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UNESCO Wants to Add Stonehenge to List of Endangered Heritage Sites

Stonehenge in southwest England -- carved and constructed at a time when there were no metal tools -- symbolizes Britain's semi-mythical pre-historic period, and has spawned countless legends. William EDWARDS / AFP
Stonehenge in southwest England -- carved and constructed at a time when there were no metal tools -- symbolizes Britain's semi-mythical pre-historic period, and has spawned countless legends. William EDWARDS / AFP
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UNESCO Wants to Add Stonehenge to List of Endangered Heritage Sites

Stonehenge in southwest England -- carved and constructed at a time when there were no metal tools -- symbolizes Britain's semi-mythical pre-historic period, and has spawned countless legends. William EDWARDS / AFP
Stonehenge in southwest England -- carved and constructed at a time when there were no metal tools -- symbolizes Britain's semi-mythical pre-historic period, and has spawned countless legends. William EDWARDS / AFP

The UN's cultural organization said Monday it recommended adding Stonehenge, the renowned prehistoric site in England, to its world heritage in danger list, in what would be seen as an embarrassment for London.
The site has been in the UN organization's sights because of British government plans to construct a controversial road tunnel near the world heritage site in southwestern England.
In a written decision seen by AFP, the World Heritage Committee recommended that Stonehenge be added to the UN body's heritage in danger list "with a view to mobilizing international support".
The decision will have to be voted upon by the member states of the World Heritage Committee at a meeting in New Delhi in July.
One diplomat told AFP that the decision will likely be approved.
Stonehenge has had UNESCO world heritage status since 1986.
Placement on the UN body's heritage in danger list is seen as a dishonor by some countries.
Last July the British government approved the construction of a controversial road tunnel near Stonehenge despite efforts by campaigners to halt the £1.7 billion ($2.2 billion) project.
The diplomat pointed out that London had decided to approve the project "despite repeated warnings from the World Heritage Committee since 2017."
The planned tunnel is intended to ease congestion on an existing main road to southwest England that gets especially busy during the peak holiday periods.
Experts have warned of "permanent, irreversible harm" to the area.
Druids have held protests against the tunnel at a site they consider sacred and where they celebrate the summer and winter solstice -- the longest and shortest days of the year.
Built in stages between around 3,000 and 2,300 BCE, Stonehenge is one of the world's most important prehistoric megalithic monuments in terms of its size, sophisticated layout and architectural precision.
UNESCO runs a list of sites with World Heritage status around the world, a prestigious title that countries compete to bestow on their most famous natural and man-made locations.
A listing can help boost tourism -- but it comes with obligations to protect the site.
The port city of Liverpool in northwest England lost its World Heritage status for its docks in 2021 after UNESCO experts concluded that new real estate developments in the city had taken too much of a toll on its historical fabric.

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Culture

Mexican Art Historians Weigh in on Upcoming Kahlo’s Auction That Could Fetch up to $60 Million 

"El sueno" by Frida Kahlo is pictured at Sotheby's Marquee Sales Series in New York on November 8, 2025. (AFP)
"El sueno" by Frida Kahlo is pictured at Sotheby's Marquee Sales Series in New York on November 8, 2025. (AFP)
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Mexican Art Historians Weigh in on Upcoming Kahlo’s Auction That Could Fetch up to $60 Million 

"El sueno" by Frida Kahlo is pictured at Sotheby's Marquee Sales Series in New York on November 8, 2025. (AFP)
"El sueno" by Frida Kahlo is pictured at Sotheby's Marquee Sales Series in New York on November 8, 2025. (AFP)

Frida Kahlo’s “El sueno (La cama)” — in English, “The Dream (The Bed)” — is causing a stir among art historians as its estimated $40 million to $60 million price tag would make it the most expensive work by any female or Latin American artist when it goes to auction later this month.

Sotheby’s auction house will put the painting up for sale on Nov. 20 in New York after exhibiting it in London, Abu Dhabi, Hong Kong and Paris.

“This is a moment of a lot of speculation,” said Mexican art historian Helena Chavez Mac Gregor, a researcher at UNAM’s Institute of Aesthetic Research and author of “El liston y la bomba. El arte de Frida Kahlo.” (The ribbon and the bomb. The art of Frida Kahlo).

In Mexico, Kahlo’s work is protected by a declaration of artistic monument, meaning pieces within the country cannot be sold or destroyed. However, works from private collections abroad, like the painting in question, whose owner remains unrevealed, are legally eligible for international sale.

“The system of declaring Mexican modern artistic heritage is very anomalous,” said Mexican curator Cuauhtemoc Medina, an art historian and specialist in contemporary art.

Judas in bed “El sueno (La cama)” was created in 1940 following Kahlo's trip to Paris, where she came into contact with the surrealists.

Contrary to contemporary belief, the skull on the bed’s canopy is not a Day of the Dead skeleton, but a Judas — a handmade cardboard figure. Traditionally lit with gunpowder during Easter, this effigy symbolizes purification and the triumph of good over evil, representing Judas Iscariot who betrayed Jesus.

In the painting, the skeleton is detailed with firecrackers, flowers on its ribs and a smiling grimace — a detail inspired by a cardboard skeleton Kahlo actually kept in the canopy of her own bed.

Kahlo “spent a lot of time in bed waiting for death,” said Chavez Mac Gregor. “She had a very complex life because of all the illnesses and physical challenges with which she lived.”

Although Kahlo’s painting is being auctioned alongside works by surrealists like Salvador Dali, Rene Magritte, Max Ernst and Dorothea Tanning, she did not consider herself a member of the movement, despite having met its founder, Andre Breton, in Mexico and had an exhibition organized by him in Paris in 1939.

“Breton was fascinated by Frida’s work, because he saw that surrealist spirit there,” said Chavez Mac Gregor.

Kahlo, a committed communist, considered surrealism — a movement proposing a revolution of consciousness — to be bourgeois. As Chavez Mac Gregor noted, “Frida always had a critical distance from that.”

Despite this, specialists have found elements of surrealism in Kahlo’s work related to the dreamlike, to an inner world and to a revolutionary freedom — a concept visible in a bed suspended in the sky with Kahlo sleeping among a vine.

‘Crazy-priced purchases’

“El sueno (La cama)” was last exhibited in the 1990s, and after the auction, it could disappear from public view once again, a fate shared by many paintings acquired for large sums at auction.

There are exceptions, including “Diego y yo” (“Diego and I”), which set Kahlo’s record sale price when it sold for $34.9 million in 2021.

The painting, depicting the artist and her husband muralist Diego Rivera, was acquired by Argentine business owner Eduardo Costantini and then lent to the Museum of Latin American Art of Buenos Aires (Malba) where it remains on exhibit.

Medina, the art historian, regretted that the “crazy-priced” purchases have reduced art to a mere economic value.

He lamented that when funds purchase art as mere investments, like buying shares in a public company, the works are often relegated to tax-free zones to avoid costs. Their fate, he said, “may be worse; they may end up in a refrigerator at Frankfurt airport for decades to come.”

The current sale record for a work by a female artist is held by Georgia O’Keeffe’s “Jimson Weed/White Flower No. 1,” which fetched $44.4 million at Sotheby’s in 2014.

However, the auction market still reflects a profound disparity as no female artist has yet exceeded the maximum sale price of a male artist. The current benchmark is “Salvator Mundi,” attributed to Leonardo da Vinci, which was auctioned by Christie’s for $450.3 million in 2017.

Culture

Islamic Affairs Ministry Pavilion at Sharjah Int’l Book Fair Highlights Saudi Efforts in Serving Islam 

Visitors are seen at the Saudi Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawah, and Guidance’s pavilion at the Sharjah International Book Fair 2025. (SPA)
Visitors are seen at the Saudi Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawah, and Guidance’s pavilion at the Sharjah International Book Fair 2025. (SPA)
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Islamic Affairs Ministry Pavilion at Sharjah Int’l Book Fair Highlights Saudi Efforts in Serving Islam 

Visitors are seen at the Saudi Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawah, and Guidance’s pavilion at the Sharjah International Book Fair 2025. (SPA)
Visitors are seen at the Saudi Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawah, and Guidance’s pavilion at the Sharjah International Book Fair 2025. (SPA)

The Saudi Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawah, and Guidance’s pavilion at the Sharjah International Book Fair 2025 drew numerous visitors keen to learn about the Kingdom’s efforts in serving Islam and promoting moderation, reported the Saudi Press Agency on Monday.

The pavilion showcased a range of scholarly publications and printed materials highlighting the ministry’s work in preserving the holy Quran and the teachings of Prophet Muhammad, as well as its Dawah and guidance projects in Saudi Arabia and abroad.

The pavilion features a range of modern technologies, including virtual reality (VR), allowing visitors to engage in an interactive educational experience to explore the Grand Mosque in Makkah and the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah, as well as aspects of the life of Prophet Muhammad.

Culture

Saudi Arabia to Participate in Venice Biennale International Art Exhibition 2026

Saudi Arabia to Participate in Venice Biennale International Art Exhibition 2026
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Saudi Arabia to Participate in Venice Biennale International Art Exhibition 2026

Saudi Arabia to Participate in Venice Biennale International Art Exhibition 2026

Saudi Arabia will participate in the 61st International Art Exhibition of the Venice Biennale 2026 that will be held in Venice from May 9 to November 22, 2026, reflecting the Kingdom’s thriving and evolving creative scene, reported the Saudi Press Agency on Sunday.

The Kingdom’s participation will be represented through the National Pavilion of Saudi Arabia, organized by the Visual Arts Commission of the Ministry of Culture.

Saudi artist Dana Awartani has been selected to take part in this global art event, showcasing works that highlight cultural heritage and revive traditional crafts. She is the fourth artist to represent Saudi Arabia in the Biennale’s history, underscoring the pioneering and influential role of Saudi women in the visual arts.

The pavilion will be curated by Director of Art Jameel Antonia Carver, with the support of Assistant Curator Hafsa Al-Khudairi, to develop the pavilion’s national artistic content.

This marks Saudi Arabia's fifth participation in the International Art Exhibition and the fourth time a Saudi female artist represents the Kingdom through its National Pavilion. Details of the artwork to be presented by Awartani will be announced in 2026.