International Day for Monuments and Sites

Honoring our cultural heritage

Sacred marae © C.CoiraultThe International Day of Monuments and Sites is celebrated thoughout the world on April 18 of every year. The theme for this year will be the heritage of Education. This international celebration day emerged in 1983. This celebration allows each population to assess the importance of their cultural heritage. This event has been created by the world association ICOMOS. It encourages every individual and community to measure the influence of its cultural heritage in its life and its identity. Each year, there is a general awareness of the fragility of this culture. So, this international day is also a good opportunity to define efforts to preserve and protect this cultural wealth.

Papeete from the Belvedere - © D.HazamaIn French Polynesia, the population does not forget to celebrate the occasion. During this special day, Polynesians honor the numerous monuments and sites dispersed on their territory (marae, caves, museum…). During this day, the local population can attend exhibitions, conferences and other documentary films. It also has the opportunity to participate in seminars, workshops, excursions and photography contests. Furthermore, this day is a unique luck for the public to visit the collections of ethnic and archaeological objects in the local museums whose entry is free for the occasion. The public rediscovers with pleasure historical sites, legendary monuments, epic history and an incredible cultural richness.

Venues for these various events take place in history-filled Polynesian surroundings like the Arahurahu marae, the archive department of Papeete, the « Maison de la Culture (Cultural center) or the Museum of Tahiti and its Islands.

Vaipahi garden - © H.LeueFrench Polynesia represents a territory as wide as the European continent. There are many sites and monuments to celebrate in remembrance. There are no less than 192 sites and monuments listed. These protected areas are split in different categories : Nature reserve, territorial park, natural monument, wildlife management area and protected landscape. We can mention as examples the Te Faaiti park, the Maraa cave, the Vaipahi waterfall, the plateau of Tamanu mountain or the Taharaa Belvedere which are the best known sites in Tahiti.

The Cultural heritage is so vast, rich and fragile in our islands that this international event takes on its full meaning in French Polynesia.


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