Flash Points: From the ruins of war, a tourist resort emerges

Plus: More stories on the fates of historic sites. [Foreign Policy Logo]( [Foreign Policy Flashpoints]( July 24, 2022 | [View in browser]( To read unlimited articles featured in Flash Points, [sign in]( or [subscribe today](. “There was a time, long ago, when Kabul sat at an axis of global power, its rulers enthroned in a vast citadel, surrounded by Buddhist monasteries, on the crossroads of trading routes that took wealth and learning to all points of Asia and beyond,” FP’s Lynne O’Donnell writes. “Today, the remains of that citadel tell the story of thousands of years in the history of what is now a very different Afghanistan.” In this edition of Flash Points, we wanted to share our essays and reporting on historic sites around the world—from Afghanistan’s Bala Hissar to Laos’s Luang Prabang—and the stories they tell about their countries’ past and future as they’re being preserved, disputed, and destroyed.—Chloe Hadavas --------------------------------------------------------------- [From the Ruins of War, a Tourist Resort Emerges]( Shusha was the key to the recent war between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Now Baku wants to turn the fabled fortress town into a resort. By Liz Cookman --------------------------------------------------------------- [A Taliban Challenge: To Learn the Lessons of History]( What an ancient citadel can teach us about Afghanistan’s past—and its potential future. By Lynne O’Donnell --------------------------------------------------------------- [The Reconquista of the Mosque of Córdoba]( Spain’s most famous mosque is at the center of a dispute between activists seeking to preserve its Muslim heritage and the Catholic Church, which has claimed it as its own. By Eric Calderwood --------------------------------------------------------------- [In Laos, a Dubious Dam Threatens Luang Prabang]( A hydroelectric project could force UNESCO to delist the spectacular World Heritage Site. By Nathan Thompson --------------------------------------------------------------- [Russia’s Imperial Arrogance Is Destroying Ukrainian Heritage]( The Kremlin believes it’s the true heir of classical civilization—and is poised to replicate its pillage of Syria in Ukraine under the guise of cultural preservation. By Jade McGlynn and Fiona Greenland Photo: Emre Caylak for Foreign Policy --------------------------------------------------------------- Learn from leading voices in global health about key pathways to revitalize and strengthen health systems around the world, what they've learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, and their plans to collaboratively overcome future challenges. [Read FP Analytics' synthesis report of the inaugural FP Global Health Forum here](. --------------------------------------------------------------- If it happens out there, it’s analyzed in here. Dive well below the headlines, anytime, anywhere, with FP's award-winning journalism. [Read unlimited articles and unlock insider benefits when you subscribe.]( FOLLOW FP ON This email was sent to {EMAIL} because you are subscribed to FP’s Flashpoints newsletter. Want a friend to receive this newsletter? [Forward it]( now. Want to receive other FP newsletters? [Manage]( your FP newsletter preferences. [unsubscribe]( | [privacy policy]( | [contact us]( | [partner with FP]( Foreign Policy magazine is a division of Graham Holdings Company. All contents © 2022 The Slate Group, LLC. All rights reserved. Foreign Policy, 1750 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Suite 200, Washington, DC 20006. [Link](