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Protecting Rome’s Ancient Architecture, with @saverome

Modern Rome is built atop a layer of ancient ruins, many of which are still standing and accessible today. Having worked in Rome as a preservationist and teacher for the last 15 years, archaeologist Darius Arya (@saverome) has a keen knowledge of the city’s rich structural history. Through Instagram, he takes followers along for an up-close, educational look at Rome’s ruins. “I love being able to reveal a lot of information on a well-known structure like the Pantheon or discuss a structure or issue in the shadow of something so well known, like the barely-known Saepta Julia resting against the Pantheon,” he says. “Instagram has helped me focus my message and deliver a variety of styles, from a simple photo to intensely dense informative material.”

In his self-proclaimed quest to make #culturalheritage cool, Darius has opened up a global dialogue about the Roman ruins on Instagram. “I find the feedback from people is great. People are learning, hungry for more. I really enjoy being able to get into the conversation and spur on interest.”

To get your daily dose of Rome’s #culturalheritage, and to follow along as Darius embarks on a 3-year excavation in Ostia Antica this June and July, be sure to follow him on Instagram @saverome!

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Blizzard Nemo Covers Eastern Seaboard in Snow

A snowstorm hit the northeastern United States and parts of Canada this past weekend. Cities along the eastern seaboard saw hurricane-force winds and up to three feet of snow, resulting in power outages and traffic bans throughout the region. Though blizzards don’t normally receive names, The Weather Channel decided to highlight this one with a name—Nemo—to mark its significance.

View this past weekend’s photos from the storm by searching the #nemo and #blizzardnemo hashtags.

London was pretty bad too, recently.

thefinestbitches:

Michelle Jenneke

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Japan’s Coming of Age Day (成人の日)

Want to see more colorful photos from Coming of Age Day? Search the hashtags #成人の日 and #ComingOfAgeDay.

On the second Monday of every January, Japan observes Coming of Age Day, a holiday meant to commemorate and celebrate young Japanese men and women who turned 20—legal adult age—during the previous year.

While Coming of Age Day was made an official holiday in 1948, similar ceremonies have been held throughout Japan since the early 8th century. Japanese men and women celebrating the occasion often don traditional clothing and attend events at local government offices in the morning before hosting parties and celebrating with friends and family later in the day.