Ezio Sorti

The global museum map is being quietly redrawn. Once again, The Art Newspaper, edited by Lee Cheshire and Elena Goukassian, has released its annual ranking of the world’s 100 most visited museums, offering not just a list of numbers, but a snapshot of deeper cultural shifts. Overall, 2025 marks a milestone: the museum sector has largely completed its post-pandemic recovery. More than 200 million visits were recorded across the top 100 institutions - still below the 230 million peak of 2019, but

Walking today through the streets of Istanbul, it is easy to come across a film crew, a costumed actor, or an improvised set just around the corner. This goes far beyond mere urban folklore or entertainment; it is a tangible sign of a broader transformation that has turned the city into one of the beating hearts of a new global cultural industry.

On 1 January 2026, the General Directorate of Antiquities and Museums outlined Syria’s new national strategy for the protection and management of cultural heritage. Spanning the period from 2025 to 2035, the strategy presents heritage as both a national and a deeply human asset, something to be safeguarded not only for its historical value, but also for its potential role in social recovery and sustainable development.