Djenné's long history, and its rich and changing cultural heritage, have shaped both its townscape and its magnificent mud architecture. As change continues today, the community adapts - and may survive.

One of the finest collections of Islamic art in modern times was on display at the Kuwait National Museum August 2. Now 114 of its best pieces are touring the United States - and curators fear they may be all that are left.

It is a school, a spiritual center, or even a way of life? In a lovely and fertile valley in west central Java, a revered teacher trains a third generation of young Indonesians in the path of piety, contemplation and citizenship.

This paradoxical perfectionist spent his life studying, recording and presenting to his European compatriots the glories of Egypt's ancient and Arab civilizations. Erudite and abrasive, he left works of elegant exactitude.

"I thought they were beautiful and extraordinary." Dennis Nahat recalls the cousins who inspired him to dance, and the home full of music where he performed. Today, thousands watch his work and applaud.

Archeologists, museum directors, architects, wildlife biologists and preservationists gathered at a unique Saudi-American conference to discuss their divergent experiences. Synergy was the result.