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Wonder of the Day #2806

What Is Heritage and Why Is It Important?

SOCIAL STUDIES — Cultures of the World

Have You Ever Wondered...

• What is heritage?
• Why is heritage important?
• How can you celebrate your heritage?
• Social Studies ,
• Cultures Of The World ,
• Hispanic Heritage Month ,

Today’s Wonder of the Day was inspired by Stephanie. Stephanie Wonders , “ What is heritage and why is it important? ” Thanks for WONDERing with us, Stephanie!

Who are you? You might start to answer that question with your name. But, of course, you’re much more than a name. What are your talents? How about your dreams or your values ? All of these things (and many others) come together to make up your identity . 

Today’s Wonder of the Day is about something else that shapes your identity —your heritage. What is heritage? The word can be difficult to define! Heritage is always something that’s or passed down by families or other groups for many years.

However, heritage isn’t limited to concrete objects. It’s also the customs, traditions, and values shared by groups of people. One way to think about heritage is to break it down into three groups. These are the tangible , the natural, and the intangible . 

What tangible items can be part of a person or group’s heritage? It can include many human-made objects that hold cultural value. Some examples are national monuments and works of art. Many ancient sites are also part of this group. On a smaller scale, a family home can be part of an individual’s heritage.

Many parts of the natural world are also important to cultural heritage. This can include bodies of water, plant life, landforms , and more. One example is the Nile River . It has been part of cultural heritage in many African nations for centuries. Efforts to protect natural heritage are key in many cultures.

The intangible group includes any part of cultural heritage that you can’t feel through touch. Maybe you’ve read about forms of dance, like flamenco dancing . You might know about the music of mariachi bands or holidays like Eid . These are all examples of intangible heritage. Languages, holidays, and customs also make the list.

Exploring your own heritage can be fun. It can help you learn about yourself, your family, and your ancestors . But it’s also important to learn about the heritage of others. Doing so can help you build a stronger understanding of other cultures. It can also lead you to find things you may have in common with others!

You may already know that certain months of the year honor specific cultures. For example, September is Hispanic Heritage Month. Are you of Hispanic heritage? If so, it’s a great time to be with family and celebrate your culture. 

If you’re not part of a Hispanic culture, then September is a time to learn. Try reading about the Grito de Dolores or the tradition of the quinceañera . Learn about famous people of Hispanic heritage, like Frida Kahlo . You could also attend public Hispanic heritage celebrations as a learner. Always remember to show respect for the cultural heritage of others. After all, you’d want the same from them.

Of course, there are several other heritage months. American Indian Heritage Month is in November, and Black History Month is in February. May is both Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month and Jewish American Heritage Month. Of course, you don’t have to wait for these times of year. It’s always a great time to celebrate your heritage and learn about those of others. 

How would you describe your heritage? If you’re interested in digging deeper, invite a family member to join you. It can be a great learning and bonding experience.

Common Core , Next Generation Science Standards , and National Council for the Social Studies ."> Standards : CCRA.R.4, CCRA.L.3, CCRA.L.6, CCRA.R.10, CCRA.R.2, CCRA.SL.1, CCRA.SL.2, CCRA.W.2, CCRA.W.4, CCRA.R.1, CCRA.L.1 , NCAS.A.1, NCAS.A.2, NCAS.A.3, CCRA.SL.4

Wonder What's Next?

Feel FRIDA share tomorrow’s Wonder of the Day with a friend!

Now that you’ve learned about different types of heritage and ways that it’s celebrated, try out the following activities with a friend or family member.

• Do you know much about your own heritage? What are some important parts of your culture? What foods are traditionally prepared? Are there dances or art that are significant? What about a mountain, lake, or river that has special meaning? Talk to a family member about your heritage and ask them some of these questions. Write an essay about what you learn and discuss it with a friend.
• This Wonder mentions that certain months are dedicated to honoring certain cultures and gives some examples, do you have a specific month that celebrates your heritage or just one that you identify with? Get a friend or family member to help you create a poster with colorful drawings and interesting facts about that month.
• You may not know much about your own heritage or have just started thinking about it. How do you get started learning about your own heritage? Check out this article about ways to get started exploring your own heritage and share what you learned with a friend or family member.

Wonder Sources

• https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/special-topics-art-history/arches-at-risk-cultural-heritage-education-series/arches-beginners-guide/a/what-is-cultural-heritage (accessed 05 Aug. 2021)
• https://www.sahistory.org.za/article/what-heritage (accessed 05 Aug. 2021)
• https://www.familysearch.org/blog/en/what-is-heritage/ (accessed 05 Aug. 2021)
• https://college.lclark.edu/student_life/multicultural_affairs/programs/heritage_months.php (accessed 05 Aug. 2021)
• https://www.hispanicheritagemonth.gov/about/ (accessed 05 Aug. 2021)
• https://www.heritagecouncil.ie/what-is-heritage (accessed 05 Aug. 2021)
• https://learnersdictionary.com/ (accessed 05 Aug. 2021)

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Wonder contributors.

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LaKeitha , Ethan and Meredith from TX for contributing questions about today’s Wonder topic!

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Question 1 of 3

Which of the following is NOT a form of intangible heritage, according to this Wonder?

• a a river Correct!
• b a dance Not Quite!
• c customs Not Quite!
• d a language Not Quite!

Question 2 of 3

This Wonder is mainly about. . .

• a which months of the year honor certain groups or cultures Not Quite!
• b the variety of dances important to Hispanic tradition Not Quite!
• c the different types heritage and the importance of learning about your own and others’ heritage Correct!
• d specific human-made objects that are recognized as culturally valuable to African American culture Not Quite!

Question 3 of 3

Hispanic American Heritage month, which is a celebration of culture and origin of Latinx and Hispanic Americans in the United States, occurs during which month?

• a February Not Quite!
• b September Correct!
• c November Not Quite!
• d May Not Quite!

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112 Heritage Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

Inside This Article

Heritage is an important aspect of our identity and plays a significant role in shaping who we are as individuals. It encompasses our cultural, familial, and historical backgrounds, and often influences our beliefs, values, and traditions. Writing about heritage can be a powerful way to explore and celebrate the richness of our backgrounds, and to reflect on the ways in which our heritage has shaped us.

If you're looking for inspiration for an essay on heritage, here are 112 topic ideas and examples to get you started:

• How your family's heritage has influenced your identity
• Exploring the traditions and customs of your cultural heritage
• The importance of preserving and celebrating your heritage
• How your heritage has shaped your worldview and beliefs
• Investigating the history of your ancestral homeland
• The role of language in preserving cultural heritage
• The significance of traditional foods in your heritage
• Exploring the music and dance of your cultural heritage
• The impact of immigration on your family's heritage
• The ways in which storytelling has preserved your heritage
• Exploring the religious beliefs and practices of your heritage
• The influence of art and literature on your cultural heritage
• The role of education in passing down cultural heritage
• Understanding the impact of colonization on your heritage
• The importance of cultural festivals in preserving heritage
• Investigating the role of women in preserving cultural heritage
• Exploring the impact of globalization on your heritage
• The significance of traditional clothing in your heritage
• The role of oral history in preserving family heritage
• The impact of war and conflict on your heritage
• How your heritage has influenced your career choices
• Exploring the role of technology in preserving cultural heritage
• The ways in which your heritage has influenced your relationships
• Investigating the role of architecture in preserving cultural heritage
• The importance of genealogy in understanding your heritage
• Exploring the impact of climate change on cultural heritage
• The significance of traditional crafts in your heritage
• The role of music and dance in preserving cultural heritage
• Understanding the impact of migration on your heritage
• The ways in which your heritage has influenced your sense of community
• Exploring the role of food and drink in preserving cultural heritage
• The importance of traditional medicine in your heritage
• Investigating the impact of urbanization on cultural heritage
• The significance of storytelling in preserving family heritage
• Exploring the impact of colonization on your heritage
• The ways in which your heritage has influenced your

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Essay on Our Heritage

Students are often asked to write an essay on Our Heritage in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Our Heritage

Understanding our heritage.

Heritage is a treasure passed down from our ancestors. It includes traditions, culture, monuments, and knowledge. We inherit it from past generations, live with it in the present, and pass it on to the future.

The Importance of Heritage

Heritage connects us to our roots. It gives us a sense of identity and belonging. By understanding our heritage, we learn about our ancestors’ lives, their achievements, and their struggles.

Preserving Our Heritage

It’s our responsibility to preserve our heritage. This can be done by learning about it, respecting it, and teaching it to others. This way, we ensure our heritage lives on.

250 Words Essay on Our Heritage

Introduction.

The term “heritage” refers to the legacy passed down from previous generations to the present one. It encapsulates a broad spectrum of elements, including cultural practices, historical landmarks, literature, art, and natural landscapes. Our heritage is a testament to our past, a mirror reflecting our cultural identity, and a guide to our future paths.

Heritage plays a pivotal role in shaping our identity. It is a rich tapestry of traditions, beliefs, and customs that have been honed over centuries. It provides us with a sense of belonging and continuity, connecting us to our ancestors and their experiences.

Heritage and Education

Educational systems have a significant responsibility in nurturing an appreciation for heritage among students. By incorporating heritage studies into curricula, we can promote cultural understanding, mutual respect, and social cohesion. It also fosters critical thinking, as students delve into the complexities of history and cultural evolution.

Preservation of Heritage

In an era of rapid globalization, preserving our heritage is more crucial than ever. Heritage sites are under constant threat from urbanization, climate change, and neglect. It is our collective responsibility to safeguard these treasures for future generations.

Our heritage is a bridge between the past, present, and future. It is the backbone of our identity, a source of knowledge, and a tool for social harmony. As we stride into the future, let us carry our heritage with pride, preserving it with the respect it deserves, and passing it on enriched to the generations to come.

500 Words Essay on Our Heritage

Our heritage is an irreplaceable link to our cultural, historical, and natural roots. It is a complex tapestry of traditions, beliefs, customs, and artifacts that we inherit from our ancestors and pass on to future generations. This essay aims to delve into the profound significance of our heritage and how it shapes our identity and society.

The Essence of Heritage

Heritage is not confined to historical sites, monuments, or tangible artifacts. It encompasses a broader spectrum that includes languages, folklore, rituals, and social practices. Each component of our heritage holds a story of human endeavor, resilience, and creativity. It is a testament to our ancestors’ wisdom and their ability to adapt to their environment.

Heritage as a Source of Identity

Our heritage plays a pivotal role in defining our identity. It provides a sense of belonging and continuity, linking us to our past and guiding our future. The traditions and customs inherited from our ancestors help us understand who we are and where we come from. They shape our worldview and influence our behaviors, attitudes, and values.

Heritage and Society

Heritage also plays a crucial role in fostering social cohesion. Shared heritage can instill a sense of unity and common identity among diverse groups. It can serve as a foundation for mutual respect and understanding, thereby promoting social harmony. Moreover, our heritage is a rich source of knowledge and wisdom, which can be harnessed for societal progress and sustainable development.

The Threats to Our Heritage

Despite its immense value, our heritage is under constant threat. Rapid urbanization, globalization, and environmental degradation are eroding our cultural and natural heritage. Moreover, conflicts and wars have led to the destruction of invaluable heritage sites. Hence, preserving our heritage is an urgent task that requires collective efforts.

The Importance of Heritage Preservation

Preserving our heritage is not merely about safeguarding historical artifacts or traditions. It is about preserving the essence of humanity and our collective memory. It is about protecting the diversity and richness of human cultures. Moreover, heritage preservation can contribute to sustainable development by leveraging traditional knowledge and practices.

In conclusion, our heritage is a precious legacy that we hold in trust for future generations. It is a source of our identity, unity, and wisdom. Despite the threats it faces, it is our duty to preserve and cherish our heritage. By doing so, we not only honor our past but also pave the way for a future that is rooted in our cultural and historical richness.

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

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Essay: What is heritage?

Author: spearritt, peter.

Heritage is a relatively new, catch-all term that in recent times has encompassed both the built andthe natural world. The word has gained wide international acceptance and usage since 1972, whenUNESCO created the World Cultural and Natural Heritage Convention, which Australia signed in1974. For some decades now more and more countries have vied with each other to get their builtand natural heritage sites on the World Heritage List.But in another sense, there is nothing new about heritage, not least because almost everythingdesignated to have heritage value is older than the present, from rock art and stone churches to theGreat Barrier Reef. And while the European occupation of Australia might be just a tad over 220years old, archaeologists and anthropologists date indigenous settlement back over forty thousandyears.In the 1950s and 1960s National Trusts in each state had little difficulty in identifying places theyconsidered of state and national significance, from churches and sprawling pastoral mansions to thegrand houses of the bourgeoisie in the cities. Likewise National Parks associations found it relativelyeasy to identify natural environments that could be regarded as ‘pristine’.With the rapid increase in scientific knowledge about ecological management and human impactsand with new techniques to measure both the longevity of Indigenous settlement and the impact ofIndigenous land management – from hunting to the use of fire – scholars came to see that very fewenvironments could be regarded as ‘untouched’ wilderness. In somewhat similar fashion, whenscholars from a variety of disciplines came to study a building or a site, they would note changes toboth the use of the place and its fabric over time. This meant that simplistic arguments for eitherbuilt or natural heritage could no longer rest on claims that used words like ‘pristine’, ‘untouched’ oreven un-altered.

Home — Essay Samples — Arts & Culture — Heritage

Heritage Essays

What makes a perfect essay topic.

When it comes to choosing a heritage essay topic, there is a world of possibilities waiting to be explored. To embark on this creative journey, consider a few key factors that will help you unearth a truly captivating topic. Delve into your personal interests and experiences related to heritage and let them guide you. Reflect on the aspects of heritage that fascinate you the most, whether it involves exploring your cultural background or unearthing the history and traditions of a specific community. Additionally, ponder the uniqueness and relevance of the topic at hand. A remarkable heritage essay topic is one that is specific, intriguing, and offers potential for in-depth research and analysis. Remember, the ultimate goal is to engage your readers and provide them with fresh insights and perspectives on the extraordinary world of heritage.

The Best Heritage Essay Topics

• The impact of immigration on cultural heritage preservation.
• The role of museums in preserving indigenous heritage.
• Unconventional heritage: Exploring the intangible cultural heritage of a community.
• Heritage preservation in the face of modernization and globalization.
• Rediscovering forgotten heritage: The revival of traditional crafts.
• The significance of oral traditions and storytelling in preserving cultural heritage.
• The influence of colonialism on cultural heritage.
• Heritage tourism: Balancing economic growth and heritage conservation.
• The preservation of endangered languages as part of cultural heritage.
• The role of technology in documenting and safeguarding intangible cultural heritage.
• The impact of climate change on cultural heritage sites.
• The representation of heritage in literature and art.
• Gender and heritage: The role of women in preserving cultural traditions.
• The cultural heritage of marginalized communities: Giving voice to the unheard.
• The importance of education in heritage preservation.
• The role of government policies in safeguarding cultural heritage.
• Exploring the relationship between heritage and identity.
• Heritage conservation in the digital age: Opportunities and challenges.
• The impact of war and conflict on cultural heritage destruction.
• The preservation of traditional cuisine as a part of cultural heritage.

Provocative Heritage Essay Questions

• How does the preservation of cultural heritage contribute to the sense of identity within a community?
• To what extent does globalization threaten the preservation of cultural heritage?
• How has technology revolutionized the documentation and preservation of intangible cultural heritage?
• In what ways does heritage tourism impact the authenticity and integrity of cultural heritage sites?
• What strategies can be employed to ensure the preservation of endangered languages as part of cultural heritage?
• How does climate change pose a threat to the long-term survival of cultural heritage sites?
• What are the ethical considerations involved in repatriating cultural heritage artifacts to their countries of origin?
• How does the representation of heritage in literature and art shape our perception and understanding of cultural identity?
• What role does education play in raising awareness and promoting heritage preservation among younger generations?
• How can communities effectively collaborate with governments and organizations to safeguard and promote their cultural heritage?

Heritage Essay Prompts

• Imagine you have discovered a long-lost family heirloom. Write an essay exploring its history and significance in preserving your heritage.
• You are an anthropologist tasked with studying the intangible cultural heritage of a remote tribe. Write an essay detailing your experiences and the importance of preserving their unique traditions.
• In a time capsule, you find a document from the past that sheds light on an aspect of heritage that has been forgotten. Write an essay discussing the implications of this discovery and its impact on heritage preservation.
• Imagine you have the opportunity to interview a renowned heritage conservationist. Write an essay outlining the questions you would ask and the insights you hope to gain.
• Choose a heritage site that holds personal significance to you. Write an essay reflecting on your experiences visiting the site and the importance of preserving it for future generations.

Deeper Insights: Heritage Essay FAQ

• Q: How do I choose a compelling heritage essay topic?
• A: Start by reflecting on your personal interests and experiences related to heritage. Consider unique aspects, relevance, and potential for in-depth research.
• Q: What makes a good heritage essay topic stand out?
• A: A good topic should be specific, intriguing, and offer potential for new insights and perspectives on heritage.
• Q: How can I ensure my heritage essay is engaging for readers?
• A: Incorporate captivating storytelling techniques, provide relevant examples, and present well-researched information to keep readers interested.
• Q: Is it important to include personal experiences in a heritage essay?
• A: Personal experiences can add depth and authenticity to your essay, but make sure to connect them to broader themes and concepts.
• Q: Can I focus on an unconventional aspect of heritage for my essay?
• A: Absolutely! Exploring unconventional aspects of heritage can provide fresh perspectives and make your essay more unique and interesting.
• Q: How can I make my heritage essay more impactful?
• A: Incorporate diverse perspectives, consider the social and cultural implications of your topic, and propose practical solutions for heritage preservation.
• Q: Should I use academic sources in my heritage essay?
• A: Using a mix of academic and non-academic sources can strengthen your arguments and provide a well-rounded analysis of your chosen topic.
• Q: How long should my heritage essay be?
• A: The length of your essay will depend on the specific requirements. However, aim for a balance between providing sufficient information and maintaining reader engagement.
• Q: Can I include visuals or multimedia in my heritage essay?
• A: Including visuals or multimedia can enhance your essay, but ensure they are relevant, properly credited, and do not overshadow the written content.
• Q: How can I conclude my heritage essay effectively?
• A: Summarize your main points, restate the significance of your topic, and leave the reader with a thought-provoking final statement that encourages further reflection.

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2.1 What is heritage?

The Oxford English Dictionary defines ‘heritage’ as ‘property that is or may be inherited; an inheritance’, ‘valued things such as historic buildings that have been passed down from previous generations’, and ‘relating to things of historic or cultural value that are worthy of preservation’. The emphasis on inheritance and conservation is important here, as is the focus on ‘property’, ‘things’ or ‘buildings’. So (according to the Oxford English Dictionary, anyway), heritage is something that can be passed from one generation to the next, something that can be conserved or inherited, and something that has historic or cultural value. Heritage might be understood to be a physical ‘object’: a piece of property, a building or a place that is able to be ‘owned’ and ‘passed on’ to someone else.

In addition to these physical objects and places of heritage there are also various practices of heritage that are conserved or handed down from one generation to the next. Language is an important aspect of who we understand ourselves to be, and it is learned and passed from adult to child, from generation to generation. These invisible or ‘intangible’ practices of heritage, such as language, culture, popular song, literature or dress, are as important in helping us to understand who we are as the physical objects and buildings that we are more used to thinking of as ‘heritage’. Another aspect of these practices of heritage is the ways in which we go about conserving things – the choices we make about what to conserve from the past and what to discard: which memories to keep, and which to forget; which memorials to maintain, and which to allow to be demolished; which buildings to save, and which ones to allow to be built over. Practices of heritage are customs and habits which, although intangible, inform who we are as collectives, and help to create our collective social memory. We use objects of heritage (artefacts, buildings, sites, landscapes) alongside practices of heritage (languages, music, community commemorations, conservation and preservation of objects or memories from the past) to shape our ideas about our past, present and future.

Another way of thinking about this distinction between objects of heritage and practices of heritage is to consider the different perspectives through which heritage is perceived. For every object of heritage there are also heritage practices. However one group of people (say, professional heritage managers) respond to heritage, other people may respond differently. Thus, around an object of heritage, there may be value judgements based on ‘inherent’ qualities (which may indeed play a determining role in designating the object and conserving it), but there may well be other values which drive the use of the object (associations of personal or national identity, associations with history, leisure etc., as in the example of designation of Harry S. Truman’s otherwise humble dwelling as a National Historic Site discussed later in this course). For every object of tangible heritage there is also an intangible heritage that ‘wraps’ around it – the language we use to describe it, for example, or its place in social practice or religion. Objects of heritage are embedded in an experience created by various kinds of users and the people who attempt to manage this experience. An analogous situation exists in the art world in understanding aesthetics. There is no art without the spectator, and what the spectator (and critic) makes of the art work sits alongside what the artist intended and what official culture designates in a discursive and often contested relationship. So in addition to the objects and practices of heritage themselves, we also need to be mindful of varying ‘perspectives’, or subject positions on heritage.

The historian and geographer David Lowenthal has written extensively on the important distinction between heritage and history. For many people, the word ‘heritage’ is probably synonymous with ‘history’. However, historians have criticised the many instances of recreation of the past in the image of the present which occur in museums, historic houses and heritage sites throughout the world, and have sought to distance themselves from what they might characterise as ‘bad’ history. As Lowenthal points out in The Heritage Crusade and the Spoils of History, heritage is not history at all: ‘it is not an inquiry into the past, but a celebration of it ... a profession of faith in a past tailored to present-day purposes’ (Lowenthal, 1997, p. x). Heritage must be seen as separate from the pursuit of history, as it is concerned with the re-packaging of the past for some purpose in the present. These purposes may be nationalistic ones, or operate at the local level.

‘Heritage’ also has a series of specific and clearly defined technical and legal meanings. For example, the two places discussed earlier in this course are delineated as ‘heritage’ by their inclusion on the World Heritage List. As John Carman (2002, p. 22) notes, heritage is created in a process of categorising. These places have an official position that has a series of obligations, both legal and ‘moral’, arising from their inclusion on this register. As places on the World Heritage List they must be actively conserved, they should have formal documents and policies in place to determine their management, and there is an assumption that they will be able to be visited so that their values to conservation and the world’s heritage can be appreciated.

There are many other forms of official categorisation that can be applied to heritage sites at the national or state level throughout the world. Indeed, heritage as a field of practice seems to be full of lists. The impulse within heritage to categorise is an important aspect of its character. The moment a place receives official recognition as a heritage ‘site’, its relationship with the landscape in which it exists and with the people who use it immediately changes. It somehow becomes a place, object or practice ‘outside’ the everyday. It is special, and set apart from the realm of daily life. Even where places are not officially recognised as heritage, the way in which they are set apart and used in the production of collective memory serves to define them as heritage. For example, although it might not belong on any heritage register, a local sports arena might be the focus for collective understandings of a local community and its past, and a materialisation of local memories, hopes and dreams. At the same time, the process of listing a site as heritage involves a series of value judgements about what is important, and hence worth conserving, and what is not. There is a dialectical relationship between the effect of listing something as heritage, and its perceived significance and importance to society.

Some authors would define heritage (or at least ‘official’ heritage) as those objects, places and practices that can be formally protected using heritage laws and charters. The kinds of heritage we are most accustomed to thinking about in this category are particular kinds of objects, buildings, towns and landscapes. One common way of classifying heritage is to distinguish between ‘cultural’ heritage (those things manufactured by humans), and ‘natural’ heritage (those which have not been manufactured by humans). While this seems like a fairly clear-cut distinction, it immediately throws up a series of problems in distinguishing the ‘social’ values of the natural world. Returning to the example of the Great Barrier Reef discussed earlier in this course, for the Indigenous Australians whose traditional country encompasses the reef and islands, the natural world is created and maintained by ‘cultural’ activities and ceremonies involving some aspects of intangible action such as song and dance, and other more practical activities such as controlled burning of the landscape and sustainable hunting and fishing practices. It would obviously be extremely difficult to characterise these values of the natural landscapes to Indigenous Australians using a system that divides ‘cultural’ and ‘natural’ heritage and sees the values of natural landscapes as being primarily ecological.

Heritage is in fact a very difficult concept to define. Most people will have an idea of what heritage ‘is’, and what kinds of thing could be described using the term heritage. Most people, too, would recognise the existence of an official heritage that could be opposed to their own personal or collective one. For example, many would have visited a national museum in the country in which they live but would recognise that the artefacts contained within it do not describe entirely what they would understand as their own history and heritage. Clearly, any attempt to create an official heritage is necessarily both partial and selective. This gap between, on one hand, what an individual understands to be their heritage and, on the other hand, the official heritage promoted and managed by the state introduces the possibility of multiple ‘heritages’. It has been suggested earlier that heritage could be understood to encompass objects, places and practices that have some significance in the present which relates to the past.

In 2002 during the United Nations year for cultural heritage, UNESCO produced a list of ‘types’ of cultural heritage (UNESCO, n.d.). This is one way of dividing and categorising the many types of object, place and practice to which people attribute heritage value. It should not be considered an exhaustive list, but it gives a sense of the diversity of ‘things’ that might be considered to be official heritage:

• cultural heritage sites (including archaeological sites, ruins, historic buildings)
• historic cities (urban landscapes and their constituent parts as well as ruined cities)
• cultural landscapes (including parks, gardens and other ‘modified’ landscapes such as pastoral lands and farms)
• natural sacred sites (places that people revere or hold important but that have no evidence of human modification, for example sacred mountains)
• underwater cultural heritage (for example shipwrecks)
• museums (including cultural museums, art galleries and house museums)
• movable cultural heritage (objects as diverse as paintings, tractors, stone tools and cameras – this category covers any form of object that is movable and that is outside of an archaeological context)
• handicrafts
• documentary and digital heritage (the archives and objects deposited in libraries, including digital archives)
• cinematographic heritage (movies and the ideas they convey)
• oral traditions (stories, histories and traditions that are not written but passed from generation to generation)
• festive events (festivals and carnivals and the traditions they embody)
• rites and beliefs (rituals, traditions and religious beliefs)
• music and song
• the performing arts (theatre, drama, dance and music)
• traditional medicine
• culinary traditions
• traditional sports and games.

Some of the types of heritage are objects and places (‘physical’ or ‘material’ heritage) while others are practices (‘intangible’ heritage). However, many of these categories cross both types of heritage. For example, ritual practices might involve incantations (intangible) as well as ritual objects (physical). So we should be careful of thinking of these categories as clear cut or distinct. In addition, this list only includes ‘cultural’ heritage. Natural heritage is most often thought about in terms of landscapes and ecological systems, but it is comprised of features such as plants, animals, natural landscapes and landforms, oceans and water bodies. Natural heritage is valued for its aesthetic qualities, its contribution to ecological, biological and geological processes and its provision of natural habitats for the conservation of biodiversity. In the same way that we perceive both tangible and intangible aspects of cultural heritage, we could also speak of the tangible aspects of natural heritage (the plants, animals and landforms) alongside the intangible (its aesthetic qualities and its contribution to biodiversity).

Another aspect of heritage is the idea that things tend to be classified as ‘heritage’ only in the light of some risk of losing them. The element of potential or real threat to heritage – of destruction, loss or decay – links heritage historically and politically with the conservation movement. Even where a building or object is under no immediate threat of destruction, its listing on a heritage register is an action which assumes a potential threat at some time in the future, from which it is being protected by legislation or listing. The connection between heritage and threat will become more important in the later part of this course.

Heritage is a term that is also quite often used to describe a set of values, or principles, which relate to the past. So, for example, it is possible for a firm of estate agents to use the term in its name not only to mean that it markets and sells ‘heritage’ properties, but also simultaneously to invoke a series of meanings about traditional values which are seen as desirable in buying and selling properties. We can also think here about the values which are implicit in making decisions about what to conserve and what not to conserve, in the choices we make about what we decide to label ‘heritage’ and what view as simply ‘old’ or ‘outdated’. These values are implicit in cultural heritage management.

Essay on Indian Heritage for Students and Children

500+ words essay on indian heritage.

Heritage means what we inherit from our ancestors and from our past. India is a land of varied cultures and traditions. People from numerous castes, religions, and creeds reside in our country. Each ethnic group in our country has its own tale of origin and its set of unique traditions and culture. They have all contributed to the making of Indian history and culture. Nature has made India into a distinct geographical entity.

Indian Heritage: A Gift from the Older Generations

Indian heritage and culture are vast and vivid because of the large number of religious groups residing in our country. Every community has its own set of customs and traditions which it passes on to its younger generation.

However, some of our customs and traditions remain the same throughout IndiaOur traditions teach us to inculcate good habits and make us a good human being. Our cultural heritage is thus a beautiful gift from our older generation that will help us become a better human being and build a harmonious society.

Respect for our Indian Heritage

The elders should take responsibility to invoke love for the Indian heritage in the younger generations. This must be done from the very beginning only then we can preserve our rich heritage. It is the duty of the elders to invoke love for the Indian heritage in the younger generations.

This must be done from the very beginning only then we can preserve our rich heritage. Schools must teach students about Indian heritage and how it has survived for centuries. They must also share the importance of preserving it. This would help in invoking a feeling of pride in them and they would be inspired to continue the tradition and also pass it on to the new generation. This needs a collective effort by the teachers as well as parents.

Our Literature

Indian literature is as rich as its culture. We have various books written on many topics since ancient times. We have the Vedic literature, epic Sanskrit literature, Classic Sanskrit literature and Pali literature among other kinds of Indian literature. Many of our books are being translated to other languages to provide access to a greater number of readers so that more and people can benefit from the knowledge. Such a wonderful and rich literature must be preserved at any cost.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Beautiful Geological Structures

Numerous beautiful geological structures found in different parts of India. Best of the splendid geological structures that form a part of our country include Lonar Crater Lake, Siachen Glacier, Jammu and Kashmir, Pillar Rocks, Kodaikanal, Barren Island, Andamans, Magnetic Hill, Leh, Columnar Basaltic Lava, Udupi, and Toad Rock. All these structures are true wonders of nature. A lot of tourists every year from around the world especially visit these places just to catch a glimpse of these marvelous creations of God.

UNESCO World Natural Heritage Sites in India

The below geological places have been enlisted in UNESCO World Natural Heritage Sites. These sites include:

1. Home for the rare one-horned rhinoceros, Kaziranga National Park, in 1985.

2. Home for numerous species of beautiful birds, Keoladeo National Park, in 1985.

3. A beautiful wildlife sanctuary, Manas Wildlife Sanctuary, in 1985.

4. The biggest mangrove forest, Sundarbans, in the year 1987.

5. Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers National Park, in 2004.

6. The Western Ghats, in 2012.

7. The Great Himalayan National Park was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the year 2014.

India is an ancient country. We are blessed with a beautiful heritage. We are solely responsible to preserve the same so that our future generations also get to see and experience the same.

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Defining culture, heritage and identity

What is heritage and identity?

Questions of heritage and identity are not as straightforward as they might first appear. Perhaps the first and best place to begin addressing these topics is by acknowledging that in a country like South Africa, there is not one heritage, or an easily delineated set of distinct identities. The cultures, languages and heritages of South Africa are multiple, diverse, and dynamic. Intersectional issues of gender, ethnicity, and race further complicate the matter of identity and make it highly inadvisable to categorise the different people contained within South Africa’s borders. This is especially true in the wake of segregationsit Apartheid policies which attempted to divide and conquer the majority of the country's population by emphasising the ontological immiscibility of different races.

South Africa is heir to a legacy of autochthonous livelihoods (see, most famously, the Khoi and the San) as well as Bantu immigration; slavery ; colonisation; settler economies ; and liberation movements. These histories have all had a drastic effect on the make up of South Africa's population. Yet somehow through the interchange of cultures and sharing of cultural influences in the age of globalisation, there defiantly remains a tapestry of phenomena which can identifiably and unabmiguously to termed 'South Africa.' In this article we look at heritage, culture, identity in South Africa and attempt to provide some overview of what is meant when people speak of South African Heritage.

Like 'heritage' and 'identity,' 'culture' is a term that causes much confusion and suffers from its misuse. Traditionally it has been used to refer to the ways of life of a specific group of people, including various ways of behaving, belief systems, values, customs, dress, personal decoration, social relationships, religion, symbols and codes. The pitfalls of the term are however, considerable. For instance, it is not unusal for European visitors to South Africa or Africa at large, to innocently enquire into the nature of "African Culture." Such an enquiry clearly makes little sense, for the Xhosa, Zulu, Pedi, Dinka, Himba, Berber, Arab, and so forth all represent vastly different modes of practice and have little in common save for the relative geographic proximity in relation to the rest of the globe. Even to ask about 'Zulu culture' is potentially wide of the mark, given how varied and dynamic the Zulu population is. While it is a stretch of the imagination to state that culture simply does not exist, as has been claimed by certain postmodern intellectuals, it remains difficult to reach a consensus about what the term really denotes. Is there such a thing as 'White culture' or 'Coloured culture,' for instance? 

Throughout history, various people and institutions have attempted to define what is meant by culture. In 1871, one of the fathers of British social anthropology, Edward Burnett Tylor attempted to describe it in the following way: "Culture or civilization, taken in its wide ethnographic sense, is that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society." More recently, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) (2002) described culture as follows: "... culture should be regarded as the set of distinctive spiritual, material, intellectual and emotional features of society or a social group, and that it encompasses, in addition to art and literature, lifestyles, ways of living together, value systems, traditions and beliefs." Once one begins to search for an adequate definition of culture, one quickly realises that there are so many to choose from it is virtually impossible to decide which one is best. 

In South Africa, the question of definition according to race and culture carries an especially sharp edge to it, which potentially makes it a more contentious issue here than elsewhere. This is primarily due to the policies of the Apartheid government that sought to distinguish and segregate the country according to rigid definitions of race between 1948-1991. These policies reached their apotheosis in the establishment of the 'Bantustans,' which were created as homelands for the major different ethnic groups represented within South Africa's borders. For this reason, subsequent attempts to define the people of South Africa may easily carry an unpleasant connotation of racist categorisation from the past. With this proviso, South Africa has a hugely diverse population, representative of a vast spectrum of different languages, practices, and values.  

Culture in South Africa

South Africa has been famously referred to as the rainbow nation because it is made up of so many diverse cultures and religions.  Contained within South Africa's borders are Zulu, Xhosa, Pedi, Tswana, Ndebele, Khoisan, Hindu, Muslim, and Afrikaner people to name but a few. All of these people are united by calling South Africa home, and therefore their lives all contribute to forming a part of the country’s heritage, identity and culture. Understanding that South Africa is composed of all these various influences is essential for helping South Africans to understand and respect each other and to learn from each other’s cultural practices. This is part of the healing that democracy has brought after culture was used to divide South Africans in the past. 

A person’s identity is made up of their own character combined with their family and social roots. Identity, like culture, is ever changing. For example a person can be a teacher, parent, spouse and driver to their children, as well as being a famous politician fighting for justice or a farmer growing crops for food. To this person it is possible to be all of these and much more. At the same time being a person of a particular race or class also influences one's identity. When people speak of 'intersectionality,' they are broadly referring to this way that a single person can be at the intersection of multiple different social identities. The experiences of a White, heterosexual, urban, and middle-class mother, for instance, will be vastly different to that of a Black, homosexual, rural, and working class single woman. Identity, in short, is made up of a multitude of factors and an individual is both subject to their circumstance and an agent able to influence which parts of themselves they present to the world. 

Heritage might be best broken up into two types: natural and cultural. A country’s natural heritage is its environment and natural resources, like gold and water. Areas that are very special and where animals or plants are in danger of extinction like the St. Lucia Wetlands and uKhahlamba Drakensberg Parks in KwaZulu Nata l are often designated World Heritage sites. They are respected and internationally protected against harm. Cultural heritage, on the other hand, can be an altogether more contentious issue. Normally, the term 'cultural heritage' is used to describe those things that contribute to the sense of identity of a particular population or community of people. These can be special monuments, like a building, sculpture, painting, a cave dwelling or anything important because of its history, artistic or scientific value. The area in which this can become problematic is when a part of somebody's cultural heritage seems to clash directly with the dignity of another person's, or where it appears to transgress established global human rights practices (as set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights). An example might be the practice of female genital mutilation or the display of monuments that celebrate the lives of people who were responsible for the deaths of vast numbers of people, such as Cecil John Rhodes . 

Heritage and the South African Constitution

A constitution is the guiding law on a country's values and rules. A constitution directs the government and all the people who live in a country on the rules for how citizens should be treated and how they should treat others. A constitution supports and protects a country and the heritage and culture of its peoples. South Africa is widely considered to have one of the fairest and most progressive constitutions in the world.

In South Africa the vision of the constitution is for everybody to be equal. This means that nobody should be permitted to discriminate against anyone else because of things like skin colour, age, religion, language or gender. South Africans have human rights that are protected. For example, some schools have turned away children who have AIDS . However, the law protects these children’s rights to an education. In the same way the right to practice different religious beliefs is protected. Every person has the right to be part of any religion and to use the language of their choice. For this reason South Africa has 11 official languages so that all the major languages used in the country are given recognition. These languages are Sepedi, Sesotho, Setswana, siSwati, Tshivenda, Xitsonga, Afrikaans, English, isiNdebele, isiXhosa and isiZulu. Languages used by smaller groups such as the Khoi, Nama, San and sign language must also be respected under the constitution. Other languages used in South Africa include Shona, French, Swahili, Lingala, Portuguese, German, Greek, Gujarati, Hindi, Tamil, Portuguese, Telegu and Urdu. Other languages like Arabic, Hebrew and Sanskrit, used in certain religions, must also be respected.

World Heritage Sites in South Africa

A World Heritage Site is declared by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). There are two types of World Heritage Sites: the first represents cultural and the second natural heritage. 

Cultural sites

Cultural heritage sites have to show a masterpiece of human creativity or an important exchange of human values over a long period of time. This exchange must be seen in architecture or technology, the planning of the town or city and the design of the landscape. It has to show evidence of a tradition or civilisation that has disappeared or is still alive. It can also be a very good example of a type of building, group of buildings, and use of technology or reflect important stages in human history.

A place where humans settled and used the land in a way that represents their culture can also be a cultural heritage site, especially if the area is affected by change that cannot be reversed. The authenticity and the way the site is protected and managed are also important factors.

Natural sites

Natural sites that can be considered to become World Heritage Sites must display major stages in the earth’s history. They can be in fossils, rocks or other geological features. 

If an area contains rare natural formations, like unique rock shapes, or is very beautiful, or has habitats and species of animals and plants that can only exist there, it becomes important to protect it. This also makes it a possible World Heritage Site. As with cultural sites, preservation is very important.

Some special places fall into both cultural and natural heritage sites and in 1992 UNESCO decided that places that show the relationship between people and their environment could also be cultural landscapes.

South Africa has 8 places declared as World Heritage Sites. These are:

• The iSimangaliso Greater St. Lucia Wetland Park
• The uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park
• Robben Island
• The Fossil Hominid Sites of Sterkfontein, Swartkrans, Kromdraai and environs
• The Mapungubwe Cultural Landscape
• Vredefort Dome
• The Cape Floral Region
• The Richtersveld Cultural and Botanical Landscape

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Cultural heritage: 7 successes of UNESCO’s preservation work

The power of preserving cultural heritage to build a better world

Why do we go to great lengths to preserve culture and make it bloom? Culture is a resource for the identity and cohesion of communities. In today’s interconnected world, it is also one of our most powerful resources to transform societies and renew ideas. It is UNESCO’s role to provide the tools and skills we need to make the most of its ultimate renewable energy.

Historical landmarks, living heritage and natural sites enrich our daily lives in countless ways, whether we experience them directly or through the medium of a connected device. Cultural diversity and creativity are natural drivers of innovation. In many ways, artists, creators and performers help us change our perspective on the world and rethink our environment. These are precious assets to respond to current global challenges, from the climate crisis to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The notion of culture has greatly evolved over the last 75 years. UNESCO’s actions over the past decades bear witness to the many ways in which humanity tried to understand how culture can strengthen the sense of who we are – from the awareness of the necessity to protect heritage from destruction at the end of World War II, to the launch of international campaigns to safeguard World Heritage sites and the concept of living and intangible heritage, a focus on creative economy and the need to sustain cultural jobs and livelihoods. Our relationship with culture has deeply evolved over the last century. If we look into the past, we might be better prepared to tackle further changes ahead.

The United States will be participating in an international effort which has captured the imagination and sympathy of people throughout the world. By thus contributing to the preservation of past civilizations, we will strengthen and enrich our own.

Abu Simbel – We do not have to choose between the living and the dead

A few minutes before sunrise, thousands of visitors line up inside the temple of Abu Simbel, holding their breath. They are about to witness a rare phenomenon that has taken place twice a year for the last 3,000 years. Every February and October at 6:29 am, the light of the rising sun pierces through the narrow entrance. The rays penetrate over 70 metres deep across the giant pillared hall up to the inner sanctuary, illuminating the statue of the man who built the temple during the 13th century BC, Pharaoh Ramses II.

Carved out of a rocky hill, the Temple of the Rising Sun had been conceived to show the might of Egypt’s greatest pharaoh to the Nubian people in the Upper Nile. Over time, the great temple and the smaller buildings became covered in sand and lay forgotten for centuries, until their rediscovery in 1813. The supreme example of ancient Egypt’s knowledge of astronomy and the skill of its architects could be admired again.

But just over a century later, the southernmost relics of this ancient human civilization were threatened with underwater oblivion and destruction by the rising waters of the Nile following the construction of the Aswan High Dam. The construction of the Dam was meant to develop agriculture as well as Egyptian independence and economy, and triggered a global debate that has fuelled media front pages and discussions ever since: should we have to choose between the monuments of the past and a thriving economy for the people living today? Why should people care for ancient stones and buildings when so many people need food and emergency assistance?

In the course of an unprecedented safeguarding campaign to save the temples of Egypt, UNESCO demonstrated that humanity does not have to sacrifice the past to thrive in the present – quite the opposite. Monuments of outstanding universal value help us understand who we are and also represent massive opportunities for development. Two millennia after a Greek author and scientist drew the famous list of the world’s seven wonders, the very notion of World Heritage came to life.

The race against time began in 1964 , when experts from 50 nations started working together under the coordination of UNESCO in one of the greatest challenges of archaeological engineering in history. The entire site was carefully cut into large blocks, dismantled, lifted and reassembled in a new location 65 metres higher and 200 metres back from the river, preserving it for future generations.

Today, the four majestic statues that guard the entrance to the great temple stare at the river and the rising sun every day. As they did 3,000 years ago. The success of the international cooperation to save Abu Simbel raised awareness about the fact that all over the world there are places of outstanding universal value. Just like the Nile valley temples, they must be protected from many threats such as armed conflict, deliberate destruction, economic pressure, natural disasters and climate change.

The World Heritage Convention was adopted in 1972 as the most important global instrument to establish this notion, bringing all nations together in the pursuit of the preservation of the World’s Natural and Cultural Heritage. With its 194 signatory Member States, it is today one of the world’s most ratified conventions.

How is a site inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List?

For a site to be inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, it must first be nominated by the country where it is located. The nomination is examined by international experts who decide whether the inclusion is justified. Finally, the World Heritage Committee, a body of 21 UNESCO elected Member States, takes a vote.

Venice – Can the safeguard of cultural heritage and global tourism coexist?

Launched only a few years after the Nubian temples initiative, the safeguarding campaign for Venice was a response to various challenges including the rising waters and the explosion of global tourism.

Stepping  outside the railway station early on an autumnal morning, visitors are met with the view of the chilly air colliding with the water, forming a thick, soft blanket of fog over the Grand Canal, the ‘main street’ of Venice. The church of San Simeone Piccolo, with its oversized dome and slender neoclassical columns, and the neighbouring buildings appear to be floating on the water of the lagoon. It’s a sight that has welcomed millions of visitors from all over the world since the heydays of the Serenissima, when the city ruled as one of Europe’s economic superpowers.

Yet, the breath-taking beauty that inspired countless painters, writers and artists over the centuries remains fragile and at risk of being lost forever. Like the Abu Simbel temples, the city’s survival is threatened by rising water levels. The inexorable increase in sea level has caused flooding to become a regular occurrence. Humidity and microorganisms are eating away the long wooden piles that early dwellers drove deep into the muddy ground of the lagoon to build the first foundations of Venice, 1,600 years ago.

After 1966, the year of the worst flooding in Venice’s history, UNESCO and the Italian Government launched a major campaign to save the city. An ambitious project involving giant mobile flood gates was undertaken to temporarily isolate the lagoon from the high tides and protect the lowest areas from flooding. Thirty years later there is unanimous agreement on the successful results both of the technical achievements and international cooperation.

But Venice still needs attentive care, and its continued survival calls for unflagging vigilance. The city remains threatened on several fronts – mass tourism, the potential damage of subsequent urban development and the steady stream of giant cruise ships crushing its brittle foundations.

International mobilization and pressure around the status of Venice led to the Italian Government’s decision in 2021 to ban large ships from the city centre, as a necessary step to protect the environmental, landscape, artistic and cultural integrity of Venice. This decision came a few days after UNESCO announced its intention to inscribe the city on its World Heritage in Danger list. Until a permanent big cruise docking place is identified and developed, liners will be permitted to pull up in Marghera, an industrial suburb of Venice. Such decisions illustrate the great complexity of protecting historic cities and cultural heritage urban centres, which in this particular situation called for tailor-made measures and techniques different from those implemented for the safeguarding of the fabled Egyptian temples.

If every museum in the New World were emptied, if every famous building in the Old World were destroyed and only Venice saved, there would be enough there to fill a full lifetime with delight. Venice, with all its complexity and variety, is in itself the greatest surviving work of art in the world.

Angkor – A successful example of longstanding international cooperation

Deep in the forests of Cambodia, in the Siem Reap Province, the five lotus-flower-shaped towers of majestic Angkor Wat soar towards the sky. When approaching from the main gate, the vast scale of the temple and the precise symmetry of the buildings are awe inspiring. This is the world's largest religious monument.

Angkor Wat was part of a sprawling city as big as London, the heart of an empire that between the 9th and 15th centuries extended from southern Vietnam to Laos, and from the Mekong River to Eastern Myanmar. By around 1500 A.D., the Khmer capital was abandoned, most likely after heavy floods and lengthy droughts. Its temples, buildings and complex irrigation network were swallowed by the surrounding forests and lay hidden until their rediscovery in 1860.

By the early 1990s, the site was under major threat, with many of the temples at high risk of collapse and several sites looted. Conservation work at Angkor had not been possible since the outbreak of the civil war, the rise of the Khmer Rouge regime and the following civil unrest.

Angkor Wat’s inclusion in UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 1992 marked a milestone in the country’s recovery after years of conflict. The UNESCO-backed preservation of the temples aimed to assist in nation-building and national reconciliation. The action of the International Coordinating Committee (link is external) (ICC-Angkor) for the safeguarding and development of this exceptional cultural site is a striking example of international solidarity and testifies to one of UNESCO's most impressive achievements for heritage. Thirty countries and an ad hoc experts group for scientific, restoration and conservation projects were brought together under an innovative approach, closely linking safeguarding operations to sustainable development efforts.

In 25 years, Angkor has thus become a living laboratory demonstrating the potential of sustainable tourism and crafts, with the mobilization of local communities for social cohesion in 112 villages. The gigantic site now supports 700,000 inhabitants and attracts some five million visitors whose flow must be managed each year. The park authorities are carrying out several projects aimed at improving the lives of communities through the implementation of sustainable tourism that respects local sensitivities. The removal from UNESCO’s List of World Heritage in Danger just fourteen years later is a credit to the Cambodian people.

The fact that a project of such magnitude was successfully carried out in a country emerging from more than two decades of conflict in 1992 is a testament to the potential of the World Heritage Convention and the international solidarity led by UNESCO.

Walking through the temple, I saw reminders of the prosperous civilization that built it: hundreds of beautiful figures carved into the walls telling the stories of these ancient people; wide galleries they must have prayed in; long hallways lined with pillars they must have walked down.

No one knows for sure what caused the empire to abandon this temple and the surrounding city, but in the 15th century almost everyone left. Trees grew over the stones. Only Buddhist monks stayed behind to care for — and pray in — the hidden temples.

But that didn’t stop pilgrims and visitors from continuing to journey here to take in these incredible structures. And now, centuries later, I couldn’t be more thankful to count myself as one of these visitors

Mostar – Symbols do matter, in war and peace

It’s the end of July in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Peak summer means an influx of tourists to the cobbled alleys of Mostar. The cosy medieval town has a long, rich history marked by the peaceful coexistence of three communities: Muslim Bosniaks, Orthodox Serbs and Catholic Croats. Once they arrive in town, visitors from all over the world make a beeline for Mostar’s most emblematic monument, the Old Bridge.

A masterpiece of Ottoman architecture, Stari Most – as it’s known locally – is a symbol of the different communities that have existed side-by-side in the area. Since the 16th century, the bridge had brought them together across the Neretva river – until the Bosnian war. The bridge was a symbol of unity between the Bosnian community (Muslim), in the east of the city, and the Croats and Serbs to the west. The bridge of Mostar (of Ottoman, therefore Muslim origin) served as a link between all these communities – as a pedestrian bridge, it had no military or strategic value. Its destruction in 1993 was only meant to force the communities to separate, to deny their mixing with their neighbours. The bridge was in ruins and, with it, the values of peace and understanding this centuries-old structure had embodied.

Five years later, UNESCO coordinated a reconstruction project to rebuild the Old Bridge. Despite the scars of the war that are still visible today on the city walls, the reconstructed bridge has now become a symbol of reconciliation and post-conflict healing.

Today, the crowds jam the street to watch the traditional diving contest from the top of the bridge, a long-held custom resumed once Stari Most was restored to its former glory. Every July, young people of Mostar’s three communities compete with courage by jumping into the river 29 metres below, just like they did before the war.

For over four years after the ceasefire, former enemies worked together to retrieve the stones from the riverbed and rebuild their former symbol of friendship. Reconstructed in 2004 and inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage list in 2006, Stari Most today is a bridge between a common past and a common future. It is certainly not enough to rebuild a bridge to restore confidence and rebuild peace in a war-torn society. But it certainly matters to care for the symbols of peace.

I was in my office, working to the sound of mortar fire, when we heard the cries in the street – cries that the bridge had fallen. And what happened then was so impressive that I will never forget it. Everyone came out to see. Grenades and bombs were falling everywhere, but still they came out of their hiding places: young and old, weak and strong, Muslim and Christian, they all came, all crying. Because that bridge was part of our identity. It represented us all.

Timbuktu – When warlords target heritage, peacemakers respond with more heritage

Sitting at the gateway to the Sahara Desert, Timbuktu conjures images of a mythical city at the end of the world, where Arab and African merchants would travel from afar to trade salt, gold, cattle and grain. In the English language, the city in northern Mali has come to represent a place far away. Undaunted, caravans still ply the cross-desert route and come to the city several times a year. They carry rock salt extracted from the northern Sahara, just like their ancestors did for centuries.

In its heyday, during the 16th century, the city had 100,000 inhabitants, as its mosques and holy sites played an essential role in the spread of Islam in Africa. The city became an important centre of learning in Africa and its libraries the repository of at least 700,000 historical manuscripts on art, science and medicine, as well as copies of the Qur’an. These manuscripts, written in ornate calligraphy, bear witness to the richness of African history and intellectual life.

During the conflict of 2012–2013, more than 4,000 of the 40,000 manuscripts kept at the Ahmed Baba Institute were lost. Some were burnt or stolen, while more than 10,000 remained in a critical condition. The inhabitants of Timbuktu helped save their precious heritage by secretly spiriting away more than 300,000 manuscripts to the capital, Bamako. Other texts were sheltered between mud walls or buried. Although protected from immediate destruction, the manuscripts are now preserved in conditions that may not safeguard them for future generations.

To help preserve Timbuktu’s cultural heritage and encourage reconciliation, UNESCO has been supporting the local communities to take part in ancient manuscript conservation projects and ensure their lasting preservation for humanity.

UNESCO has coordinated the work to rebuild the fourteen mausoleums inscribed on the World Heritage List, as well as the Djingareyber and Sidi Yaha mosques, that were deliberately destroyed by armed groups during the conflict.

The reconstruction of Timbuktu’s devastated cultural heritage aimed to foster reconciliation among communities and restore trust and social cohesion. An important aspect of the project was the drive to include the reconstruction of the mausoleums in an overall strategy aimed at revitalizing building traditions and ensuring their continuity, through on-the-job training activities and conservation projects.

To ensure the rebuilt shrines matched the old ones as closely as possible, the reconstruction work was checked against old photos and local elders were consulted. Local workers used traditional methods and local materials, including alhor stone, rice stalks and banco – a mixture of clay and straw.

The destruction of the mausoleums of Timbuktu has been a shock, and a clear turning point revealing the importance taken of culture and heritage in modern conflicts fuelled by violent extremism and fundamentalist ideologies. It has shown how strongly fundamentalists are willing to destroy other Islamic cultures, and any other vision which differs from their own. Similar direct destruction of Islamic, pre-Islamic, Christian or Jewish heritage, has then been seen in Iraq and Syria. The need to restore heritage has become far more than a mere cultural issue – it has become a security issue, and a key component for the resilience and further cohesion of societies torn by conflicts.

At present, the monuments in Timbuktu are living heritage, closely associated with religious rituals and community gatherings. Their shape and form have always evolved over time both with annual cycles (that of the rain and the erosion of the plastering); that of regular maintenance (every three to five years); repairs of structural pathologies, often adding buttresses; and at times more important works, including extensions and raising of the roof structure. How to take that into account while trying to guide and assist the local people in their self-capacity, their resilience in keeping their heritage as they have done for over 600 years? What should be done and to what extent? Who should be responsible for what? These are tricky questions of heritage preservation, far beyond the mere inscription of a site on the famous World Heritage list.

Salt comes from north, gold from south and silver from the land of Whites, but the Word of God, the famous things, histories and fairy tales, we only find them in Timbuktu.

Preserving cultural identity and Korean traditions: The bond of living heritage

It’s the end of November in the countryside near Jeonju, the capital of the North Jeolla Province. The weather is getting chilly and winter is just a couple of weeks away.

It’s time to prepare for the long, icy-cold season. It’s time to make kimchi.

The Republic of Korea’s staple food is a side dish of salted and fermented vegetables that makes its appearance at every meal. It’s not just the country’s emblematic dish: its preparation ( kimjang ) is a community event.

Housewives monitor weather forecasts to determine the most favourable date and temperature for preparing kimchi. Entire families, friends and neighbours gather together to make it. The process is rather laborious and requires many hands to process the large quantities of vegetables required to last throughout the winter months. They all work together, exchange tips and tighten their relationships through kimjang. Families take turns making kimchi to form closer bonds.

Today, the entire village will get together in one of the houses for the occasion. Together, they will wash the napa cabbage that was pickled in salt the night before and mix in the seasonings that will give kimchi its unique sour-and-spicy flavour. The specific methods and ingredients are transmitted from mother to daughter so that kimjang culture is preserved through the generations.

Since 2013, kimjang has been included in UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity as an important part of Korean culture, embodying the country’s cooperative and sharing team spirit. Kimjang is a vital cultural asset of a community and worth preserving and celebrating for the rest of humanity. Even though there may be regional differences in the preparation of kimchi, it transcends class, regional and even national borders.

Cultural practices often precede the instauration of national borders and the start of conflict among its citizens. Shared cultural practices may even be a path to reconciliation. 

Such hopes materialized in 2018, when the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and the Republic of Korea decided to work together to submit a joint submission for traditional wrestling as an element of UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Ssirum/Ssireum (wrestling) is a physical game and a popular form of entertainment widely enjoyed all across the Korean peninsula. In the North, two opponents try to push each other to the ground using a satpa (a fabric strap connecting the waist and leg), their torso, hands and legs. Ssirum/Ssireum is distinguished by the use of the satpa and the awarding of a bull to the winner. In the South, Ssirum/Ssireum is a type of wrestling in which two players wearing long fabric belts around their waists and one thigh grip their opponents’ belt and deploy various techniques to send them to the ground. The winner of the final game for adults is awarded an ox, symbolizing agricultural abundance, and the title of ‘Jangsa’.

As an approachable sport involving little risk of injury, Ssirum/Ssireum also offers a means to improve mental and physical health. Koreans are widely exposed to Ssirum/Ssireum traditions within their families and local communities: children learn the wrestling skills from family members; local communities hold annual open wrestling tournaments; its instruction is also provided in schools.

Following UNESCO’s mediation, the two States Parties agreed for their respective nomination files to be jointly examined by the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage in November 2018. UNESCO welcomed this initiative of regional cooperation and, through a historic decision, inscribed "Traditional Korean wrestling (Ssirum/Ssireum)" on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, as a joint inscription from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and the Republic of Korea. While the Lists of the Convention include several examples of multinational nominations prepared by several States (from couscous to the art of falconry and the Mediterranean diet), the coming together of the two States Parties for the joint inscription of Korean traditional wrestling by the Committee is unprecedented. It marks a highly symbolic step on the road to inter-Korean reconciliation. It is also a victory for the longstanding and profound ties between both sides of the inter-Korean border, and for the role cultural diplomacy may have in international relations.

It was the time when the women would gather and gossip. There would be matchmaking. There would be some marriages that came about during the time of kimchi making.

Promoting culture in a post-COVID-19 world

The cultural and creative industries are among the fastest growing sectors in the world. With an estimated global worth of US$ 4.3 trillion per year, the culture sector now accounts for 6.1 per cent of the global economy. They generate annual revenues of US$ 2,250 billion and nearly 30 million jobs worldwide, employing more people aged 15 to 29 than any other sector. The cultural and creative industries have become essential for inclusive economic growth, reducing inequalities and achieving the goals set out in the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda.

The adoption of the 2005 Convention for the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions was a milestone in international cultural policy. Through this historic agreement, the global community formally recognized the dual nature, both cultural and economic, of contemporary cultural expressions produced by artists and cultural professionals. Shaping the design and implementation of policies and measures that support the creation, production, distribution of and access to cultural goods and services, the 2005 Convention is at the heart of the creative economy.

Recognizing the sovereign right of States Parties to maintain, adopt and implement policies to protect and promote the diversity of cultural expression, both nationally and internationally, the 2005 Convention supports governments and civil society in finding policy solutions for emerging challenges.

Based on human rights and fundamental freedoms, the 2005 Convention ultimately provides a new framework for informed, transparent and participatory systems of governance for culture.

A constant rethinking of culture and heritage

The history of UNESCO bears witness to the deep transformation of the concept of culture over the past decades. From global Conventions mostly dealing with building and stones in the 60’s and 70’s, the international cooperation opened new fronts for the protection and promotion of culture, including intangible cultural heritage, cultural diversity and creative economy. The definition of "culture" was spearheaded by the committee led by former UN Secretary-General Javier Pérez de Cuellar and the Mondiacult Conference in 1982. In 2022, the global Mondiacult conference is expected to take stock of progress made in the past 40 years in cultural policies, and re-imagine its future in a post-COVID-19 world.

Have a look at these World Heritage sites

The 30,000-kilometre-long road system was built by the Inca Empire across mountains, valleys, rainforests and deserts to link the Inca capital, Cuzco, with distant areas of the empire, from the Amazon to the Andes. Thanks to its sheer scale, Qhapaq Ñan is a unique achievement of engineering skills, highlighting the Incas' mastery of construction technology.

The granting of World Heritage status in 2019 has made its trail – which every year sees thousands of visitors on their way to the area’s archaeological sites such as Machu Picchu in Peru – eligible for much-needed restoration funds.

Borobudur Temple Compound

Borobudur is the largest Buddhist temple in the world and one of the great archaeological sites of Southeast Asia. This imposing Buddhist temple, dating from the 8th and 9th centuries, is located in central Java. It was built in three tiers: a pyramidal base with five concentric square terraces, the trunk of a cone with three circular platforms and, at the top, a monumental stupa. The walls and balustrades are decorated with fine low reliefs, covering a total surface area of 2,500 m 2 . Around the circular platforms are 72 openwork stupas, each containing a statue of the Buddha. The monument was restored with UNESCO's help in the 1970s.

Bamiyan Valley, Afghanistan

This cultural landscape was simultaneously inscribed on the World Heritage List and the List of World Heritage in Danger in 2003. The property is in a fragile state of conservation, having suffered from abandonment, military action and dynamite explosions. Parts of the site are inaccessible due to the presence of anti-personnel mines.

Related items

• Lists and designations
• Intangible cultural heritage
• Intangible heritage
• Diversity of Cultural Expressions-2005 Convention
• Intangible Cultural Heritage-2003 Convention
• Underwater Cultural Heritage-2001 Convention
• World Heritage 1972 Convention
• Fight Illicit Trafficking-1970 Convention
• Armed Conflict and Heritage-1954 Convention
• Culture & Sustainable Development
• UNESCO Creative Cities Network

National Heritage Day in South Africa: What is Heritage Day and Why Do We Celebrate It

Sep 13, 2021 | News , South Africa

First published in September 2019, updated in September 2021.

September is Heritage Month in South Africa, with  National Heritage Day celebrated on 24 September

Each year in early spring, people across the nation get together to eat, drink and be merry, celebrating what makes us all uniquely South African.

Heritage Day was declared a public holiday in 1996 and, since then, the 24th of September has been a day that encourages us to celebrate our cultural traditions, communities and heritage.

In the following post, we discuss South Africa’s Heritage Day; how it began, the connection to braais and how you can celebrate this year.

What is Heritage Day?

Heritage Day is a public holiday celebrated on 24 September in South Africa that recognises and celebrates the cultural diversity of the country. In its essence, the day embraces and celebrates the true meaning of why we call ourselves the Rainbow Nation.

South Africans mark the day by wearing traditional outfits, eating traditional foods, learning about different cultures and spending time with friends and family.

The History of Heritage Day in South Africa

The 24th of September marks ‘Shaka Day’ or ‘Shaka’s Day’, a day which commemorates the legendary King Shaka Zulu. Shaka Zulu played an important role in uniting different Zulu clans into one cohesive Zulu nation in Kwa-Zulu Natal. Each year, thousands of people gather at King Shaka’s grave to pay tribute to him and to honour his memory.

To learn more about the history, life and legend of King Shaka Zulu, the Anglo Zulu war and Zulu culture, book either the:

• KwaZulu-Natal Shakaland Zulu Village Tour
• Half-Day Soweto Tour
• PheZulu Cultural Village Day Tour
• Isandlwana and Rorke’s Drift Battlefields Tour
• Robben Island Half-Day Tour

You can also learn more about King Shaka in the book Shaka Zulu: The Biography of the Founder of the Zulu Nation by E.A. Ritter .

When the New South African Parliament omitted Shaka Day from the proposed Public Holidays Bill, the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), a South African political party with a large Zulu membership, objected.

Eventually, a compromise was reached, and it was decided that a national holiday would be created where South Africans of all cultures and creeds could come together and celebrate their diverse cultural heritage.

In an address marking Heritage Day in 1996, the late former State President Nelson Mandela said, “When our first democratically-elected government decided to make Heritage Day one of our national days, we did so because we knew that our rich and varied cultural heritage has a profound power to help build our new nation.”

We did so, knowing that the struggles against the injustice and inequities of the past are part of our national identity; they are part of our culture. We knew that, if indeed our nation had to rise like the proverbial phoenix from the ashes of division and conflict, we had to acknowledge those whose selfless efforts and talents were dedicated to this goal of non-racial democracy.

In more recent years, National Heritage Day has become synonymous with National Braai (Barbecue) Day . Some call it Shisa Nyama or Ukosa , while others call it a braai , but whatever the occasion, nothing beats gathering around a wood fire to cook a meal and celebrate together.

Why Do We Braai on Heritage Day?

There is nothing more South African than lighting a fire and cooking a meal, and it’s something that crosses racial, cultural, religious and social boundaries. The National Braai Day in South Africa was developed by Stellenbosch native, Jan Scannell – more commonly known as ‘Jan Braai’ – who quit his job in finance in 2005 to focus on the National Braai Day Initiative.

Just like the Irish have St Patrick’s Day, the French have Bastille Day and Australians have Australia Day, National Braai Day calls on all South Africans to unite around fires and share and celebrate our unique culture and heritage.

In 2007, Archbishop Desmond Tutu became patron of South Africa’s Braai Day, backing the idea that donning an apron to braai a boerewors (farm sausage) could be a unifying force in a country that had been previously divided. The following year, the initiative received the endorsement of South Africa’s National Heritage Council. It couldn’t be a more apt way to bring a rich and culturally diverse nation such as South Africa together in unity, because what good South African doesn’t love a braai?

How You Can Celebrate Heritage Day

There are plenty of opportunities to celebrate South Africa. Here are six ways to enjoy this year’s Heritage Day. 

• Join chef Annie Badenhorst at Benguela Cove Wine Estate in Hermanus for their Heritage Day Braai on 24 September at 12pm. Guests can select either a delicious gourmet braai picnic basket, or share a flavourful braai platter. There will also be live music and great South African vibes.
• Celebrate with the Vrede en Lust Heritage Day Box which includes a selection of wines, traditional spices and condiments. It’s a great box to gift to friends or purchase for your own Heritage Day picnic or braai.
• Cape Town is known for its delectable traditional dishes, so why not learn how to make them. Spend Heritage Day by booking a cooking class to learn some of the local favourites such as koeksisters, braaivleis and gatsby. One of our personal favourites is the Cape Malay style cooking classes offered in the historic area of Bo-Kaap. Some of our favourite cooking classes are from Lekka Kombuis and Ginger and Lime . 
• Visit one of CapeNature’s 22 nature reserves in the Western Cape for free. Visitors to CapeNature can enjoy a free day entry to explore their natural heritage at selected reserve destinations from 13 to 20 September.
• Join a Heritage Day scenic cruise around the Durban Harbour. The cruise includes starters, a photoshoot, complimentary bottle of champagne (2 bottles per table of 10 people) and lunch.
• Discover the magic of Freedom Park in Pretoria with free entry on 24 September 2021. 

How to Celebrate Your Own South African Heritage Day Anywhere in the World

If you’re not in South Africa, you can still celebrate a South African Heritage Day by hosting your own braai (or barbecue).

Here are a few essentials to get your National Braai Day celebration going:

• Charcoal  
• A braai apron
• A complete grill tool set
• The Democratic Republic of Braai by Jan Braai recipe book
• A South African flag for decoration
• Ina Paarman’s Braai & Grill Seasoning to add some flavour to your meat (or vegetables)
• Your preferred selection of meat, vegetables, salads, bread and condiments

Whatever you choose to do to celebrate National Heritage Day, enjoy it with friends and family, wave the South African flag proudly, and remember your heritage and the place it holds in South Africa’s multicultural landscape.

Read about the other important public holidays in South Africa:

• What is Human Rights Day and Why We Celebrate on March 21
• What is Freedom Day in South Africa and Why Do We Celebrate It
• Why We Celebrate Youth Day on 16 June
• Why We Celebrate Women’s Day on August 9th

While not a public holiday, here’s how you can celebrate Mandela Day on 18 July .

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15 Comments

Nice information

Thank you! 🙂

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Letitia thanks for informative and helpful information

What is the name and surname of the person who published all this Information am doing a school project about heritage please reply

Nice to read your blog!

Thanks 😊, now I know about 24 September

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This is one of the best posts I have ever came across. Today we celebrate Heritage day “online” as a corporate company and guess what ? I will be using some of YOUR information to share with our special people ! I have learned so much in 7 to 8 of your first sentences ! Brilliant – what a lovely layout and professional, yet super light and great for culture day celebrations! Happy Heritage day and have a wonderful “BRAAI” !!!! … en melktert !

Thank you so much Vicky! We’re delighted that you found the post valuable. Have a lekker Heritage Day! 🙂

Thank you. I’m grateful. My brother’s assignment benefited much from it, and I also picked up some new knowledge.

This is wonderful

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• My 6 favourite things about this Heritage Day weekend - Brat with a Blog - […] Thursday it was Heritage Day in South Africa. Heritage Day is a public holiday, so like many others Mr…
• Celebrate Heritage Day 2020  | Show National Pride This Heritage Day - […] African Travel Compass states that September 24th was originally Shaka Day. A day that commemorated the great Zulu king Shaka…
• 5 Historical sites you can visit this Heritage Day - Entertainment SA - […] Main Image: africantravel […]
• Heritage Month & Day - Leads 2 Business Blog - […] African Travel Canvas SA History National […]
• Braai, friends and pickled kumquats - Kriya Gangiah shares her take on Heritage Day - samachar24live.com - […] पहले ‘शाका दिवस’ कहा जाता था, 24 सितंबर महान राजा शाका ज़ुलु की याद दिलाता है, जो “क्वाज़ुलु-नताल में…

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Kendall Jenner’s Cultural Identity: Tracing the Threads of Ethnic Heritage

This essay about Kendall Jenner’s cultural identity explores the intricate tapestry of her ethnic heritage, from her Armenian roots to her global influence. It highlights how her multicultural background shapes her advocacy for social justice causes and her navigation of the complexities of cultural identity in a globalized world. Through introspection and engagement with diverse communities, Jenner exemplifies the power of embracing one’s heritage while inspiring inclusivity and understanding in contemporary society.

How it works

In the dynamic tapestry of contemporary culture, few figures embody the intersection of fame, fashion, and heritage quite like Kendall Jenner. Born into the world of supermodels and reality television royalty, Jenner’s journey through the labyrinth of cultural identity is as captivating as it is complex. In tracing the threads of her ethnic heritage, one delves into a narrative that transcends borders, blending traditions, and challenging preconceptions.

At first glance, Kendall Jenner epitomizes the epitome of modern cosmopolitanism, seamlessly navigating the global fashion circuit and rubbing shoulders with the elite.

Yet, beneath the glossy veneer lies a rich tapestry of diverse influences, woven together by the strands of her ethnic lineage.

As a scion of the ubiquitous Kardashian-Jenner clan, Kendall’s cultural DNA is a mosaic of European, Middle Eastern, and American roots. Her father, Caitlyn Jenner, brings Welsh, Scottish, Irish, and Dutch ancestry to the table, while her mother, Kris Jenner, traces her lineage back to England, Germany, and the Netherlands. However, it is Kendall’s maternal grandmother, Mary Jo Campbell (née Shannon), whose Armenian heritage adds a distinctive hue to her cultural palette.

The Armenian thread in Kendall’s identity is particularly poignant, resonating with a legacy shaped by resilience, diaspora, and the enduring quest for recognition. Descended from survivors of the Armenian Genocide, Kendall’s connection to her Armenian roots runs deep, manifesting in subtle yet significant ways throughout her public persona.

One need only look to Kendall’s choice of philanthropic endeavors to witness the imprint of her Armenian heritage. In 2016, she lent her voice to the Armenian Genocide Centennial Commemoration, shedding light on a chapter of history often overshadowed by silence and denial. Furthermore, her advocacy for social justice causes, including racial equality and LGBTQ+ rights, echoes the spirit of activism ingrained in Armenian cultural consciousness.

Yet, Kendall’s journey of self-discovery extends beyond her ancestral ties to encompass a broader exploration of identity in the 21st century. As a global icon straddling the worlds of high fashion and pop culture, she occupies a liminal space where the boundaries of race, ethnicity, and nationality blur.

In an era marked by increasing fluidity and hybridity, Kendall’s embrace of her multicultural heritage serves as a microcosm of broader societal shifts towards inclusivity and diversity. Whether gracing the catwalks of Paris or starring in global advertising campaigns, she embodies a vision of beauty that transcends narrow definitions and celebrates the mosaic of human experience.

Moreover, Kendall’s journey towards self-actualization has not been without its challenges and controversies. Criticism of her appropriation of cultural symbols and aesthetics, most notably in a 2017 Pepsi commercial widely condemned for its trivialization of social justice movements, underscores the complexities inherent in navigating the terrain of cultural identity in a globalized world.

Yet, amidst the pitfalls and pitfalls, Kendall’s evolution as a cultural icon remains a testament to the power of introspection, empathy, and growth. By embracing the diverse strands of her ethnic heritage and engaging in meaningful dialogue with communities around the world, she exemplifies the potential for positive change in an increasingly interconnected society.

In conclusion, Kendall Jenner’s cultural identity is a tapestry woven from the threads of her ethnic heritage, shaped by the interplay of tradition and modernity, authenticity and adaptation. From her Armenian roots to her global influence, she embodies a vision of cultural pluralism that transcends borders and inspires a new generation to embrace the richness of their own identities. In tracing her journey, we uncover not only the complexities of individual experience but also the transformative power of cultural exchange and understanding in an ever-changing world.

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PapersOwl.com. (2024). Kendall Jenner's Cultural Identity: Tracing the Threads of Ethnic Heritage . [Online]. Available at: https://papersowl.com/examples/kendall-jenners-cultural-identity-tracing-the-threads-of-ethnic-heritage/ [Accessed: 5-Jun-2024]

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