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Famous Tourist Site Frauds: Where "Original" and "Authentic" are Blatant Lies
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There is nothing more powerful than standing in a spot where some famous historical event occurred, surrounded by exactly the same objects as were there hundreds of years ago.
Tourism's greatest fraud, however, is that so many historical places have been so thoroughly renovated or rebuilt that one really wonders what is real anymore.
I first ran across this in Warsaw. Wandering through the UNESCO Old Town, I was hit with an odd feeling of disconnect. The buildings all appeared very old and beautiful, but wasn't Warsaw flatten during the war? The reality is that Warsaw's entire Old Town was completely rebuilt like some type of Disneyland. Sure, they did an outstanding job, and replicated it almost perfectly based on photos taken prior to World War II, but that sense of history just isn't there. In fact, one could argue that the entire Old Town is a bit of a fraud.
With the recent fire on board the historic Cutty Sark, journalist Nick Trend began to wonder what exactly it was going to be like when it was rebuilt and that sense of standing in the middle of history becomes lost amongst 21st renovations (much like the HMS Victory, he points out--a historical boat in which only 17 percent of the original wood remains).
As with the Warsaw example, the Cutty Sark is not the only famous tourist site claiming to be the real thing. Trend has put together a rather eye-opening list which sadly undermines a handful of sites I've visited in the past under the assumption that I was gazing upon the real deal--not some recently painted or renovated replica.
The most striking example was the Parthenon in Athens which actually blew up in 1687 and has been completely rebuilt. Had I known this at the time when I visited, it would have gnawed away at the back of my mind and detracted from my experience.
So, under the premise that ignorance is bliss, I would recommend that you do not click on over to Trend's article detailing Ten famous buildings and artworks that are not quite what they seem. If, on the other hand, you are a seeker of truth, check it out and be prepared to be slightly saddened.
Filed under: History, Greece, Poland, United Kingdom
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Lena Jun 30th 2007 1:20AM
WOW! You obviously feel very passionately about the subject! And in no way do I mean to undermine YOUR personal experience; I can honestly say that it has not been mine, not in Germany, which was leveled during World War II, not in Mexico, the ruins I walked were quite ruined, and not in Greece, a point in your reference.
I majored in both architecture and art history and, as a result, was compelled to visit the sites I have. Each site was uniquely different, due to obvious reasons such as location, geography, culture etc. Mexico, for instance, had very authentic sites, in various stages of digress, such as Chitzen Itza and Coba; Citzen Itza was holding up quite well, whereas, Coba was not. In Germany, I found that nearly ever point of interset I visited had been destroyed during the war and later rebuilt. I walked some on my own and noticed the reconstruction and found awe at the few places left unmarred, but was most impacted by the apologies I heared from the tour guides in Germany as they explained that what I was seeing was not original, that it had been destroyed in the war. I also felt a pang of guilt, knowing our country was responsible, I wondered how they could be so accomodating. My fears were unfounded. The Germans feel deeply indebted to the United States for freeing them of Hitler. I am humbled by that realization, and very gratelful that they had the inclination to put so much energy into reconstruction, and if that inspired tourism, and their economy flourished as a result, well, I think that is awesome.
Greece has seen it's fair share of war, in fact more than Germany has ever seen durin recoreded history. The destruction happened centuries earlier, and time has worn the ruins even more. I too was disappointed by the deterioration of some of the sites I visited. Thera was so deteriorated, it was very hard to regonize what I was looking at. Delos was somewhat more preserved, wonderful houses and shop remains existed, but it was impossible to visualize what the entire island must have looked like during it's prime. An architectural map of the excavations was very helpful and informative. Being a history geek,I bought the book to learn more after my visit, and I have.
Still. I wondered this to myself, even before I read your message, "As these ruins continue to ruin, what will be left for others to see?" My children and their spawn came to mind, but it is a global issue, isn't it? The world want's to see what Athens began, where the birthpalce of the Western World began.
With such importance, how could we fault them for preservation? These relics would be worthy of preservation with or without tourism. It is their very importance that inspires preservation, and tourism makes it possible.
Yes, I find it frustrating each time I see a world reknowned structure encased in scaffolding, and a photo op. is lost, but in the grand scheme of things, I am hopeful our history as a people will not be lost as a result.
And lastly, I'd like to say , on behalf of the Greeks, that no one is trying to "pull the wool over the eyes of tourists", every tour I went on, the guide made it perfectly clear that the remains had been reconstructed, and that the reconstruction had been designed to make evident the difference between old contruction and the new. For instance, the Parthenon, is being reasembeld with concrete, a sharp contrast to the original marble because the intent was not to decieve, but to show without fakery, what the original structure would have looked like.
I did not get lovely shots of the Parthenon, but appreciate the experience nontheless. I hope the Athenians are able to preserve their heritage so that millions more might learn from theirs.
Neil Jun 30th 2007 2:09AM
Thank you for the wonderful comment; you make some great points here. I guess at the end of the day, I’d rather gaze upon an entirely rebuilt/renovated monument, than no monument at all! My point here is that I was sad to learn (after the fact) that not everything I’ve seen while traveling is authentic. Nonetheless, I can’t complain too much; at least I was able to see the grandeur in one form or another!
Neil
denielle Jan 12th 2008 11:15AM
wow that was truly great