of it has been built up or under cultivation for centuries.  Furthermore, it is unclear how built up Fujiwara-kyo ever was.  Imagine trying to just create a city from scratch.  Not only was it about building the temples and the palace, but about all of the other houses, which would have been organized by the individual owners.  One also has to wonder just how many workers there were, and materials, to do all of this.  If much of this was done as traditional wooden buildings, then many of the blocks may not have left any significant remains, though new construction in the area does perform exploratory archaeology just in case.  There are a lot of interesting features that have been found. However, let's focus just on the Fujiwara Palace.  As I've previously pointed out—just back in Episode 152, for example, the Fujiwara Palace was, in many ways, getting back to the type of palace that the Toyosaki Naniwa Palace had tried to be.  This was a massive State complex.  The overall property appears to have been a square, with nine gates—once again, mimicking the geometric perfection suggested in ancient sources.  That wall, which was defined by post-holes in the ground, was also surrounded by a moat.  The south central gate was known as the Suzaku-mon, or Suzaku gate, named for Suzaku, the crimson bird of the south.  This was at the north end of Suzaku Oji, or Suzaku Avenue, the central road of the Fujiwara capital. This road was 24 meters wide, with 4 meter ditches on either side.  The ditches would have carried water throughout the city, while also allowing the city to drain water during large rains.  From the Suzaku gate to the north the palace opened up to the first courtyard, with two building where officials could prepare for the day.  Originally this would have been the place for officials to change into their formal robes, though later they were commanded to show up to work already dressed.  From there, once it opened, they would pass through another gate into the Choudouin, or State Hall.  Here, the 8 bureaus, or ministries, each had a Choudou, or court hall, where they would perform their work.  There were also four other halls for other governmental work. Besides the southern gate, there were gates on the east and west, which led to further government offices to the west and east of the court.  A fourth gate, at the north end of the Choudouin enclosure, would lead to the Daigokuden, the Great Audience Hall.  This was part of a reduced enclosure.  Two buildings have been discovered to the east and west of the enclosure, and north of the enclosure would have led to the private quarters of the sovereign and their family. The government buildings are more obvious than some others—many of the buildings were built in the continental style, meaning with stone footings, leaving a lot of evidence of their existence.  Meanwhile, the buildings of the sovereign's private residence were likely still in the indigenous style—plain wood with posts sunk directly into the ground, and thatched roof.  That would all leave a lot fewer traces, not to say that they haven't ever found anything. Today, the Fujiwara Palace site is a large open area where many of the features that have been found are indicated with modern crimson colored pillars, demonstrating where the various pillars were found.  At the same time, any above-ground reconstructions would have be conjectural, as we don't have enough remaining to know exactly what the palace looked like beyond the pillar locations. This palace and the city was ambitious.  It was huge and clearly meant as a permanent capital.  The fact that it was only occupied until about 710, when the capital moved north, to Heijou-kyou, is something we'll talk about in a later episode.  But still, it was absolutely an incredible move.  Think of how much labor this took and what kind of costs were involved?  This was truly a flex of the state's ability to mobilize labor to be able to do all of this, and generally marks the moment where the Yamato government really came into its own.  It also marks the period where the name "Yamato" is thought to have been officially changed to refer to "Nihon", the "Origin of the Sun", the name by which Japan would be known ever since.  It really is a symbol of Japan's changing state. There are only three more monuments included in the World Heritage Site designation, and they are all tombs. The first is Nakaoyama Kofun.  This is another octagonal kofun, approximately 19.5 meters from one side to the other.  It is only three tiers, as opposed to the five tiers of the tomb of Temmu and Jitou, and similarly covered in stone and surrounded by stone pavement.  The sealed burial chamber is narrow—designed for an urn rather than for a full-body coffin.  This is the first such mound clearly built to accommodate Buddhist style cremation, rather than a coffin.  While the keyhole shaped kofun had stopped being utilized for some time, this appears to put the final seal on the coffin, as it were, of the kofun building period, which had started back in the mid-3rd century.  Certainly, royal tombs continued to be built in the form of mountains, but they would stop having the same kind of artificial mound. It is unclear who was buried in the mound.  It was plundered around the 13th century, and there was considerable damage noted in the Edo period.  However, given Kengoshizuka Kofun and the kofun of Temmu and Jitou Tennou, it seems hard to deny the general consensus that this is the tomb of none other than Karu—that is to say Monmu Tennou.  However, as with Kengoshizuka Kofun, the Imperial Household Agency has named a different kofun, that of Kurihara-tsuka'ana Kofun, slightly to the south of Nakaoyama.  I would note that while this is an octagonal kofun, similar to the others we have seen, the Kurihara kofun, aka the Hinokuma Anko Misasagi, is a round kofun, which, in the consideration of modern scholarship, is not generally thought to have been a shape used for a royal tomb. There are two other tombs on the world heritage list that are round tombs, however—though they are not thought to have been royal tombs.  These are the Takamatsuzuka and Kitora kofun, and both of them have incredible features that are considered of particular importance to the indication of the development of the state.  This is because in both tombs elaborate tomb mural paintings were discovered. The murals of the Kitora kofun are perhaps the simpler between the two.  The Kitora murals have the four directional guardians on the walls of the tomb.  Again, we talked about this back in episode 127.  It was the idea that there was a directional guardian for each of the four cardinal directions.  This includes Genbu, the black tortoise of the north; Byakkou, the White Tiger of the West; Seiryuu, the Blue (or green) Dragon of the East; and Suzaku, the Red Bird of the South.  These descriptions were heavily tied in with various continental ideas of what would be known as "feng shui", including different ideas of color, direction, and concepts of yin and yang.  The Kitora kofun clearly shows these four guardians.  Based on the style of the tomb and the paintings, it is assumed that this tomb was built in the very beginning of the 8th century.  Combined with tomb goods found, while we don't know who was buried there it is very likely that it was either a royal prince or high ranking noble.  It has been suggested that this could have been the tomb for the Minister of the Right, others have suggested that it could be Royal Prince Takechi, who died in the late 7th century, or possibly even a high ranking member of the Baekje nobility living in the archipelago since the fall of their country, given some of the continental features of the tomb and its murals. In addition to the spectacular directional guardians, on the ceiling of Kitora Kofun is a depiction of the stars.  This star chart has been the focus of considerable study, as it depicts the stars in the sky as they might have been seen from the ground.  Though there are some errors, it is remarkably accurate, and it has been heralded as the oldest such star chart in the world.  There are earlier depictions of the sky, like the Nebra Sky Disc, from modern Nebra, in Germany, which dates to about 1800-1600 BCE, but those are more like an astronomical rule, rather than a chart.  It is also interesting that the positions of the stars don't exactly correspond with the sky over the Fujiwara capital: instead, it seems that the latitude better fits with the capital of Pyongyang in Goguryeo.  This opens up lots of intriguing possibilities about how this star chart came to be, and who created it.  It may be that some of the errors we see in the star positions come from taking a star chart possibly from the Tang court, and then localizing it to the Goguryeo capital in Pyongyang.  That chart then appears to have made its way to Japan where it was used in the Kitora kofun.  That means that the artist  wasn't necessarily directly looking at the sky at the time, but rather looking at a depiction, probably drawn on paper which has since been lost.  All of this points to the availability of, and importance placed on, astronomical information at the time.  In the Takamatsuzuka Kofun we similarly have directional animals, although in that case Suzaku, in the south, has been lost.  There is also a depiction of the stars, though it is more based on the zodiac, with constellations depicted in the various "houses" of the sky, rather than a true chart of the sky.  Most significantly in this tomb, however, are depictions of courtiers – groups of male and female attendance - in what appears to be court clothing, and indeed this is the best depiction we have of what court clothing may have looked like at this time.  It very much is in keeping with the clothing we see on the continent.  It is possible that the clothing depicted is not actually what was in use in the court, but possibly clothing from the continent as it was depicted in drawings and the like.   However, the style of clothing does seem to match the continental style clothing we see later in the Nara period, and so it does seem to be our best source for the clothing of the time barring us finding actual garments or further depictions. Both of these tombs are stunning, and have greatly increased our knowledge of the world of the court of 8th century Japan.  However, they are also both extremely fragile and in need of conservation.  Since being opened, humidity levels in the tombs have risen, which has led to the deterioration of the paintings themselves.  Japanese historians and conservators have gone to great lengths to preserve what they could before any more was lost, and there are depictions of what they looked like when they were originally found.  One of the goals of the World Heritage determination appears to be the conservation of these incredible paintings for future generations to be able to see. And there you have it.  Those are the sites  that were recently listed together on the UNESCO World Heritage list as the Ancient Capitals of Asuka and Fujiwara.  I hope that everyone gets a chance to go see them in person some day—it really is a beautiful and rather bucolic area with history strewn all about.  It isn't difficult to walk most of it, either, though to see everything you probably want at least a couple of days, not including various museums and other institutions.  And, of course, the rest of the Nara basin is full of even more treasures, such as Horyuji temple, the Makimuku Palace site, Mt. Miwa, and then the ancient capital of Nara, just to name a few. But that will have to be for another day.  For now, I think I've gone on long enough.  This has been a bit longer than most episodes, so I hope that you enjoyed it.  We'll be back with our regularly scheduled episodes in a couple of weeks. Until then if you like what we are doing, please tell your friends and feel free to rate us wherever you listen to podcasts.  If you feel the need to do more, and want to help us keep this going, we have information about how you can donate on Patreon or through either our Ko-Fi or BuyMeACoffee sites—just look up SengokuDaimyo. For all of that, you can also find the links over at our main website,  SengokuDaimyo.com/Podcast, where we will have some more discussion on topics from this episode. Also, you may have noticed that there are advertisements running on the podcast—that is so that we can keep this free to everyone, but if you want an ad-free version, we have uploaded our entire back-catalog to Patreon, where we will be releasing early and ad-free episodes for anyone who wants to sign up. Finally, feel free to reach out to our Sengoku Daimyo Facebook page.  You can also email us at the.sengoku.daimyo@gmail.com.  Thank you, also, to Ellen for their work editing the podcast. And that's all for now.  Thank you again, and I'll see you next episode on Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.

"From the Dickensian atmosphere of glowing lamps and peeling church bells to quaint stone gabled houses, cobblestoned lanes, and horse-drawn caleche, Old Québec City or Vieux-Québec, is unstoppably picturesque. Charles Dickens wasn't wrong with his summation of the Old City's appeal: “Splendid views which burst upon the eye at every turn.” It is like a grand, evocative set of gorgeousness, a built landscape spanning 400 years, bestowed with World Heritage protection in 1985. It is the only North American walled city beyond Mexico, underpinning its proud sense of historical continuity. A city that clings to her French-speaking heritage and Gallic traditions. Home to the largest Francophone population outside of France, Québec City is where the dream of New France was born and died." Read Mike's full article article. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A follower of the Bahá'í faith who is being held by the Iranian regime has published a vivid and shocking memoir of her time in prison. Mahvash Sabet is an award-winning educator and poet. She has been in and out of detention since 2010, suffering solitary confinement and psychological torture. Bahá'ís are Iran's largest non-Muslim religious minority and are regarded as a threat to the state. Alongside the harshness in jail, Mahvash writes about resilience and friendship. One of those she shared a prison ward with for almost a year is Nazanin Zaghari Ratcliffe - who was herself imprisoned and held hostage by the Iranian State for six years. Julie speaks to Nazanin Zaghari Ratcliffe and Bahiyyih Nakhjavani who translated the memoir Open Wide the Doors into English.In the occupied West Bank, thousands of ancient sites remain unexcavated. Israel has recently expropriated Palestinian land to develop two of them. Palestinians say archaeology is being used to deepen Israeli control of the territory. Israel says it's protecting and preserving its heritage. But a UNESCO move to add Sebastia, near Nablus, to both its World Heritage List and its List of World Heritage in Danger, has brought the dispute into sharper focus. Palestinian officials have welcomed the decision. Israel's foreign minister has condemned it as an attempt to 'change history'. Our global affairs correspondent Sebastian Usher reports from Sebastia.Until a couple of weeks ago, Emma Roberts was getting on with her life as a Quaker chaplain in Swansea. Then almost overnight, she became an internet sensation - due to her likeness to the new prime minister, Andy Burnham. She already had a social media presence on her YouTube channel Quakerology. Now she's viral on TikTok, with a new persona: 'Mandy Burnham'.Presenter: Julie Etchingham Producers: Katy Booth and James Leesley Studio Managers: Nat Stokes and Matthew Dempsey Editor: Tim Pemberton

The French President, Emmanuel Macron, has promised to commit every available resource to contain the flames from the raging wildfires. In Spain, the prime minister, Pedro Sanchez, has warned of difficult times ahead with temperatures forecast to hit forty Celsius from Tuesday. Also, the United Nations body which fights AIDS has said the world risks a resurgence of ‌the HIV epidemic due to funding cuts. President Trump has told reporters that the US is in "very deep talks with Iran" but that he would be ready for "strong military action" if diplomacy failed. In Kenya, activists launch a high-profile legal case which claims hazardous pesticides and herbicides that are meant to make farming more efficient have been harming people's health. Gianni Infantino, the head of football's world governing body, FIFA, has told critics of his handling of several high-profile controversies at the recent men's World Cup that they had missed the joy and togetherness experienced by millions of fans. And the UN cultural organisation, UNESCO, has unusually awarded World Heritage status to a battle ground: the Normandy beaches used for the D-Day landings in 1944.The Global News Podcast brings you the breaking news you need to hear, as it happens. Listen for the latest headlines and current affairs from around the world. Politics, economics, climate, business, technology, health – we cover it all with expert analysis and insight. Get the news that matters, delivered twice a day on weekdays and daily at weekends, plus special bonus episodes reacting to urgent breaking stories. Follow or subscribe now and never miss a moment. Get in touch: globalpodcast@bbc.co.uk Photo: A Military Emergencies Unit (UME) worker carries a hose during a wildfire in San Martin de Valdeiglesias, Madrid, Spain, July 26, 2026. Credit: REUTERS/Ana Beltran

A U.S. swamp has been added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage sites. AP correspondent Donna Warder reports.

UNESCO has added China's Jingdezhen Handicraft Porcelain Industry Sites to the World Heritage List. The inscription brings the total number of World Heritage sites in China to 61.

The U.N. considers naming the Okefenokee a World Heritage site; Elected at age 22, and restricted six months in, the mayor of Stockbridge feels some growing pains; and making a new vehicle look old--but still better--proves a successful recipe for Buford's Vintage Modern. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This Morning's Headlines1. World Heritage committee2. Industry minister to US3. Chip boom benefits4. Coupang fire5. US-Iran conflict

Send us Fan MailPhoto: Orin Langelle / Global Justice Ecology ProjectUNESCO is the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.  It is tasked with the promotion of global peace and security through international cooperation in education, science, culture, and information.Yet recent reporting by Survival International focuses on how UNESCO has used its influence to support the forced relocation of the Indigenous Maasai People from their ancestral land in Tanzania.We talk with Survival International researcher Paul Renaut about the model of “fortress conservation,” that is driving forced evictions of Maasai people in Tanzania and how the UNESCO World Heritage status is amplifying that pressure. We trace what these forced relocations look like on the ground, who profits, and why Indigenous land rights are central to real biodiversity protection.In the episode we discuss:• Survival International's campaign to decolonize conservation and expose human rights abuses committed in the name of nature protection• How the “empty nature” myth frames Indigenous people as threats despite long-term stewardship• Violence linked to protected areas including beatings, torture, rape, and armed repression by ranger forces funded by major conservation groups• Maasai displacement history from Serengeti and the ongoing threat across Maasai land tied to tourism and trophy hunting• UNESCO's role through World Heritage designations, “population pressure” language, and legitimizing forced relocation narratives• What “voluntary relocation” can mean in practice including cattle confiscation, arrests, and suspension of vital services• Scientific and cultural arguments for pastoralism as a biodiversity-positive land management system• How carbon credits and offset thinking can shift environmental burdens onto Indigenous communities• Maasai-led resistance through legal work, organizing, mass protests, and direct engagement with international institutionsIf you're enjoying this episode of Breaking Green, please subscribe or follow wherever you get your podcasts. Consider leaving a review and sharing it with friends and colleagues. You can find the full catalog of previous episodes and sign up to have future episodes delivered straight to your inbox at breakinggreen.org. To learn more about Global Justice Ecology Project, visit GlobalJusticeEcology.org. Breaking Green is made possible by tax-deductible donations by people like you. Please help us lift up the voices of those working to protect forest, defend human rights, and expose all solutions. Simply text GIVE to 716 257 4187.link to the Maasai International Solidarity Alliance's website : https://www.misasolidarity.org/   Support the show

Thinking about visiting Kuranda from Cairns? In this episode we share our experience riding the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway over the World Heritage-listed rainforest, exploring Kuranda's colourful rainforest markets and returning on the historic Kuranda Scenic Railway. This is one of our favourite day trips from Cairns. We cover what to expect, the best viewpoints, Barron Falls, practical tips and why this remains one of the most popular day trips in Far North Queensland. To find out more and see all the pics from this episode click here www.beachtravelwine.com/podcast/149/kuranda

John Seed (Deep Ecology OG, global rainforest steward) says we can't save the world. And that the planetary crisis is not a failure of information or awareness; it's a failure of human identity. We have the story, the mindset, all wrong. And we need to change it (from human chauvinism to deep ecological connection) if we're to keep spinning in the Earth's embrace.John is a globally respected Australian rainforest activist and one of the foundational figures of the global Deep Ecology movement. He collaborated for decades with the late Joanna Macy – they co-wrote How To Think Like a Mountain and developed a “re-earthing” technique called Council of All Beings. John's activist work - via the Rainforest Information Centre he founded - has seen rainforests around the world receive various forms of protection status, including World Heritage listings. In this chat, John and I get to “the work that reconnects”, how to use our despair and numbness to lift into action and how to get around our fear of “woo woo”.SHOW NOTESHere is the Features of Narara Ecovillage that John mentions at the end of the episode.You can subscribe to John's SubstackLearn more about the Rainforest Information Centre here, and follow him on Instagram and YouTubeYou can catch up on my episode with Meg Wheatley (in which we discuss “islands of sanity”) here---Watch on YouTube or SubstackIf you need to know a bit more about me… head to my "about" pageFor more such conversations, subscribe to my Substack newsletter, it's where I interact the most!Let's connect on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The second annual World Heritage Center Brick Building Contest is underway with “Summer at the Missions” as this year's theme. Entry deadline is Monday, July 6. Miniature plastic brick builders of all ages are invited to create an object or scene related to the historic San Antonio Missions. Besides the missions themselves, subjects can include such things as the aqueduct, the Rancho de las Cabras in Floresville, or scenes along the Riverwalk Mission Reach. Plastic bricks acceptable for building contest entries include Lego blocks, Lego Duplo blocks, or Mega Bloks. Contest winners will be selected from four categories: •Ages 6-8... Article Link

Cities and Memory x NTS Radio: Sonic Heritage. Originally broadcast on NTS Radio in June 2025.Sonic Heritage is the first collection of the sounds of the world's most famous sights.The project, created by global sound collective Cities and Memory, presents the sounds of 270 UNESCO World Heritage sites and items of intangible heritage – all reimagined by artists from around the world to create a brand new way of experiencing these spaces. In this show, you'll hear field recordings from 13 World Heritage sites around the world, followed by compositions built from those recordings. There's everything from iconic spaces like the Sistine Chapel and historic St. Petersburg to natural soundscapes like Te Wahipounamu and traditional Ghanaian textile weaving, with ambient, electronic, spoken word and many other creative approaches to those sounds. You can explore the full collection at https://citiesandmemory.com/heritage.Timecode, tracklisting and credits01.10 Tallinn, Estonia UNESCO listing: Historic Centre (Old Town) of TallinnField recording: Raekoja Square at 10pm by Cities and MemoryComposition: The bell of Reval by Penelope Trappes04.17 Bonwire, GhanaUNESCO listing: Craftsmanship of traditional woven textile KenteField recording: Asante Kente weaving by Emmanuel BaffoeComposition: Warp and weft #4 by Formolo07.31 Avignon, FranceUNESCO listing: Historic Centre of AvignonField recording: New Year's Day bells by Colin HunterComposition: Beautiful iron friend by Simon Holmes12.28 Okarito, New ZealandUNESCO listing: Te WahipounamuField recording: Dawn chorus at Okarito by Janina CastroComposition: The place of greenstone by Cities and Memory 18.09 St. Petersburg, RussiaUNESCO listing: Historic Centre of Saint Petersburg and Related Groups of MonumentsField recording: Peter and Paul Fortress carillon by Masha Sha Composition: Russian house by Dermot Fitzsimons21.52 Tikal, GuatemalaUNESCO listing: Tikal National ParkField recording: Dry leaves falling by Erick Ruiz ArellanoComposition: Yum Kaax by Laura Hills25.20 Cornwall, EnglandUNESCO listing: Cornwall and West Devon Mining LandscapeField recording: Head gear, Geevor mine by Paul LewinComposition: Resonances - in the depths by Elissa Goodrich30.20 Venice, ItalyUNESCO listing: Venice and its LagoonField recording: Glass-making demonstration in Murano by Cities and Memory Composition: Glass factory by The Leaf Library35.48 Rome, ItalyUNESCO listing: Vatican CityField recording: Inside the Sistine Chapel by Cities and Memory Composition: Crosswise I strain me like a Syrian bow by Cities and Memory 39.33 Kraków, PolandUNESCO listing: Historic Centre of KrakówField recording: Wieża Ratuszowa by Serge Bulat Composition: Wieża by Ross Reilly43.47 Nara, JapanUNESCO listing: Historic Monuments of Ancient NaraField recording: Morning prayer at Kasuga Taisha shrine by Lisa GermanyComposition: Morning incantation by Jaspal Singh Bhogal48.56 Morelia, MexicoUNESCO listing: Historic Centre of MoreliaField recording: Cathedral bells at Morelia by Erick Ruiz ArellanoComposition: Ultimo sueno by Kamala Sankaram54.06 Edinburgh, ScotlandUNESCO listing: The Forth BridgeField recording: Trains crossing the Forth Bridge by Simon HolmesComposition: The soft entrance by glacis 

Today, we're talking about something that impacts thousands of workers across Pennsylvania—workers' compensation. Whether you've experienced a workplace injury or are navigating benefits, understanding your rights is essential. Joining us is David Stern, founding partner of Stern and Cohen, a Philadelphia-based workers' compensation law firm recently recognized as a 2025 Gold Winner for Philadelphia's favorite workers' compensation firm. He breaks down the basics of workers' comp and explains Maximum Medical Improvement (MMI)—what it means and how it can affect your benefits, recovery, and future.

14. World Heritage

May is World Heritage Month, and Philadelphia is taking center stage as the first World Heritage City in the United States. In this episode, we're joined by Zabeth Teelucksingh, President of the Global Philadelphia Association, to talk about how this month-long celebration highlights the city's global significance, rich history, and vibrant cultural diversity. World Heritage Month features a wide range of events across the city throughout May—from cultural festivals and international programs to educational events and community celebrations that reflect Philadelphia's deep connections to the world.  Learn how the Global Philadelphia Association has spent more than a decade promoting the region as a hub for global engagement—creating economic and cultural opportunities while uplifting the voices of diverse communities. Whether you're a lifelong Philadelphian or new to the city, this is your invitation to explore, connect, and celebrate what makes Philadelphia truly global.

On April 18 – World Heritage Day – the Colonial Industrial Quarter (CIQ) comes alive with artisans, demonstrators and faces of the past. Family fun takes center stage as you experience life in the 1700s through hands-on activities and living history demonstrations, uncovering the crafts and trades that made early Bethlehem the industrial heart of a young nation.MADD's mission is to end drunk and drugged driving, support victims of these crimes, and prevent underage drinking and other substance use. A key initiative highlighted is MADD's Promposal, a free 30–45 minute presentation for high school juniors and seniors that addresses the risks of underage substance use and impaired driving, while empowering students to make safe, memorable prom experiences through MADD's High School Programs.

Macca and Paul are joined live on air by Trav Lovett, Executive Director, Centre for Truth Telling & Dialogue. Melbourne Uni. ‘Walk for Truth”. Trav has spent his life advocating for truth and justice for First Peoples. He is passionate about practicing his Culture, working with Community and preserving Aboriginal languages. Travis has held senior leadership roles in the Victorian Public Service, including as Executive Director and Acting Deputy Secretary, First Peoples State Relations, at the Department of Premier and Cabinet. He played key role in supporting Victoria to progress and implement Treaty and Truth telling. He has also worked extensively supporting the rights of Traditional Owners across Victoria and in the protection of cultural heritage. Prior to working for the Victorian Public Service, Travis also held senior roles with Aboriginal Victoria, the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, Court Services Victoria, and the Department of Justice. Travis played a key role in the establishment and reform of the Magistrates' and Children's Koori Courts across the State of Victoria as the Manager of the Koori Courts. In 2017, Travis was awarded the Young Indigenous Leader Scholarship by the Institute of Public Administration of Australia. The walk invites people to engage in truth-telling about Australia’s shared history and the experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Travis Lovett is a proud Kerrupmara/Gunditjmara man and Traditional Owner passionate about practicing Culture, working with Community, and preserving Aboriginal languages. He served as Deputy Chair and Commissioner of the Yoorrook Justice Commission – Australia’s first formal truth-telling inquiry. Cultural background The Kerrup Jmara (Kerrupjmara, Kerrup-Jmara) are a clan of the Gunditjmara, whose traditional lands are around Lake Condah.  (Tae Rak (Lake Condah), located in southwestern Victoria, Australia, is a centerpiece of the World Heritage-listed Budj Bim Cultural Landscape. It features ancient, 8,000-year-old stone aquaculture systems developed by the Gunditjmara people to harvest kooyang (eel). The site is a major hub for Indigenous tourism, cultural education, and environmental restoration.) The post Sat, 18th, Apr, 2026: Walk For Truth , Trav Lovett, Exec Dir | Centre for Truth Telling & Dialogue | U Mel appeared first on Saturday Magazine.

Since the outbreak of the Middle East war on 28 February, sites of major cultural importance across Israel, Iran and Lebanon have come under threat.At the request of the Lebanese Government, the UN education and cultural agency, UNESCO, has placed 39 World Heritage sites under so-called “enhanced protection”- a special status aimed at safeguarding cultural heritage during times of conflict.To explain what this means in practice, UN News's Nancy Sarkis spoke to Krista Pikkat, who leads UNESCO's Culture and Emergencies Unit.

Since the outbreak of the Middle East war on 28 February, sites of major cultural importance across Israel, Iran and Lebanon have come under threat.At the request of the Lebanese Government, the UN education and cultural agency, UNESCO, has placed 39 World Heritage sites under so-called “enhanced protection”- a special status aimed at safeguarding cultural heritage during times of conflict.To explain what this means in practice, UN News's Nancy Sarkis spoke to Krista Pikkat, who leads UNESCO's Culture and Emergencies Unit.

液体のようなものによる汚れが見つかった薬師寺の国宝「仏足石」、１４日午後、奈良市世界文化遺産に登録されている薬師寺で、釈迦の足跡を彫ったとされる国宝「仏足石」に液体のようなものが掛けられた跡が見つかったと、奈良県警奈良署が１４日発表した。 Traces of something like a liquid have been found on the "Bussokuseki" stone imprint of Buddha's feet, a Japanese national treasure at Yakushiji Temple, a World Heritage site in Nara, a city in western Japan, Nara prefectural police said Tuesday.

Traces of something like a liquid have been found on the "Bussokuseki" stone imprint of Buddha's feet, a Japanese national treasure at Yakushiji Temple, a World Heritage site in Nara, a city in western Japan, Nara prefectural police said Tuesday.

Reinhardt, Anja www.deutschlandfunk.de, Kultur heute

Marcus, Dorothea www.deutschlandfunk.de, Kultur heute

Fluent Fiction - Norwegian: A Ride to Friendship: Discovering Bergen from Fløyen Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/no/episode/2026-03-05-08-38-19-no Story Transcript:No: Det var en vakker tidlig vårdag i Bergen.En: It was a beautiful early spring day in Bergen.No: Regnet hadde gitt seg for et øyeblikk, og solen trengte gjennom skyene.En: The rain had let up for a moment, and the sun broke through the clouds.No: Astrid, en ny student i byen, var spent.En: Astrid, a new student in the city, was excited.No: Hun skulle til Fløibanen med sine nye bekjente, Signe og Lars.En: She was going to the Fløibanen with her new acquaintances, Signe and Lars.No: Astrid hadde hørt at utsikten fra toppen av Fløyen var fantastisk, spesielt ved solnedgang.En: Astrid had heard that the view from the top of Fløyen was fantastic, especially at sunset.No: "I dag er perfekt for en tur," sa Signe med et smil, mens de gikk mot stasjonen.En: "Today is perfect for a trip," said Signe with a smile, as they walked towards the station.No: Astrid nikket ivrig, hendes eventyrlyst klar til å oppleve enda mer av Bergen.En: Astrid nodded eagerly, her adventurous spirit ready to experience even more of Bergen.No: Lars, som hadde bodd i Bergen hele livet, ledet vei.En: Lars, who had lived in Bergen his whole life, led the way.No: Han fortalte dem små historier om byen.En: He told them little stories about the city.No: "Dette stedet er gammelt," sa han og pekte på noen av de fargerike trehusene.En: "This place is old," he said, pointing to some of the colorful wooden houses.No: "Flere hundre år gamle.En: "Several hundred years old."No: "De gikk om bord i den sjarmerende Fløibanen, og toget begynte å klatre oppover fjellet.En: They boarded the charming Fløibanen, and the train began to climb up the mountain.No: Astrid så ut vinduet.En: Astrid looked out the window.No: Husene så ut som små leker, og fjorden glitret i det fjerne.En: The houses looked like tiny toys, and the fjord sparkled in the distance.No: Plutselig stoppet toget.En: Suddenly, the train stopped.No: En uventet mekanisk feil.En: An unexpected mechanical failure.No: Spenningen forvandlet seg til bekymring for Astrid.En: The excitement turned into concern for Astrid.No: "Å nei, vi kommer til å gå glipp av solnedgangen," klaget hun stille.En: "Oh no, we're going to miss the sunset," she quietly complained.No: Men hun nektet å gi etter for frustrasjonen.En: But she refused to give in to frustration.No: Stillheten i vognen var ubehagelig, så Astrid bestemte seg for å bryte isen.En: The silence in the carriage was uncomfortable, so Astrid decided to break the ice.No: "Lars, kan du ikke fortelle oss flere historier?En: "Lars, can't you tell us more stories?"No: " foreslo hun, håpefull.En: she suggested, hopefully.No: Lars smilte sjenert.En: Lars smiled shyly.No: "Ja, det kan jeg.En: "Yes, I can."No: " Og slik begynte han å fortelle om Bergens historie, om de gamle bybrannene og bryggen som er på UNESCOs verdensarvliste.En: And so he began to tell about Bergen's history, about the old city fires and the wharf that is on UNESCO's World Heritage list.No: Han delte historier med en glød Astrid ikke hadde sett før.En: He shared stories with a passion Astrid had not seen before.No: Tiden fløy, og mekanikerne fikk endelig ordnet opp i problemet.En: Time flew by, and the mechanics finally fixed the problem.No: Toget satte seg i bevegelse igjen.En: The train started moving again.No: Astrid pustet lettet ut.En: Astrid breathed a sigh of relief.No: Da de nådde toppen, var solen på vei ned mot horisonten.En: When they reached the top, the sun was making its way towards the horizon.No: Himmelens farger var en blanding av rosa, oransje og gylden.En: The sky's colors were a blend of pink, orange, and gold.No: "Det er fantastisk," sa Signe begeistret.En: "It's amazing," said Signe excitedly.No: Astrid så på sine nye venner.En: Astrid looked at her new friends.No: "Hva sier dere til enda en tur sammen en dag?En: "What do you say to another trip together someday?"No: " spurte hun.En: she asked.No: Lars var enig, og Signe nikket entusiastisk.En: Lars agreed, and Signe nodded enthusiastically.No: De planla allerede neste utflukt.En: They were already planning the next outing.No: Sammen så de på solnedgangen, delte latter og tok bilder sammen.En: Together, they watched the sunset, shared laughter, and took photos together.No: Astrid følte seg endelig som en del av Bergen.En: Astrid finally felt like a part of Bergen.No: Hun hadde funnet vennskap og eventyr, og selv Lars virket mer åpen og imøtekommende enn noen gang.En: She had found friendship and adventure, and even Lars seemed more open and welcoming than ever.No: Denne følelsen, tenkte Astrid, er det som gjør et sted til et hjem.En: This feeling, Astrid thought, is what makes a place a home.No: Som solen forsvant bak fjellene, visste hun at dette bare var starten på hennes egne eventyr i Bergen.En: As the sun disappeared behind the mountains, she knew this was just the start of her own adventures in Bergen. Vocabulary Words:acquaintances: bekjenteeagerly: ivrigadventurous: eventyrlystcharming: sjarmerendefjord: fjordmechanical failure: mekanisk feilfrustration: frustrasjonuncomfortable: ubehageligbreak the ice: bryte isenshyly: sjenerthistory: historiefires: bybrannenewharf: bryggenUNESCO's World Heritage list: UNESCOs verdensarvlisteblend: blandingenthusiastically: entusiastiskouting: utfluktlaughter: latterwelcoming: imøtekommendehome: hjemhorizon: horisontwooden: trehusenesparkled: glitretmechanics: mekanikernerelief: lettetbreathed a sigh: pustet lettet utpeeked: streifetadventure: eventyrglow: glødmountain: fjell

Relebogile Mabotja speaks to Dr Albino Jopela the Executive Director of the African World Heritage Fund about exploring why Africa’s heritage matters now more than ever not just culturally, but socially and economically.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How the courts handled a repeat armed robber in the Cash Wiz case, and what the sentence signals as Cayman heads into a new year.Planning for an ageing Cayman – the Pines' new Silver Thatch Residences and why a CI$600,000 seed grant is being called a critical investment in senior care.And looking beyond New Year's Eve –calls to lock in new protected areas for Little Cayman's World Heritage ambitions.

Send us a textA single choice can shape a lifetime. When Nigel Hughes told a careers panel he'd choose ballet over the Marines, he set a compass for courage, creativity, and connection that still points true decades later. We invite you into Nigel's “clearing”—a 1642 Suffolk cottage turned open house—where hedges host micro-moths, neighbours drop by for sugar-free Black Forest gâteaux, and leadership looks like tending land until it teaches you how to lead.The story travels far beyond the garden gate. In Papua New Guinea, Nigel and his partner used theatre—songs, stories, and dugout canoes—to help local communities see what was at stake as industrial logging closed in. Their work helped protect 2,000 square miles of primary rainforest and seeded a long-term push toward World Heritage status. He calls it global kinship, a respectful exchange that begins with listening rather than lecturing. Along the way, we meet mentors who challenged him to be “dangerous or dead,” and we hear how personal rituals—like watching evening primrose bloom at dusk—guided him through cancer and back into purpose.Closer to home, Nigel's philosophy shows in the details: a biodiverse, organic landscape that encouraged neighbouring farms to go chemical-free; a practice of meditation and deep listening; a belief that internal diversity—ballet in the morning, county rugby in the afternoon—creates stronger, more human leaders. He worries about phone addiction and the loss of face-to-face connection, yet remains relentlessly optimistic that attention, courage, and care can leave places and people better than we found them. If you're ready to rethink leadership as leaving more life behind than you took, this conversation will meet you where your feet are and invite you to stand for something that lasts.Subscribe, share with someone who loves nature and bold ideas, and leave a review to help others find the show. What's one brave choice you're ready to make today?Tune in next week for more stories of 'Distinction & Genius' from The Good Listening To Show 'Clearing'. If you would like to be my Guest too then you can find out HOW via the different 'series strands' at 'The Good Listening To Show' website. Show Website: https://www.thegoodlisteningtoshow.com You can email me about the Show: chris@secondcurve.uk Twitter thatchrisgrimes LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-grimes-actor-broadcaster-facilitator-coach/ FaceBook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/842056403204860 Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW wherever you get your Podcasts :) Thanks for listening!

On Native American Heritage Day, we examine a long-overlooked marvel of ancient engineering that had been tucked away beneath a golf course in Ohio. It is a place some archaeologists say is on par with Stonehenge. But its struggle for recognition spanned decades, ending only recently with validation as the state’s only World Heritage site. Stephanie Sy has more. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

What does it take to construct humanity's cultural history and what do these efforts produce in the world? In The Politics of World Heritage (Oxford UP, 2025), Elif Kalaycioglu analyzes UNESCO's flagship regime, which seeks to curate a cultural history of humanity, attached to "outstanding universal value" and tethered to goals of peace and solidarity. Kalaycioglu's analysis tracks that construction across fifty years of the regime and maps it onto three distinct visions: humanity as a rarified transhistorical subject, humanity as a diverse subject, and humanity as a subject that is adequately represented by the community of nation states. In each of these constructions, experts and states take up the cultural and historical resources that circulate within the regime to narrate a humanity into being, and position themselves as its adjudicators, contributors and custodians. Each construction comes with remainders, that is, parts of humanity excluded from this cultural history, and internal hierarchies between those at its center and others that remain on the margins.These hierarchies challenge the aspiration to peace and solidarity. While these aspirations have changed across the three iterations of humanity, across the different forms, the regime's structures and participants have been ill-equipped and hesitant to engage with the underbellies of humanity towards robust visions of peace and solidarity. In contrast to this general tendency, Kalaycioglu excavates from select nomination files nested constructions of humanity that hold onto the globality and unevenness of its political conditions and presents the possibility of robust visions of peace and solidarity, and humanity's different futures. Elif Kalaycioglu is Assistant Professor at the Department of Political Science at The University of Alabama. Jen Hoyer is Technical Services and Electronic Resources Librarian at CUNY New York City College of Technology. She is co-author of What Primary Sources Teach: Lessons for Every Classroom (2022) and The Social Movement Archive (2021), and co-editor of Armed By Design: Posters and Publications of Cuba's Organization of Solidarity of the Peoples of Africa, Asia, and Latin America (2025). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

What does it take to construct humanity's cultural history and what do these efforts produce in the world? In The Politics of World Heritage (Oxford UP, 2025), Elif Kalaycioglu analyzes UNESCO's flagship regime, which seeks to curate a cultural history of humanity, attached to "outstanding universal value" and tethered to goals of peace and solidarity. Kalaycioglu's analysis tracks that construction across fifty years of the regime and maps it onto three distinct visions: humanity as a rarified transhistorical subject, humanity as a diverse subject, and humanity as a subject that is adequately represented by the community of nation states. In each of these constructions, experts and states take up the cultural and historical resources that circulate within the regime to narrate a humanity into being, and position themselves as its adjudicators, contributors and custodians. Each construction comes with remainders, that is, parts of humanity excluded from this cultural history, and internal hierarchies between those at its center and others that remain on the margins.These hierarchies challenge the aspiration to peace and solidarity. While these aspirations have changed across the three iterations of humanity, across the different forms, the regime's structures and participants have been ill-equipped and hesitant to engage with the underbellies of humanity towards robust visions of peace and solidarity. In contrast to this general tendency, Kalaycioglu excavates from select nomination files nested constructions of humanity that hold onto the globality and unevenness of its political conditions and presents the possibility of robust visions of peace and solidarity, and humanity's different futures. Elif Kalaycioglu is Assistant Professor at the Department of Political Science at The University of Alabama. Jen Hoyer is Technical Services and Electronic Resources Librarian at CUNY New York City College of Technology. She is co-author of What Primary Sources Teach: Lessons for Every Classroom (2022) and The Social Movement Archive (2021), and co-editor of Armed By Design: Posters and Publications of Cuba's Organization of Solidarity of the Peoples of Africa, Asia, and Latin America (2025). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/political-science

What does it take to construct humanity's cultural history and what do these efforts produce in the world? In The Politics of World Heritage (Oxford UP, 2025), Elif Kalaycioglu analyzes UNESCO's flagship regime, which seeks to curate a cultural history of humanity, attached to "outstanding universal value" and tethered to goals of peace and solidarity. Kalaycioglu's analysis tracks that construction across fifty years of the regime and maps it onto three distinct visions: humanity as a rarified transhistorical subject, humanity as a diverse subject, and humanity as a subject that is adequately represented by the community of nation states. In each of these constructions, experts and states take up the cultural and historical resources that circulate within the regime to narrate a humanity into being, and position themselves as its adjudicators, contributors and custodians. Each construction comes with remainders, that is, parts of humanity excluded from this cultural history, and internal hierarchies between those at its center and others that remain on the margins.These hierarchies challenge the aspiration to peace and solidarity. While these aspirations have changed across the three iterations of humanity, across the different forms, the regime's structures and participants have been ill-equipped and hesitant to engage with the underbellies of humanity towards robust visions of peace and solidarity. In contrast to this general tendency, Kalaycioglu excavates from select nomination files nested constructions of humanity that hold onto the globality and unevenness of its political conditions and presents the possibility of robust visions of peace and solidarity, and humanity's different futures. Elif Kalaycioglu is Assistant Professor at the Department of Political Science at The University of Alabama. Jen Hoyer is Technical Services and Electronic Resources Librarian at CUNY New York City College of Technology. She is co-author of What Primary Sources Teach: Lessons for Every Classroom (2022) and The Social Movement Archive (2021), and co-editor of Armed By Design: Posters and Publications of Cuba's Organization of Solidarity of the Peoples of Africa, Asia, and Latin America (2025). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/critical-theory

What does it take to construct humanity's cultural history and what do these efforts produce in the world? In The Politics of World Heritage (Oxford UP, 2025), Elif Kalaycioglu analyzes UNESCO's flagship regime, which seeks to curate a cultural history of humanity, attached to "outstanding universal value" and tethered to goals of peace and solidarity. Kalaycioglu's analysis tracks that construction across fifty years of the regime and maps it onto three distinct visions: humanity as a rarified transhistorical subject, humanity as a diverse subject, and humanity as a subject that is adequately represented by the community of nation states. In each of these constructions, experts and states take up the cultural and historical resources that circulate within the regime to narrate a humanity into being, and position themselves as its adjudicators, contributors and custodians. Each construction comes with remainders, that is, parts of humanity excluded from this cultural history, and internal hierarchies between those at its center and others that remain on the margins.These hierarchies challenge the aspiration to peace and solidarity. While these aspirations have changed across the three iterations of humanity, across the different forms, the regime's structures and participants have been ill-equipped and hesitant to engage with the underbellies of humanity towards robust visions of peace and solidarity. In contrast to this general tendency, Kalaycioglu excavates from select nomination files nested constructions of humanity that hold onto the globality and unevenness of its political conditions and presents the possibility of robust visions of peace and solidarity, and humanity's different futures. Elif Kalaycioglu is Assistant Professor at the Department of Political Science at The University of Alabama. Jen Hoyer is Technical Services and Electronic Resources Librarian at CUNY New York City College of Technology. She is co-author of What Primary Sources Teach: Lessons for Every Classroom (2022) and The Social Movement Archive (2021), and co-editor of Armed By Design: Posters and Publications of Cuba's Organization of Solidarity of the Peoples of Africa, Asia, and Latin America (2025). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Earlier this month, the vast forest-grassland mosaic of the Western Ghats, Assam's Manas National Park, and West Bengal's Sundarbans, a mangrove where tigers swim from island to island, were all listed as being of “significant concern”. This was the assessment of the natural World Heritage sites in Asia and was released by The International Union for Conservation of Nature or IUCN. IUCN is the world's oldest and largest global environmental organisation, that tracks the health of ecosystems and species worldwide. And today, climate change has overtaken hunting as the greatest threat to wildlife, says IUCN's World Heritage Outlook 4 report which was released this month. India's forests are turning into concrete jungles. Tourism has reached its tipping point. Highways splice through natural habitats. And illegal wildlife trade thrives.  The most recent scandal was the ED chargesheet against Elvish Yadav, a YouTuber, for wildlife crime. The agency said he had “illegally used protected species of snakes, exotic animals, such as iguanas, in the production of commercial music videos and vlogs for the purpose of increasing followers and generating money”. Guest: Vivek Menon, founder of the Wildlife Trust of India, who has become the first Asian to head the IUCN's Species Survival Commission Host: Divya Gandhi, The Hindu Edited by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Emmanuel Burgio, Blue Parallel's founder and president, talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report at last month's Virtuoso Travel Week in Las Vegas, about his luxury travel boutique offering bespoke tours to incredible natural and cultural World Heritage wonders in Latin America, the Mediterranean and the polar regions. Burgio gives us the news about the company's newest small trips to some of the most exotic places in the world. For more information, visit www.blueparallel.com. All our Insider Travel Report video interviews are archived and available on our Youtube channel (youtube.com/insidertravelreport), and as podcasts with the same title on: Spotify, Pandora, Stitcher, PlayerFM, Listen Notes, Podchaser, TuneIn + Alexa, Podbean,  iHeartRadio,  Google, Amazon Music/Audible, Deezer, Podcast Addict, and iTunes Apple Podcasts, which supports Overcast, Pocket Cast, Castro and Castbox.

Hola, amigos Loopers!Welcome back to Spanish Loops, where we roll through the sounds of Spanish music and culture. This week, we are informing about some spectacular, soul stirring world of musical organs in Spain. Majestic pipe organ marvels that have been singing with centuries of history, artistry, and regional flair.Across the country, these instruments stand out thanks to unique features like the horizontal battle trumpets, (trompetería de batalla), divided registers, and vivid reed rich tonal palettes. All powered by subtle, low pressure windsystems that give them an agile, expressive voice.Some of the most remarkable examples include the Toledo Cathedral organ, a Baroque masterpiece with twin facades and echoing dramatic effects, the monumental Palauof Music in Barcelona, (World Heritage), the Basilica Santa María la Real in Azkoitia (Basque Country), home to a gorgeous Cavaillé-Coll romantic organ that's perfect for Franck yet still resonates with Spanish Baroque sensibility,the one In Santiago's Cathedral at the end of the Camino, and the modern Grenzing organ in Madrid's Almudena Cathedral, blending neo-Gothic visuals with the precision of tracker action.These aren't just large instruments: they're vibrant, living voices of Spain's musical heritage. Each one is a monument of craftsmanship and emotion, inviting listeners to experience their grandeur in person.That's our sneak peek into this week's chapter: “Musical Organs in Spain, their origins, curves, and soul.” Stay tuned, subscribe, and let the pipes speak!

The largest loss of coral in the Great Barrier Reef in 40 years was recorded in 2024, as discussions continue on the new 2035 climate target. UNESCO's World Heritage body has expressed concern about the Reef's future. - Pinakamalaking pagkawala ng coral sa Great Barrier Reef sa 40 taon, naitala ngayong 2024, habang tinatalakay ang bagong climate target sa 2035. UNESCO World Heritage nababahala ukol sa kinabukasan ng Reef.

China's Xixia Imperial Tombs have been inscribed on the World Heritage List. With this addition, the total number of World Heritage sites in China has reached 60.

Join us as we celebrate International Archives Week on the theme of Archives for Everyone, with our latest news from the Library & Archives.  In this compelling discussion, Danielle Hughes, an archivist and the chief of the Records Management Unit at UN Geneva, speaks about the significance of the archives related to the International Bill of Human Rights being inscribed into the UNESCO Memory of the World Heritage register. Discover how these archives related to the drafting of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, were preserved and recognized for their global importance, including the original drafts and influential changes inspired by key figures such as Eleanor Roosevelt and Hansa Mehta. The episode also sheds light on the role played by Geneva in hosting these pivotal documents and addresses the broader context of preserving institutional memory for future generations, emphasizing the imperative of safeguarding both historical and contemporary archival collections. Resources and for more information: Ask an Archivist!: Ask us - Ask us UN Archives Geneva online catalogue: www.archives.ungeneva.org UNARMS online catalogue in New York: www.search.archives.un.org   Where to listen to this episode  Apple podcasts:  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-next-page/id1469021154 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/10fp8ROoVdve0el88KyFLy YouTube: https://youtu.be/15ThYV_-g_A  Content    Guest: Danielle Hughes, Archivist, UN Geneva Host, production and editing: Amy Smith, UN Library & Archives Geneva Recorded and produced at the United Nations Library & Archives Geneva   

I'm just back from an amazing trip to the stunning Touraine region in the Loire Valley in France.A magical place of fairy tale chateaux, French renaissance gardens, gastronomic restaurants, historic royal towns and vineyards of Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Franc.Touraine is said to be blessed by the gods, cherished by the Kings and pampered by Mother Nature. It is said to be the birthplace of the French way of life in a setting dominated by the majestic river Loire, which is listed as part of World Heritage by UNESCO.I loved the Loire so much that I am going to do a 3 part Loire series over the next few weeks, so keep an eye out next Tuesday for my interview with Geoffrey Nivard, once cheesemonger to the Queen and King of England. And the following week I will interview Serge Desazars, Baron de la Truffe, owner of the largest organic truffle farms in France.But today I am delighted to have Irish food and travel award winning ournalist Jordan Mooney to share her memories of visiting enchanting chateaux like Rivau, Azay Le Rideau, Noizay, Nitray and Cande. We talk about the great towns to visit like Tours, Chinon, the Royal city of Loches and Chedigny. And the wonderful local food and wine of the famous Touraine, Loire region in France.Places to visit & Stayhttps://www.tastingwithnivard.co.ukhttps://www.chateau-nitray.frhttps://chateaudenoizay.comhttps://loirevalleylodges.comhttps://www.chateaudurivau.comhttps://www.azay-le-rideau.fr/enTours - https://www.labe-hotel.com/en/Chinon - https://barondelatruffe.com/enhttps://www.chateaudecandes.com/en/Vineyard lunch https://www.domainedegrosbois.com/Lunch and wine trip on the Loire - https://les-pecheries-ligeriennes.fr/restaurant-la-cabane-a-matelot.htmlFollow @jordanrmooney on Insta fopr great food and travel stories.If you haven't already, I'd ask you to give me a follow on whichever platform you listen to your podcasts and you will be the first to get a new episode. Fergal O'Keeffe is the host of Ireland's No.1 Travel Podcast Travel Tales with Fergal which is now listened to in 120 countries worldwide. The podcast aims to share soul-lifting travel memoirs about daydream worthy destinations. Please follow me onInstagram @traveltaleswithfergalFacebook @traveltaleswithfergalTwitter @FergalTravelYouTube @traveltaleswithfergal Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dr. Eucharia Meehan, CEO of the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, discusses the importance of Ireland's Astronomical Observatories being added to the World Heritage Tentative List for Ireland.

Jantar Mantar, in Jaipur, India, is a fantasy land of science and architecture. Built in the 1700s, it houses about 20 astronomical instruments: beautiful arches, domes, and spires designed to plot the motions of the Sun and other objects. The observatory was founded by Maharaja Jai Singh II. It was one of five observatories he built across northern India, in the 1720s and ’30s. All of them were known as Jantar Mantar – a name that means “calculating machine.” The Jaipur site was the largest and most important. It’s also the best preserved. Jantar Mantar’s instruments were all designed to observe the heavens with the eye alone. Several of those were for tracking the motions of the Sun. And some of them were the largest of their kind ever built. One sundial, for example, had a shadow-casting marker almost 75 feet tall. The instruments allowed the site’s 20 or so astronomers to determine the time with an accuracy of just two seconds. They also set the calendar. Other instruments tracked the positions of the stars and planets. That includes a set of a dozen identical instruments, each of which aligned to one of the constellations of the zodiac. That provided important observations for court astrologers. The site was in steady use until about 1800, and intermittent use after that. It underwent several upgrades and restorations. Today, it’s a World Heritage site – an astronomical fantasy land. Script by Damond Benningfield

Port Arthur is part of a World Heritage site featuring former Australian jail sites and it is an open air museum. Australia has a harsh history since it was established as a place for Britain to send her convicts. Many of the prisoners from Ireland's Kilmainham Gaol were sent to Australia. Port Arthur's prison became the stop for Britain's worst convicts. Such a harsh place would be a good breeding ground for things that go bump in the night just from its penal history alone. But this area has an even more tragic story. It was the site of a massacre in 1996. No wonder Port Arthur is considered to be one of the most haunted locations in all the world. Check out the website: http://historygoesbump.com Music used in this episode: Main Theme: Lurking in the Dark by Muse Music with Groove Studios Outro Music: Happy Fun Punk by Muse Music with Groove Studios Other music in this episode: Title: "Find a Weapon" Artist: Tim Kulig (timkulig.com) Licensed under Creative Commons By Attribution 4.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0997280/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1

*The National Trust Podcast is changing.* From March 2025 the National Trust Podcast will look different so we can bring you more immersive stories in Nature, History and Adventure. Stay on this stream for our new nature podcast, Wild Tales, and look out for our new history podcast, Back When. Remember to follow your favourite shows from National Trust Podcasts to be the first to hear new episodes as they arrive.  We'd love to hear from you: please get in touch with feedback, thoughts or your ideas for stories at podcasts@nationaltrust.org.uk Journey to Addis Ababa in Ethiopia and Mottisfont garden in Hampshire, to discover a story of heritage and horticulture through two of the world's most prestigious rose collections. We meet Princess Esther Selassie Antohin, founder of Heritage Watch Ethiopia, to explore the Tsegereda Rose Garden Project, an initiative that restores a link to Ethiopia's imperial legacy and also tackles climate conservation challenges. The International National Trusts Organisation (INTO) has twinned the Tsegereda rose garden with one of the most important rose gardens in the world, the National Trust's Mottisfont. Uncover surprising connections between Ethiopia and the UK – from Emperor Haile Selassie's wartime exile in Bath, to Sylvia Pankhurst, an English activist who championed Ethiopia's independence.  Follow the fight to keep this heritage alive through extraordinary roses.    Discover a story of gardens that have transcended borders to become symbols of heritage, resilience, and international collaboration. [Ad] Open the door to more with a National Trust membership. As well as free entry and parking at over 500 places we care for, you'll receive: • Access to our online Members' Area, full of exclusive member-only content, • A yearly handbook packed with visit inspiration, • And our award-winning member magazine 3 times a year. Now also available digitally. Become a National Trust member:  nationaltrust.org.uk/become-a-member. For a taste of the digital magazine, visit nationaltrust.org.uk/historic-recipes, or if you're a member and you'd like to switch, look for My Account on the website. Production Producer and host: Jesse Edbrooke Sound Design: Jesus Gomez Discover more We protect and care for places so people and nature can thrive. Everyone can get involved, everyone can make a difference. Nature, beauty, history. For everyone, for ever. You can donate to us at www.nationaltrust.org.uk/donate   Read more about International National Trust Organisation Twinning (INTO) project www.into.org/withstanding-change-twinning/ Visit Heritage Watch Ethiopia website www.hwethiopia.org Find out more about Mottisfont's Rose Garden, Hampshire, England www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/hampshire/mottisfont/the-rose-garden-at-mottisfont If you'd like to get in touch with feedback, or have a story connected with the National Trust, you can contact us at podcasts@nationaltrust.org.uk  

Space Nuts Episode: Dark Energy Discoveries, Ancient Peruvian Observatories, and Solar Proximity #482Join Andrew Dunkley and Professor Fred Watson as they explore groundbreaking discoveries in this fascinating episode of Space Nuts. From potential evidence of dark energy to the mysteries of an ancient Peruvian observatory, and the record-breaking feats of NASA's Parker Solar Probe, this episode is packed with cosmic insights and historical wonders.Episode Highlights:- Dark Energy Detection: Dive into the latest research from the University of Cambridge, where scientists may have accidentally stumbled upon evidence of dark energy. Explore the significance of this potential discovery and its implications for the future of physics.- Ancient Peruvian Observatory: Discover the story behind a 2,200-year-old observatory in Peru, recently granted World Heritage status. Learn about its role in ancient civilization and the remarkable precision of its astronomical alignments.- Parker Solar Probe's Record-Breaking Mission: Marvel at NASA's Parker Solar Probe as it makes its closest-ever approach to the Sun, achieving unprecedented speeds and providing new insights into solar physics. Understand how this mission is reshaping our knowledge of the Sun's mysterious processes.For more Space Nuts, including our continually updating newsfeed and to listen to all our episodes, visit our website. Follow us on social media at SpaceNutsPod on Facebook, X, YouTube Music, Tumblr, Instagram, and TikTok. We love engaging with our community, so be sure to drop us a message or comment on your favourite platform.For more Space and Astronomy News Podcasts, visit our HQ at www.bitesz.com.Become a supporter of this podcast for extended commercial-free episodes and more. Visit our Support page for options: spacenutspodcast.com/aboutStay curious, keep looking up, and join us next time for more stellar insights and cosmic wonders. Until then, clear skies and happy stargazing.00:00 - Space Nuts is taking a bit of a break at the moment01:30 - University of Cambridge scientists looking for detection of dark energy using Italian telescope08:07 - Peruvian observatory that was discovered in 2005 has hit the news again14:26 - NASA's Parker Solar Probe made its closest ever approach to the Sun17:29 - NASA is getting ready to announce major changes to its Mars sample return mission18:56 - From record breaking solar encounters to the evolving plans for Mars✍️ Episode ReferencesUniversity of Cambridge[University of Cambridge](https://www.cam.ac.uk/)Gran Sasso National Laboratory[Gran Sasso National Laboratory](https://www.lngs.infn.it/en)University of Leicester[University of Leicester](https://le.ac.uk/)NASA Parker Solar Probe[NASA Parker Solar Probe](https://www.nasa.gov/content/goddard/parker-solar-probe)NASA Mars Sample Return Mission[NASA Mars Sample Return Mission](https://mars.nasa.gov/msr/)Astronomy Daily[Astronomy Daily](https://astronomydaily.io)Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/space-nuts--2631155/support.