Latest news with #UNESCOWorldHeritage
National Geographic
2 hours ago
- National Geographic
Canadian Badlands
Canadian Badlands In the Tom Cochrane video for "Life Is a Highway," the backdrop is a mix of towering, misshapen, ochre-colored rock (hoodoos) and endless grassy fields. The setting is the 35,000-square-mile region often referred to as the Canadian Badlands. The discovery of both coal and dinosaur bones in the late 1800s proved transformational. Nowhere on Earth is as rich in quantity and quality of the prehistoric creatures' remains as the Badlands' arid Dinosaur Provincial Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site where digs are still under way. Visitors come for the dino attractions anchored by the town of Drumheller in Alberta, but locals hope travelers look up as well. "People should come for the skies," says Linda Miller, whose family has been in the area since 1909. "The sunsets are just gorgeous. The stars and the sky at night are so full and vast." When to Go: In early June there's a high risk of rain but it's a must for those interested in the annual Dinofest celebration in Drumheller. Late June to early September promise sunny days and good access to all area attractions but reservations for children's programming and Dinosaur Provincial Park tours should be made much earlier. Professional bullfighting and homemade corn dogs reign at the Oyen Bull-a-Rama on the third Wednesday of every July. Where to Stay: Families who want to maximize their prehistoric exposure should consider camping out in Dinosaur Provincial Park, where paleontological digs continue. If you're after more of a Wild West vacation, you can find ranch vacation options from deluxe to rustic and from city slicker to hard core across the region. Elkwater Lake Lodge has pet-friendly suites. How to Get Around: Plan to drive but fill up your tank every chance you get since gas stations are few and far between. Popular routes include one that will take you on the trail of dinosaurs, including the must-see Royal Tyrrell Museum. Where to Eat or Drink: Patricia Water Hole's cook-your-own-steak tradition is popular. Beer is sold in quart sealers (think of a large mason jar) and the walls still have bullet holes at Rosedeer Hotel's Last Chance Saloon. When you're ready to come back to the present, consider upscale Sublime Food & Wine, which serves up old favorites like baked brie and prime rib with tasty sides like cheddar mashed potatoes, plus seasonal desserts that change so frequently they're not listed on the menu. What to Buy: Contemporary ceramic pieces from Medalta Potteries in Medicine Hat's Historic Clay District or artwork that pays tribute to the area's rich Blackfoot First Nations culture are worth the care needed to transport them home. What to Read Before You Go: Dinosaur Provincial Park: A Spectacular Ancient Ecosystem Revealed by Phillip J. Currie and Eva B. Kopelhus (Indiana University Press, 2005). This scientific overview of the park's major fossil excavations, flora and fauna, and history includes illustrations of the park's animals by some of the world's finest paleoartists. Helpful Links: Canadian Badlands, Travel Drumheller Fun Fact: The world's largest dinosaur stands 86 feet tall and "lives" in the middle of Drumheller. Take the stairs up its middle and peer out at the city from between dino teeth. Heather Greenwood Davis is an award-winning travel writer for the Toronto Star, Canadian Family, Parents Canada , and O, The Oprah Magazine. Toronto Star, Canadian Family, Parents CanadaO, The Oprah Magazine.
Daily Mirror
4 hours ago
- General
- Daily Mirror
New 'Living Roof' installed on top of iconic memorial in tribute to WW1 dead
Commonwealth War Graves Commission installs new 'Living Roof' on top of iconic World War One memorial in tribute to fallen soldiers A pioneering new green 'Living Roof' has been installed on the top of one of the most iconic World War One memorials. The Menin Gate in Ypres, Belgium, has stood in tribute to British soldiers killed during the Great War for almost 100 years. And during recent extensive work bosses at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission decided to completely change the roof as part of the ongoing tribute to those who died. There is now a mini garden, with a range of plants, on the roof - the first one the CWGC have ever built. CWGC Director of Horticulture David Richardson said: 'As part of this restoration, we have introduced a new living – green - roof onto the site. "This living roof is a first for the CWGC and reflects our broader commitment to embedding sustainable practices into the care of our global sites. With structural modifications to the Menin Gate not permitted, we placed sustainability at the heart of our approach. Featuring two types of planting: a mixed sedum species, and a broader range of low-growing herbaceous plants, the plant distribution will naturally evolve over time.'" Princess Anne re-opened the memorial earlier this month. The Deputy Director of CWGC Central and Southern Europe Sarah Camerlynck said: "We didn't just restore the physical structure; we also renewed our promise to keep the names and stories of the fallen alive. This restoration focuses on the monument's long-term sustainable preservation, ensuring that future generations can continue to remember the important events linked to this commemorative site." The CWGC said they were preparing for the next century of honouring the fallen at the Menin Gate, with the introduction of a pioneering Living Roof system on the monument's newly restored roof. CWGC spokesman Lewis Brown said: "By implementing the Living Roof, the CWGC is demonstrating its dedication to finding practical solutions that contribute to the preservation of species and the mitigation of climate change effects. It marks a significant step in sustainable preservation, ensuring that the Menin Gate Memorial continues to stand as a symbol of remembrance for generations to come. "The installation of the Living Roof required various steps, executed by experts in the field. Several factors required careful consideration beforehand, as the Memorial holds UNESCO World Heritage status and is part of the protected Flemish National Heritage. "This required ensuring that the layout and design of the Living Roof would not compromise the historic integrity of the memorial. Additionally, no structural modifications could be made to the existing design, and the introduction of vegetation needed to be fully reversible." The Menin Gate Memorial is one of four memorials to the missing in Belgian Flanders, covering the Ypres Salient. It bears the names of more than 54,000 members of the British and Commonwealth forces who died in the Ypres Salient and have no known grave. Designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield with sculpture by Sir William Reid-Dick, the memorial was unveiled by Lord Plumer on 24 July 1927. A Living Roof is a roofing system partially or entirely covered with vegetation. It includes a waterproof membrane, drainage system, growing medium usually soil and plants. Living Roofs offer numerous environmental benefits, such as reducing heat absorption (aiding in temperature regulation), improving air quality, managing rainwater run-off by absorbing rain and supporting biodiversity in the area. The Living Roof helps reduce the urban heat island effect and extends the lifespan of the underlying roof structure.
Scotsman
11 hours ago
- Business
- Scotsman
Plans to turn former Edinburgh city centre nightclub Espionage into a new multi-level spa
Plans have been lodged to turn former Edinburgh city centre nightclub Espionage into a new spa, with pools, steam rooms and a sauna. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... The proposals by India Building Limited seek to bring the floorspace back into active use at 4 India Buildings, Victoria Street, providing a destination spa facility. The proposed use will be associated with, and directly accessible from, the existing Virgin Hotel located on the upper floors of the building for use by hotel guests, as well as the general public. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The application, submitted on July 11, seeks consent for the change of use of the existing floorspace from nightclub to spa facility, and internal and minor external alterations to a Category A Listed Building located within the Old Town Conservation Area and Old and New Towns of Edinburgh' UNESCO World Heritage Site. The site was recently subject to substantial redevelopment with the successful conversion of the upper floors of 1-6 India Buildings, 11-15 Victoria Street and 18-20 Cowgate into Virgin Hotels and function space. This new proposed spa development is submitted by the same applicant and seeks to build on the success of Virgin Hotels, providing a 'first-class spa accessible to hotel guests and the general public'. Espionage was a notoriously cavernous nightclub in the Grassmarket, Edinburgh, which pulled in the punters during the noughties and 2010s before sadly closing in 2019. It had one entrance on Victoria Street and another off the Cowgate, and the venue, which had five floors, was known for its maze-like interior. | Google Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The site currently comprises vacant floorspace following the closure of Espionage nightclub in 2019. Nightclubbers spoke of their sadness when the cavernous multi-level venue announced its closure, with regulars reminiscing about great nights out there and losing friends in the sprawling nightclub. The proposed spa would include a vitality pool, pool relaxation lounge, herbal steam rooms, a sauna and two plunge pools. The entrance to the proposed development will be taken from an existing doorway located between the Commons Club entrance and the Strathberry retail unit on Victoria Street. In the planning documents, the applicant said: 'The proposals have been sensitively designed to ensure that they do not impact on the significance of the Listed Building, or the character and appearance of the Old Town Conservation Area. 'The proposed application will allow the sustainable reuse of the existing floorspace within the city centre of Edinburgh, allowing for the continued use of the listed building whilst preserving its character and historic interest. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'The works would not have a detrimental impact on the character and appearance of the listed building or conservation area.' Under the plans, the new spa's entrance would be at level six on Victoria Street, with the spa reception and treatment rooms on level five. Treatment rooms and changing facilities would be situated on level four, and wet spa facilities and staff facilities on level three. While the second level would house the service access entrance, treatment rooms and plant/ storage space. The proposed new internal alterations to the building include the removal of the existing accommodation stair between levels three and five, and installation of a new timber joist floor over the void. They also include the removal of a small section of floor to allow the hotel lift shaft, which currently terminates at level five, to continue down to level two. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad A new opening would be created within an original masonry wall at level four, while the plans also seek the removal of a section of the existing level three floor, including two original timber beams, two original cast iron columns on level three and the two original cast iron columns below on level two. Externally, some minor alterations are proposed to enhance the building façade and allow access to the proposed use. External alterations include the replacement of selected windows to allow for ventilation of the primary spa spaces and the replacement of external doors with painted timber doors on the rear elevation.
DW
11 hours ago
- Science
- DW
Prehistoric matriarchy in Turkey revealed by DNA analysis – DW – 07/23/2025
Genetic analysis of bodies from a 9,000-year-old settlement revealed clues pointing to unusual societal structures. As far back as the 1960s, archaeologists had a feeling that Catalhoyuk was something special. And not just because the Neolithic settlement was one of the oldest continually inhabited places in the world. Researchers believed that women had an elevated societal position in Catalhoyuk, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site in contemporary Turkey. But that hunch was only based on figurines they had found and believed to represent Anatolian mother goddesses. Only with the methods of modern archaeology were researchers able to turn their feelings into fact: Society in the Catalhoyuk of 9,000 years ago was centered around women. An international research team led by geneticists from the Middle East Technical University in Ankara published their findings in the journal Science. The researchers came to their conclusion after examining 131 skeletons they had discovered buried right under houses the people of Catalhoyuk had inhabited. DNA analysis showed that people buried under the same house were often related — on their mother's side. In other words, when a man and a woman entered a partnership in the Neolithic settlement, they moved in with the family of the woman, not that of the man. Households were formed on a matrilineal basis. And there was another indication that women had a higher status than men: Archaeologists found as many as five times the grave goods buried with female bodies than with male ones. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video In the more recent past, patrilineal households, where women move in with their male partner's family after marriage, were more common — and formed a patriarchy. So, does the reverse mean that the residents of Catalhoyuk, who lived from about 7100 to 6000 BCE, lived in a matriarchy? Not necessarily, said prehistoric archaeologist Eva Rosenstock, who took part in the excavation in Catalhoyuk and researches scientific and cultural archaeology. "Whether a society is matrilocal or patrilocal generally doesn't tell you anything about who has the power," Rosenstock told DW. "But those things often go hand in hand." Digging up, if you will, usable DNA for genetical analysis was not an easy feat for the researchers. Catalhoyuk was located in a region with continental climate, with strong fluctuations between winter and summer. Under these conditions, even teeth, which were known until recently as one of the best source of DNA, do not keep forever. But there is a tiny part of the human body that has turned out to be the perfect source of DNA in adverse conditions such as those in the Catalhoyuk region: the petrous part of the temporal bone, located in the inner ear. "It's like a DNA safe!" Rosenstock said. It was through analyzing the material in this "DNA safe" that researchers discovered the matrilineal relationship between people buried under the same house. But not all people buried under the same house were related. The archaeologists assume that it wasn't out of the ordinary in Catalhoyuk society to switch children, so that your child would grow up in a different family close by. This was probably done in an effort to guarantee equal distribution of resources and, according to experts, points to society valuing the idea of equal rights for all. "If your own child grows up three doors down, you're probably not going to advocate for just your household to get the best of everything," said Rosenstock. But how did a society valuing equality and centered on women turn into the patriarchy that has dominated Central Europe in the more recent past? Rosenstock doesn't have an answer — at least not yet: "That's the next exciting question."
GMA Network
13 hours ago
- Climate
- GMA Network
San Agustin Church in Intramuros flooded amid Habagat rains
Floods hit the San Agustin Church in Intramuros, Manila on Wednesday amid the heavy rains from the Southwest Monsoon or Habagat, according to Mayor Isko Moreno. 'Pinuntahan natin ang iniulat na pagbaha sa loob ng San Agustin Church sa Intramuros matapos itong pasukin ng tubig dulot ng walang tigil na pag-ulan,' Moreno said in the caption of a Facebook livestream. (We went to San Agustin Church in Intramuros after floodwater entered the building due to incessant rain.) Moreno said the city government sent a water pump and personnel from its Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office to extract the floodwater. In 1993, the San Agustin Church was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site as one of only four baroque churches in the Philippines. More than 400 years old, the San Agustin Church is the oldest stone church in the country. It also houses a museum, where Juan Luna's tombstone could be found. — Joviland Rita/LA, GMA Integrated News
