Cultural Heritage

Delve into the rich tapestry of humanity’s cultural heritage, encompassing arts, history, and beyond.

With over 3,800 distinct cultures worldwide, as cataloged by anthropologists and recorded in Price’s Atlas of Ethnographic Societies—a number potentially underestimated—we can only begin to fathom the profound influence of these myriad cultural legacies across the globe.

Cultural heritage, as defined by Wikipedia, comprises the tangible and intangible assets inherited by a society from past generations. Not all remnants of the past qualify as “heritage”; rather, heritage emerges through societal selection.

This expansive term encompasses a vast array of elements, including customs, beliefs, rituals, arts, music, and more, shaping culture and behavior. It extends to practices related to the natural environment, religious and scientific traditions, language, cuisine, and even cyber cultures in the digital realm. Emerging cultures of the present are poised to become the heritage of the future.

Below, discover a diverse array of cultural heritage assets, ranging from the architectural influences of Indigenous communities to the impact on fashion, cuisine, and beyond. These narratives also shed light on historical events, viewed through the lens of contemporary society.

  • Filipino restaurant Kaya

    In Orlando’s Mills 50 neighborhood, Filipino restaurant Kaya — which means “capable” — rarely uses an ingredient just once. The bar repurposes the fatty excess of pork belly to fat wash bourbon for cocktails, while the kitchen utilizes vegetable trimmings for vinegars. It’s this resourcefulness that earned Kaya one of Florida’s first-ever Michelin Green Stars this spring, alongside Miami's Los Félix and Krüs Kitchen.

  • George Eastman Museum

    Somewhat of an enigma, George Eastman moved the photography world ahead with amazing inventions. He was a philanthropist, second only to Rockefeller and Carnegie. Yet, the artifacts in his museum include the mounted head of an elephant he traveled to Africa to kill. Even his death by suicide seems odd—although his death certificate adds additional information. He left a note saying, “To my friends, my work is done—Why wait?”

  • Largest Mosque in the Americas

    It is a bright spring day in the bustling metropolis of Buenos Aires. The usual mix of cars, buses, taxis, and delivery vans comprise the heavy traffic. Just people going about their business along Avenida Bullrich. On one side of the road, elegant apartment buildings crowd behind the elevated train tracks. On the other side, behind the railings, a different story emerges. Here, soaring minarets dominate the skyline, and open space and silence abound.

  • Orange sun behind dark clouds creating a spooky Halloween sky

    Halloween is around the corner and the ghouls and goblins are coming for us whether we’re ready or not. This time they will be frightening us from a safe distance. But don't worry because your adrenaline will still run high.

  • mostar Bosnia

    In the 1990s, Bosnia and Herzegovina was considered one of the most dangerous places in the world. The capital city, Sarajevo, was under constant siege by sniper fire and mortar shells. Today, however, Bosnia looks very different. Though still scarred by the remnants of war, the country has seemingly found a way to come through a very dark tunnel. 

  • Ghostly figure evokes the supernatural side of Halloween travel

    Do you believe in ghosts? If you live in the mid-Atlantic you don't have to wait for Halloween to come in order to have ghost sighting because sightings (or at least great ghost stories) are abundant in the region. From haunted pub crawl crawls to ghost walks and haunted inns you can be sure to have a ghostly encounter at any time of the year.

  • liberation pavilion

    In this episode of World Footprints, hosts Tonya and Ian Fitzpatrick take you on an unforgettable journey through one of the most poignant chapters of history—the liberation at the end of World War II. Joined by special guest Michael Bell, Executive Director of the Institute for the Study of War and Democracy, the Fitzpatricks delve deep into the newly opened Liberation Pavilion at the National WWII Museum in New Orleans.

  • Thumbnail for the video page of the World Footprints podcast video: Unveiling Liberation: A Journey Inside the National WWII Museum’s Liberation Pavilion

    In this video, hosts Tonya and Ian Fitzpatrick lead you on a powerful exploration of history as they visit the Liberation Pavilion at the National WWII Museum in New Orleans.

  • Susan B Anthony and Frederick Douglass

    In death, Susan B. Anthony and Fredrick Douglass share a cemetery. In life, they both lived in Rochester, NY, for many years. Susan B. Anthony's former home now serves as a museum telling her life story. In nearby Susan B. Anthony Square Park, a bronze sculpture called Let's Have Tea, created by local artist Pepsy Kettavong, shows Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass sipping cups of tea. Rochester's pride in these two outstanding residents shines bright.

  • boston george washington statute

    Benjamin Franklin gestured dramatically toward the moldering gravestone of the Revolutionary War soldier. “And then,” he proclaimed, pausing for effect, “He killed ‘im dead!”.

  • Ancient environmentalists

    Sunil maneuvered the jeep onto a bumpy dirt track through the fields of wheat and millet that grew sparsely here in the Thar Desert. He stopped the car and switched off the engine. Suddenly, they came. A group of four gazelles, followed by a large herd of blackbuck antelope, the afternoon sun glancing off their elegant backs. I was hesitant to take out my long telephoto lens, lest the herd would scatter. Sunil smiled. “Don’t worry. They will not think that you are aiming a gun at them. They roam fearlessly here because this is the land of the Bishnois.”

  • The Modern Art Museum during the Museum Night Event

    Two hundred years of Argentinean creativity and talent cannot be easily summed up. However, visitors to Buenos Aires, a major Latin American cultural hub, can appreciate and learn about Argentinean art at some of the city’s art museums.