Religion
A Historical Glass-Enclosed Chapel Overlooking the Pacific Ocean Must Be Dismantled Before Nature Can Destroy It
The one-of-a-kind sculpture in California, designed by the son of famed American architect Frank Lloyd Wright, is at the mercy of shifting grounds
The Myth of 'Bloody Mary,' England's First Queen
History remembers Mary I as a murderous monster who burned hundreds of her subjects at the stake, but the real story of the Tudor monarch is far more nuanced
Oil Paintings Rescued From Notre-Dame Cathedral Fire Go on Display
Known as the "Mays," the artworks were created for an annual competition in the 17th century
How Jewish Soldiers Celebrated Passover in the Midst of the Civil War
A group of Union men from Ohio held a makeshift Seder in the western Virginia woods in 1862
How King's College Added 438 Solar Panels to a 500-Year-Old Chapel
The project sparked debate over how to decrease carbon emissions while preserving the historic structure's architectural beauty
One of the World's Oldest Surviving Books Is for Sale
The rare early Christian text was written in a monastery in Egypt between 250 and 350 C.E.
How the Hindu Deity Hanuman Inspired Dev Patel's 'Monkey Man'
The story of the half-human, half-monkey god mirrors the journey of the protagonist in Patel's directorial debut
Six New York Inmates Successfully Sue to Watch the Total Solar Eclipse
The state's prison agency settled a lawsuit with the incarcerated men, allowing them to watch the eclipse on religious grounds. But for now, the rest of New York's correctional facilities will remain locked down on April 8
The Long History of Art Inspired by Solar Eclipses
For centuries, curious artists have been trying to make sense of the celestial event
What Indigenous Cultures From Around the World Believe About Eclipses
A Smithsonian folklorist looks back and finds stories that explain how a darkening of daytime skies provokes a foreboding of evil
Archaeologists Find Ancient Statue of Apollo That Probably Adorned a Magnificent Fountain
The marble bust sheds new light on the layered history of a 2,000-year-old Greek city
In His Garage, an Untrained Artist Created a Work of Sublime Divinity
How deep faith created one of the loveliest—and most curious—sacred objects in the Smithsonian collections
Archaeologists Find 'Remarkable' Roman Villa Full of Coins, Jewelry and 'Curse Tablets'
Discovered at a housing development in England, the complex's buildings may be nearly 2,000 years old
The Broken Seal of a Pope's 14th-Century Decree Has Been Found in Poland
The metal fragment was once part of a papal bull, an official communication distributed by the Catholic Church
Celebrate Holi With These 15 Vibrant Photos
Observed around the world, the Hindu Festival of Colors welcomes spring
A Medieval Pilgrim May Have Carried This Basilisk Pendant to Guard Against Evil
Found in Poland, the "pilgrim's badge" was likely worn by a Christian traveler hundreds of years ago
St. Patrick Opened a Portal to Purgatory on This Little-Known Irish Island
Medieval pilgrims flocked to the site for spiritual purification
You Can Spend the Night in the Secret Library Tucked Inside St. Paul's Cathedral
Airbnb is offering two guests the chance to sleep amongst 22,000 books in an area normally off-limits to visitors
The Moroccan Sultan Who Protected His Country's Jews During World War II
Mohammed V defied the collaborationist Vichy regime, saving Morocco's 250,000 Jews from deportation to Nazi death camps
Algerian Officials Inaugurate the Largest Mosque in Africa
Spanning nearly 70 acres, the $898 million project faced years of delays amid political controversy
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