Turkey and Greece feud over Hagia Sophia

ISTANBUL (AFP) ― Turkey and Greece were locked Wednesday in a war of words over the possible conversion of Hagia Sophia, one of Istanbul’s most stunning landmarks, into a mosque.The feud over the 1,476-year-old World Heritage site is the latest to erupt between the two neighbors over religion.Greece reacted furiously to remarks by Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc that he hoped to change the status of Hagia Sophia, which is now a museum.“We are looking at a sad Hagia Sophia, but hopeful

Nov. 21, 2013

Korea re-elected to UNESCO World Heritage Committee

Korea on Tuesday was elected a member state of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee for the third time, the Cultural Heritage Administration said. At the 19th session of the General Assembly of the States Parties to the Convention for the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage in Paris, Korea was selected as a member of the committee responsible for the implementation of the World Heritage Convention, defining the use of the World Heritage Fund and allocating financial assistance u

Nov. 20, 2013

Russian oligarch opens Faberge egg museum

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (AFP) ― Russian billionaire Viktor Vekselberg on Tuesday opened a museum to display his glittering collection of Faberge eggs, once owned by the tsars, in the former imperial capital of Saint Petersburg.The new Faberge Museum located in the Shuvalov Palace in the city centre put on display nine of the eggs, once given as Easter gifts by the royal family, as well as thousands of jewelled objets d’art from icons to cigar cases. Vekselberg bought the collection of eggs from t

Nov. 20, 2013

S. Korea re-elected as member of UNESCO World Heritage Committee

South Korea has been re-elected as a member state of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee to a four-year term for the third time, Seoul's cultural heritage authority said Wednesday.Seoul regained the membership during the 19th session of the General Assembly of the States Parties to the Convention for the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage that opened at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris Tuesday for a three-day run, according to the Cultural Heritage Administration.It marks the

Nov. 20, 2013

Selfie tops twerk as Oxford’s word of the year

LONDON (AFP) ― Selfie is the 2013 word of the year, Oxford Dictionaries announced Tuesday, edging out some stiff competition from twerk.Usage of the word has increased 17,000 percent over the past 12 months, said Oxford Dictionaries, which publishes the mammoth Oxford English Dictionary, styled as the definitive record of the English language.Selfie is defined as “a photograph that one has taken of oneself, typically one taken with a smartphone or webcam and uploaded to a social media website.”I

Nov. 19, 2013

Egypt plans renovation for Cairo museum

CAIRO (AP) ― Egypt unveiled Friday a multimillion dollar renovation project for Cairo’s famed Egyptian Museum, including plans to demolish a scorched building that stands between it and the Nile, in a bid to draw tourists back and restore a sense of normalcy after more than two years of unrest.Organizers said they want to return the dusty 111-year-old museum to its former glory by painting the walls and covering the floors in their original colors and patterns.The lighting and security systems a

Nov. 17, 2013

France’s Pleyel piano maker plays final note

PARIS (AP) ― Gone are its glory days, when Chopin composed concertos on its pianos. France’s Pleyel piano maker is shutting its doors, unable to keep up with cheaper and more agile competition.Down to just 14 employees after a 206-year history that produced more than 250,000 pianos, the Pleyel piano factory in Saint Denis, north of Paris, announced this week that it’s closing “because of recurrent losses and a very low level of activity.”Like so many industries that Europe once dominated, today

Nov. 17, 2013

Cultural heritage agency faces tough scrutiny

The Cultural Heritage Administration has come under fire regarding a number of scandals suggesting internal irregularities, a lack of management skills and indifference to the country’s cultural assets. With President Park Geun-hye ordering a probe and disciplinary measures, the Daejeon-based state organization is now conducting an internal audit and formulating reform plans. Senior Presidential Secretary for Public Affairs Lee Jung-hyun on Monday briefed the press, saying President Park called

Nov. 12, 2013

Egypt recovers 90 ancient artifacts on auction in Jerusalem

CAIRO (AFP) ― Egypt said Sunday that it has recovered 90 ancient artifacts that were put on sale by a Jerusalem auction house, and has asked Israel to find other antiquities and return them to Cairo.The ministry of antiquities said it had asked Israeli authorities to intervene after “spotting in recent weeks a sale of 110 ancient Egyptian artefacts on the website of an auction house in Jerusalem.”The auction house was unable to provide documents proving who owned the items and Israeli authoritie

Nov. 12, 2013

Cambridge Univ. Press plans books on history of science in Korea

A 10-volume text on the history of Korean science will be released by the Cambridge University Press in English, the Academy of Korean Studies said Thursday. “Science and Civilization in Korea,” chronicling the history of science in Korea was originally released in 22 volumes in Korean. But through collaboration with the Needham Research Institute of the prestigious British university, they will be published in a 10-volume set in English. The first seven books will be titled “History of Science

Nov. 10, 2013