World Monuments Fund
Join us in Cambodia and Myanmar in January 2013
Mark your calendars for January 5-19 for WMF's trip to celebrate its 20 years of work at Angkor and discover the heritage of Myanmar. Write to [email protected] to learn more.

 

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Join Us for the Hadrian Gala After Party
The second annual Hadrian Award Gala After Party will be held at Rouge Tomate in New York City on October 23, following the Hadrian Award Gala at the Plaza. Write to [email protected] for more information.

 

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Syrian Heritage in the Line of Fire
The escalating conflict in Syria features prominently in the news. The tragic loss of life in war-torn areas continues. While the human toll must remain front and center in reporting, attention must also be paid to the survival of Syria's rich cultural heritage. Many sites have been affected, some sustaining significant damage. While up-to-date reports on the state of Syria's cultural heritage remain hard to obtain, some news has been filtering out of the country. A recent flashpoint has been Aleppo, one of the world's most ancient cities. The Aleppo Citadel, a great fortification occupied for thousands of years, is once again a strategic objective, and has sustained damage as a result. WMF President Bonnie Burnham has written about Syria's heritage in this time of conflict for our website and for the Huffington Post.   
Communities Celebrating Watch Day
Watch Day, a new component of WMF's World Monuments Watch program, encourages local engagement with sites and raises global awareness about their importance. More than thirty communities on five continents will be participating in Watch Day events until October 15, with activities ranging from programs for children, festivals, concerts, and workshops in traditional building techniques. Communities celebrating Watch Day will record their activities, which WMF will edit into a short video and release in December. All of the places celebrating Watch Day are on the 2012 World Monuments Watch. Above is an image of a Watch Day tour for children at Quirigu�, a Maya site in Guatemala. 
Conservation Program Advances at Ani
Phase I of work at the Church of the Holy Savior in the ancient city of Ani began in earnest this summer. The eleventh-century church, shattered by a lightning strike in the twentieth century that left only half of it standing, had been deteriorating for many years in this seismically active region of eastern Turkey. Now WMF, in partnership with the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism and with support from the US Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation, is documenting, monitoring, and stabilizing the ruins. A recent field dispatch provides more information on the project. 
Partnership Opens Casina Farnese
The Casina Farnese, a rare surviving Renaissance building atop Rome's Palatine Hill, is now open for the first time in decades. For the past few years, WMF, in partnership with the Soprintendenza Speciale per i Beni Archeologici di Roma, has been working to conserve sixteenth-century frescoes in the building's loggias. This summer a special exhibition at the Casina Farnese invited the public to see the building and learn about its history. New landscaping around the building was inspired by historic descriptions and images of the site, evoking the formal gardens once enjoyed by the Farnese family and their guests.
Save the Date for the 2012 Hadrian Gala
On October 23, at a gala at The Plaza Hotel in New York City, WMF will present the 25th Hadrian Award to Kenneth Chenault, CEO and Chairman of American Express. The Watch Award will be given to the Duke of Devonshire. Following the gala will be the second annual after party, being held this year at Rouge Tomate. We hope you will join us at the gala or the after party. For more information, call +1 646-424-9594 or email [email protected].