Latest news with #CulturalHeritage
CNA
5 hours ago
- General
- CNA
Into the wild heart of Australia: Why the Northern Territory feels like another world
In Kakadu National Park, an easy drive from Darwin, you'll find some of the world's oldest art galleries. But these aren't framed on walls. Instead, they're etched onto ancient rock faces: Aboriginal artworks that date back as far as 20,000 years. Rich in detail and meaning, they're windows into a culture that's deeply connected to the land. And just like the stories they tell, the Northern Territory leaves a lasting impression. Home to sweeping landscapes and striking natural wonders, the Northern Territory boasts two distinct regions known fondly as the Top End and Red Centre. This land of contrasts invites travellers to indulge in diverse, once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Begin in Darwin, a laidback capital where cultures meet and flavours mingle. Then venture out – hike to hidden waterfalls, swim in crystal-clear natural pools or cross the desert plains near Alice Springs before retreating to a barefoot luxury resort with Uluru on the horizon. This is Australia in its most authentic form – vast, ancient and alive with stories. It's not just a place you visit; it's a place you feel – raw, real, like nowhere else on earth. A GATEWAY TO EPIC ADVENTURES Start your journey in tropical Darwin and wander its breezy waterfront markets filled with multicultural eats and vibrant finds. Tip: The popular Mindil Beach Sunset Market is a wonderful spot for catching live music and sunsets. Before heading inland, consider a day trip to Tiwi Islands – a short flight or ferry ride from Darwin. These two islands offer a unique window into Aboriginal history and culture. Visit the Tiwi Design Art Centre and browse local art and crafts, often sold directly by the artists themselves – great for thoughtful, reasonably priced souvenirs. When you're ready for more adventures, take a 60-minute drive to Litchfield National Park. Swimsuits are essential – this lush monsoon forest is dotted with waterfalls and natural pools, perfect for a dip. And don't forget to stop for a selfie with the magnetic termite mounds – towering, otherworldly structures that can be over a century old. Alternatively, head to the UNESCO-listed Kakadu National Park. Beyond its famous Aboriginal rock art, Kakadu offers sacred landscapes, rich biodiversity and distinct experiences. Glide past crocodiles on a Yellow Water Billabong cruise or crank up the thrill with an airboat ride across the Mary River floodplains. Stay longer to soak in the grandeur of towering cliffs and remote waterfalls – there are plenty of accommodation options. Families will love the Mercure Kakadu Crocodile Hotel – shaped like a crocodile when viewed from above and packed with activities for kids. Couples can opt for a romantic escape at Bamurru Plains, where champagne stargazing is just part of the experience from your private safari bungalow. For the best weather, plan your visit between April and October during the dry season – when cooler nights and clear roads make exploring a breeze. FROM HOT SPRINGS TO SCENIC GORGES Ready for more cinematic adventures? Then head south to the Katherine region, where rugged landscapes are balanced by unexpected pockets of calm. The showstopper of the region is Nitmiluk National Park, home to 13 sandstone gorges carved over millennia by the Katherine River. The Nitmiluk Gorge is majestic – its sheer walls shifting in colour as the sun moves across the sky. Canoe or cruise? Both offer unforgettable perspectives. Paddle through the gorge at your own pace, passing ancient Aboriginal rock art, or opt for a relaxed cruise, complete with a dinner option. There's more relaxation to be found at the region's thermal springs. Katherine Hot Springs features naturally heated pools tucked along the riverbank, while Mataranka Thermal Pool is surrounded by palms that sway gently above you as you soak. Even the food here tells a story. Local flavours have evolved, blending native ingredients with inventive flair. Taste the catch of the day prepared with bush spices or try the slow-smoked Melaleuca brisket at Cicada Lodge, a boutique retreat that offers luxury wrapped in warm Jawoyn hospitality. Here, Aboriginal culture and art are part of the experience, not just the decor. AUSTRALIA'S SPIRITUAL HEART Watch the forest greens fade into the crimson hues of the desert as you journey south into the Red Centre. Begin your outback adventure in Alice Springs, your desert town portal to the territory. Visit the Kangaroo Sanctuary for a heartwarming encounter with Australia's most iconic resident or connect with Central Australian artists whose works tell Aboriginal Dreamtime stories through colour and canvas. Then, rising from the earth like a silent giant, Uluru awaits. Walk the base with an Aboriginal guide and hear the sacred stories woven into every curve and crevice of this monumental rock. As the day ends, stay for Wintjiri Wiru, a breathtaking light and drone show that brings the Anangu people's Mala story to life through lasers, sound and more than 1,000 choreographed drones dancing across the night sky. The Red Centre also offers moments of luxury set against its untouched wilderness. At Longitude 131°, wake up to the sight of Uluru through floor-to-ceiling windows, the desert stretched endlessly beyond. Remote yet refined, it's barefoot luxury at its most surreal. Wrap up your journey in style aboard The Ghan. This legendary rail experience winds north through desert plains, deep gorges and sweeping bushland – offering a final, unforgettable look at the Northern Territory's vast beauty. From ancient rock art to modern luxury beneath the stars, every moment here tells a story. And like the land itself, it invites you to slow down, connect and feel what it truly means to be alive.
Asharq Al-Awsat
a day ago
- Business
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Saudi Film Commission to Showcase Cultural Power of Cinema at 1st European Edition of SXSW in London
The Saudi Film Commission is participating in the inaugural European edition of the SXSW Festival, taking place in London from June 2 to 7. SXSW is a prestigious global platform that brings together a select group of professionals and experts from various creative sectors through a variety of events, including panel discussions, musical and comedy performances, film and television screenings, exhibitions, technical competitions, and opportunities for professional development and partnership building. The Commission's participation includes screening a selection of short Saudi films under the 'Saudi Film Nights' initiative, with the aim of showcasing Saudi storytelling and empowering national talent for international audiences. The Commission is also organizing a panel session titled 'Empowering the Film Industry in Saudi Arabia: From Vision to Reality,' which will explore the role of cinema in shaping national identity, preserving cultural heritage, and supporting local content as a tool of soft power. Within the Saudi pavilion, the Commission is showcasing the Kingdom's cinematic achievements through an exhibition featuring films that have sold over 250,000 tickets at the box office, participated in prestigious international festivals, or won global awards. This underscores the growth of the Saudi film industry and its rising prominence on the international stage. The Saudi Film Commission is part of the joint Saudi pavilion, which includes other creative sector entities such as the Music Commission, the Culinary Arts Commission, the Fashion Commission, and MOCX. Together, they present a comprehensive view of the Kingdom's rich and diverse cultural landscape. This participation underscores the Film Commission's commitment to expanding Saudi Arabia's global presence, empowering creative talent, and positioning the Kingdom as a regional leader in the cinema industry.
CBS News
a day ago
- Entertainment
- CBS News
San Francisco's North Beach comes alive with celebrations during Festa Italiana
From flying pizza dough to traditional Italian folk dances, North Beach was alive with celebration this weekend as the annual Festa Italiana returned to the heart of the city's historic Italian district. Among the vendors lining the streets was Kim Scarlata, proudly representing her family's award-winning olive oil business. For Scarlata, the festival is about more than just food — it's about honoring heritage. "It's very important to us," Scarlata said. "My husband is Italian and Sicilian, and he always wants to come to every festival that celebrates his family background." Scarlata's local, award-winning olive oil, inspired by generations of care, was one of many cultural expressions featured at the street fair. The event draws thousands of visitors each year, offering a rich array of Italian cuisine, music, art, and language. "You can see here today, there are people from every culture — not just Italians," she said. "But everyone knows, everyone loves Italian food, right?" Hosted by the San Francisco Italian Athletic Club, the Festa Italiana is rooted in a mission to preserve Italian heritage in the city, even as time and demographics evolve. "We make sure we take care of our older generation," said Jeff DelBono of the San Francisco Italian Athletic Club. "We work closely with the Italian Consulate of San Francisco. We do a lot of arts that keeps the heritage going and passing it on to younger generations." For many, the festival is a flavorful reminder of their roots and a celebration of the immigrant stories that helped shape San Francisco's identity. For Scarlata, it's also deeply personal. "Our oil is a tribute to my husband's family," she said. And the festival? A tribute to the Italian families — past and present — who continue to influence the cultural fabric of the Bay Area and beyond.
LBCI
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- LBCI
Nada Koussa honors Indian culture in stunning traditional look at Miss World 2025—Video
Miss Lebanon Nada Koussa captivated the audience as she joined 108 contestants from around the globe at the Miss World 2025 pageant, appearing in traditional Indian attire. Her graceful look paid tribute to the rich culture and heritage of India, the host country of this year's competition.
Wall Street Journal
2 days ago
- Wall Street Journal
A Savvy Travelers Guide to Italy's Other Great Art City
Art-loving visitors to Italy tend to follow a well-trodden path through Rome and Florence. But during high season, lines at the Vatican and the Uffizi Galleries can be punishingly long. By the time you finally catch a glimpse of Caravaggio's 'Bacchus,' you might be in need of a drink yourself. There is an alternative. The grand port city of Naples—though best known now for pizza, the mafia and as a launching place for passengers to Capri and the Amalfi coast—has also been a Mediterranean cultural mecca for millennia, back to the days of the ancients. A mere day trip away, you can find historic treasures in the ruins of Pompeii, whose lavishly decorated villas were preserved when neighboring Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 A.D.—a brilliant snapshot of ancient Roman artistic refinement and taste. Nearly 2,000 years later, Naples' own surviving masterpieces still thrill. Founded in 470 B.C., it is among Europe's oldest cities, and by the 17th century, was a hotbed of artistic activity, home to painters like Caravaggio, José de Ribera and Artemisia Gentileschi. That Baroque legacy is still palpable. On a recent trip, I went in search of 'Baroque Naples,' having studied that iteration of the city in college art history classes. But once I was on the ground, it soon became clear that Naples' wonders exceed any one artistic moment. Looking down across the city and sea from my first stop, the hilltop Museo di San Martino, I immediately saw the appeal of Naples, both glorious and gritty. White sailboats dotted the bay and clusters of drab apartment towers, draped in drying laundry, climbed the inland hillsides. In between, the city spread like a carpet toward the slopes of Vesuvius in the distance. A former Carthusian monastery, San Martino is replete with treasures. What struck me most were the luxurious personal quarters of the prior, with their colored marble floors and frescoed walls and ceilings. The pope's private Vatican chambers aren't open to the public, but they certainly don't have a sea view. The city's golden age dawned in 1734 when Naples and Sicily became an independent kingdom under King Charles of Bourbon, a great-grandson of Louis XIV of France. Charles launched an immense building program, whose legacy includes royal palaces adorned with the vast art collection his mother bequeathed him. Charles also greenlighted the excavations at Pompeii and Herculaneum and built one of Europe's first opera houses, the Teatro San Carlo, in just eight months. 'Naples doesn't really do small,' explained Sylvain Bellenger, former director of the Museo di Capodimonte, a museum housed in a massive pink and gray palace that is just one of three built by Charles in and around Naples. (Another, Reggia di Caserta, is a Unesco World Heritage site just 30 minutes outside the city.) Even larger than the Uffizi Galleries in Florence, the Museo di Capodimonte is currently undergoing renovations—but still has 50 galleries containing enough masterpieces by the likes of Masaccio, Raphael, Michelangelo, Titian and Correggio to merit repeat visits. When the other galleries reopen this fall, visitors might be surprised to discover pieces by Louise Bourgeois, Andy Warhol and Candida Höfer, many referencing either Naples in general or the Capodimonte in particular. Should you choose, like me, not to venture to Pompeii, the Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli ably scratches an itch for antiquity. Three floors of classical sculptures are chockablock with artifacts, including the famous Farnese Hercules, acres of elaborate Roman mosaic floors and delicately painted walls brought from Herculaneum and Pompeii. One irreverent surprise: A small gallery of erotic sculptures and ancient sexual aids. (Prudes and parents, fear not: There's a warning at the entrance.) Among other niche museums worth a stop is the Museo Nazionale della Ceramica Duca di Martina, in the lush gardens of the Villa Floridiana. And the Gallerie d'Italia, whose collection ranges from the 17th century to the first decades of the 20th, has been newly installed in the circa-1940 Banco di Napoli, a boldly muscular (read: Fascist) celebration of classical architecture. Eager to check a duomo off your list? Naples has one, too. In its San Gennaro chapel's splendid treasury, a new curator is fond of mixing modern art amid the saintly relics. A show of contemporary ex-votos (on view through Sept. 30) features diminutive devotional works by artists such as Mimmo Paladino, Igor Mitoraj and Yves Klein. It occurred to me inside that I'd never seen more people conversing out loud and in public with religious paintings and sculptures than I did in Naples. Even in the offseason, visitors will want to pre-book tickets for smaller private chapels such as Sansevero, with its haunting suite of Baroque sculpture including 'The Veiled Christ' in which artist Giuseppe Sanmartino somehow summons a transparent veil out of marble. Also worth a stop: the tiny Pio Monte della Misericordia, where Caravaggio's iconic 'Seven Acts of Mercy' looms large over the high altar. In the 1990s, the city launched Le Stazioni dell'Arte, an ambitious, ongoing public art project to transform its metro stations in partnership with architects and designers like Karim Rashid and Òscar Tusquets. Since 2012, the arts foundation Made in Cloister, has provided work and exhibition spaces to promote contemporary Neapolitan artists in a 16th-century monastery that was most recently a carwash. More recently, London art dealer Thomas Dane opened his first international branch gallery in a chicly renovated 19th-century palazzo in Chiaia. 'I never expected to open [satellite] galleries,' he said. 'But…it struck me that if there was one city where artists would want to spend more time and explore, it was Naples.'
