National Geographic August 1999

The Millennium Series/ Culture { Alexandria, Córdoba, and New York: Tale of Three Cities; Tale of Three Cities: Alexandria, Córdoba, and New York}
Alexandria, Egypt, at the start of the first millennium
The Power of Writing
An invention whose impact is impossible to measure first appeared in Mesopotamia 5, 000 years ago. Using forms of writing from Maya glyphs to Chinese calligraphy, humans have chronicled history, lobbied for freedom, and expressed the emotions of the ages
The Millennium Series/ Culture { Global Culture}
As old patterns make way for new, our thinking and our ways of life become more urban, more cosmopolitan, less diverse. An introduction to this special issue.
The Millennium Series/ Culture { Vanishing Cultures}
Indigenous peoples have become the human equivalent of endangered species. Now many battle to save the things that define them: their lifeway, their language, and their land.
The Millennium Series/ Culture { A World Together}
With Internet use soaring and airfares falling, global exchange of information, products, and ideas has exploded. Will our cultural differences survive?
Italy’s Endangered Art: A Nation of Art Lovers Finds New Ways- -and Will- -to Save its Priceless Legacy
In a place where Roman coins lie underfoot and Renaissance frescoes adorn countless ceilings, preserving art treasures from natural disasters and the ravages of time requires the effort of an entire nation.