World Monuments Fund

🚰 Fresh water is a necessity, yet in Nepal’s Kathmandu Valley, nearly 20% of residents don’t have access to water within their homes. Instead, they’ve historically relied on fountains known as hitis to access groundwater.   Hitis offer sustainable, reliable access to water throughout the Valley. However, increased urban development and irregular weather patterns have disrupted much of the traditional infrastructure and only a fraction of existing hitis still function properly. Renovation and rehabilitation are crucial to maintaining this vital water source.   On the United Nations’ #WorldWaterDay, discover how WMF is working to #preserve this essential network of traditional water fountains: https://lnkd.in/eMPepEu9  📸 of Iku, Byaan, Tapa, and Chyasa Hitis by Prasiit Sthapit and Shristi Shrestha as part of WMF and Magnum Foundation’s Heritage in Focus initiative, which documents cultural heritage sites around the globe.   ++++++    Heritage in Focus has been made possible, in part, by support from Nora McNeely Hurley and Manitou Fund; Donna Perret Rosen; Lorna B. Goodman; The Donald A. Pels Charitable Trust; and Monika McLennan.  World Monuments Fund's work at the Hitis of the Kathmandu Valley of Nepal has been made possible, in part, by support from the U.S. Embassy Kathmandu through the Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP); The Robert W. Wilson Charitable Trust; the Watch Committee of World Monuments Fund; American Express; Iron Mountain; and Tianaderrah Foundation / Nellie and Robert Gipson. #AFCPinNepal #culturalheritage #hitis #Nepal #KathmanduValley  

Explore Rapa Nui’s legacy in stone 🗿 Located in the middle of the #PacificOcean, Rapa Nui (#EasterIsland) is home to extraordinary #heritage that spans over thousands of years, including iconic #moai sculptures. For over half a century, WMF has worked to #preserve and raise awareness of the island’s irreplaceable heritage. Discover how our work with local partners on this island has expanded throughout the years with our latest 60th anniversary video ▶️    +++++  World Monuments Fund's work at Rapa Nui has been made possible, in part, by support from The Robert W. Wilson Charitable Trust, American Express, The Estate of Ruth B. Somerville, The Selz Foundation, and WMF's Easter Island Committee.  

From the Mughal Empire to present-day Lebanon, take a journey through areas past and present where #Nowruz, or Persian #NewYear, is celebrated to mark the start of spring 🌱 🌱 The Mughal Gardens of Agra, India  🌱 Amedi, Iraq  🌱 Dalieh of Raouche, Lebanon  +++++  World Monuments Fund's work at the Mughal Gardens of Agra has been made possible, in part, by support from The Robert W. Wilson Charitable Trust; The Tiffany & Co. Foundation; Richard Broyd; The Selz Foundation; American Express India; Mr. and Mrs. Peter Kimmelman; Jack Shear/Ellsworth Kelly Foundation; Richard Broyd; Tianaderrah Foundation / Nellie and Robert Gipson; Nora McNeely Hurley and Manitou Fund; and The Pierre and Tana Matisse Foundation. World Monuments Fund’s work in Amedi has been made possible, in part, by support from the British Council Cultural Protection Fund

For the first time ever, WMF is taking part in TEFAF 's flagship art fair—#TEFAFMaastricht at MECC Maastricht!  Today is your last chance to explore WMF’s international work safeguarding irreplaceable #culturalheritage, from the #Sorbonne in #Paris to Qianlong Garden in #Beijing.  In #Maastricht for the fair? Stop by booth n.818, designed by J.P. Molyneux Studio with furniture from Galerie Kugel, to learn more 👋  📸: Riris Rinonce Hapsari #TEFAF #heritage #worldheritage #art #artfair #netherlands 

This #WatchWednesday, travel to #Belfast, Northern #Ireland to explore a symbol of civic engagement.    Built in 1769, Belfast’s Assembly Rooms was once central to civic life in #Northern Ireland’s biggest city. Here, citizens engaged in political discourse, conducted business, and enjoyed the latest entertainment of the day. One of the city’s oldest civic buildings, the Assembly Rooms sit empty today.     The 2025 #WorldMonumentsWatch aims to support efforts to transform the historic building into a multi-purpose cultural hub to build a brighter future for Belfast and beyond. We hope to reclaim the Assembly Rooms as a key space in public life for the 21st century and beyond.     Follow us and never miss a #WatchWednesday, our new biweekly series highlighting the 25 heritage sites on the 2025 #WorldMonumentsWatch.

🍀 Happy #StPatricksDay, a day that marks the death of Saint Patrick and commemorates the arrival of Christianity in #Ireland.  Ireland’s #builtheritage reflects the lasting influence of Christianity on the nation’s architecture. One of the earliest and most intact monastic sites in Ireland, Clonmacnoise is an iconic complex of ruins—including a Cathedral, nine Churches, two round towers, a castle, three high crosses, and hundreds of Early Christian cross slabs. When the expansion of an adjacent graveyard threatened the integrity of the site, WMF added Clonmacnoise to the 1996 #WorldMonumentsWatch to increase public awareness of the issue and its impact on this historic monastery. Excitingly, Ireland declared part of Clonmacnoise a National Monument in August 1996, halting the expansion of the nearby graveyard and protecting the site.  Discover more about this Irish heritage site: https://lnkd.in/dP_m32Ra 

As part of our mission to preserve the world’s shared #heritage, WMF runs a variety of dedicated programs. Explore a handful of our initiatives addressing growing threats to #culturalheritage: ⛑️ Crisis Response Program: Supports immediate recovery efforts at heritage sites affected by #naturaldisasters, armed conflict, and more. 🚩 #WorldMonumentsWatch: Raises awareness about heritage places in need of protection and galvanizes action to support #preservation. 🇺🇦 Ukraine Heritage Response Fund: Supports the #protection of #Ukraine's cultural heritage during and after the war. 🕯️ Jewish Heritage Program: Leads international efforts to showcase and preserve #historically and culturally significant places to Jewish communities worldwide. 🌱 Climate Heritage Initiative: Redoubles our commitment to using heritage preservation as a #climate solution. +++++ World Monuments Fund’s Crisis Response Program has been supported, in part, by the Donald A. Pels Charitable Trust, ALIPH - International alliance for the protection of heritage, the Danny Kaye and Sylvia Fine Kaye Foundation, Denise Gwyn Ferguson, and other generous donors. The Ukraine Heritage Response Fund was created with leadership support from the Helen Frankenthaler Foundation. World Monuments Fund would also like to thank the other generous donors who have supported the Fund, including the U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP) and U.S. Embassy Kyiv; Cultural Emergency Response (CER) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands; Richard Lounsbery Foundation; Tianaderrah Foundation / Nellie and Robert Gipson; Danny Kaye and Sylvia Fine Kaye Foundation; Flora Family Foundation; Christie's; and other supporters. The Jewish Heritage Program at World Monuments Fund has been made possible, in part, by support from Mrs. Joyce Z. Greenberg, The Ronald and Jo Carole Lauder Foundation, the David Berg Foundation, The Richard and Rhoda Goldman Fund, Kate Ganz and Daniel N. Belin, Tianaderrah Foundation / Nellie and Robert Gipson, Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies, the Koret Foundation, and anonymous donors.

WMF has been safeguarding irreplaceable #heritage around the world since 1965.  Join us as we celebrate 60 years of protecting #culturalheritage by looking back at some of our important milestones—from our founding to the 2025 #WorldMonumentsWatch. Explore our history: https://lnkd.in/e_8bw_EY #heritage #culturalheritage #worldheritage

“Gaza’s cultural legacy spans approximately 12,000 years...The World Monuments Watch has helped spark important conversations about the significance of all of this heritage and the need for active protection now and thoughtful restoration as part of any future recovery efforts.” -- Jonathan S. Bell, WMF’s Vice President of Programs Amid growing concerns about the reconstruction of #Gaza’s built heritage, WMF discusses our decision to place Gaza on the 2025 #WorldMonumentsWatch with The Art Newspaper’s Sarvy Geranpayeh: https://lnkd.in/e5TrzCzU 

From #Cairo to #Japan, women are breaking down gender barriers in the field of #heritage preservation. This #InternationalWomensDay, explore the meaningful contributions women have made to our preservation efforts around the world: 🏗️ For 35 years, women have been integral to our #preservation and #conservation work in #SoutheastAsia, including Angkor Archaeological Park, #Cambodia, where Phally Cheam serves as senior architect and project coordinator. 🌟 For the first time, women are supporting the traditionally male craft of Kanazawa gold leaf production through our Gold Leaf Production Craftsmanship Inheritance Program in #Japan. 📐 Rahma Rabie is a project coordinator at not one, but two WMF project sites! Rabie is integral to the project management at Takiyyat Ibrahim al-Gulshani in #Cairo, #Egypt, and Abydos, Egypt. 🏢 At WMF, women drive our mission to safeguard heritage—two-thirds of our executive team are women, including our President and CEO, Bénédicte de Montlaur! +++++ World Monuments Fund’s participation in the Gold Leaf Production Craftsmanship Inheritance Program has been made possible, in part, by support from Tiffany & Co. World Monuments Fund's work at Abydos has been made possible, in part, by support from The Selz Foundation.