Ezio Sorti

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.

The Eastern Mediterranean provided the setting for Pope Leo XIV’s first steps on the global stage. By traveling to Türkiye and Lebanon, lands marked by ancient Christian memory and complex religious histories, and marked today by geopolitical strain, the head of the Catholic Church articulated a vision of dialogue amid fragmentation and uncertainty.

On the evening of November 7, 2025, a crowd gathered in central Tehran to witness the unveiling of a new statue: Shapur I, depicted in the act of defeating the Roman Emperor Valerian. The scene was visually striking, but its significance ran deeper. Iran has long maintained an uneasy relationship with its pre-Islamic past, oscillating between pride and ideological caution.