SINGAPORE, JUNE 6, 2012: Want to visit some of the world’s most famous heritage sites, but don’t have the money to actually go there? Google’s new cultural digitization platform, the World Wonders Project, will give netizens the change to explore and discover a total of 132 sites from 18 countries.
Launched on June 1, the World Wonders Project is powered by Google’s Street View technology and features the Stonehenge, the archaeological areas of Pompeii, and the ancient Kyoto temples, among others.
Together with partners UNESCO, the World Monuments Fund, Getty Images, and Ourplace, the World Wonders Project also aims to preserve world heritage sites with a broad range of technologies and information. In addition to Google 3D models and YouTube videos, the World Wonders Project website also features official information and photographs.
The World Wonders Project is also an educational resource, allowing students and scholars to use the materials to discover some of the most famous sites on earth. A selection of educational packages are available to download for classroom use and users can share the website’s content.
Street View is a popular feature of Google Maps, available in 39 countries. It allows users to virtually explore and navigate a neighborhood through panoramic street-level images. The latest advancements has enabled Google to go off-road and capture these culturally significant sites.
The World Wonders Project is not Google’s first foray into preserving culture online and making it accessible to more people. Under the auspices of the Cultural Institute, Google is publishing high resolution images of the Dead Sea Scrolls, digitizing the archives of famous figures such as Nelson Mandela, and presenting thousands of artworks through the Art Project.
Francesco Bandarin, assistant director general for culture of UNESCO said of the project: “New technologies have a lot to offer for the promotion and safeguarding of the world’s cultural and natural heritage. UNESCO is glad to be part of this partnership that will contribute to make World Heritage sites even more interesting for the young generations, the same that will be the warrants of its future preservation”
“We are delighted to partner with Google on the World Wonders Project and this unique way for people to experience some of the world’s most incredible places and sights. Our archival collection of over 80 million images will enable us to curate and select content which will add significant insight and background to these amazing heritage sites and tell the stories behind these exceptional locations,” said Matthew Butson, vice president of the Hulton Archive at Getty Images.
Find out more about World Wonders on YouTube and explore the project at www.google.com/worldwonders.
