Monuments are built so people can see them and think about the power that was, remember the culture that was and reminisce about an event in history before moving on. It’s all about the past. Tourists gather in flocks and the takeaway is photographs of places visited. Either the pictures gather dust or are shared with family and friends who may or may not have any interest in them.
The importance of monuments is enhanced by UNESCO’s taking on the responsibility of categorizing some monuments in their World Heritage Sites based on criteria that fall within their classification. It could be human creative genius, monumental art, cultural tradition and so on. Besides UNESCO designated monuments there are many more which offer insights into the past, which are also unique in their own way.
It is obviously not possible to experience all such landmarks in one lifetime.
The pictures in the gallery from my travels make me wonder why bullet holes in Jalianwalla Bagh have now been made into a tourist attraction. Why a sculpture depicting slave trade in Zanzibar is ignored by passersby? Did the tunnel in Herculaneum really help some people escape the wrath of Vesuvius? Is it acceptable to allow teenage antics at the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe in Berlin? Is it ok for the ruins of the oldest Islamic University in Harran to be left uncared for?
These and many other questions pop up.
On the other side we see the playful architecture of Gaudi, a temple of spiritual significance in Auroville, courtyard in Robben Island prison where Mandela found time to write his autobiography, Guggenheim Museum built on a decrepit port area in Bilbao, Gobekli Tepe raising questions about how modern civilization started, the scientific genius of prehistoric Ireland in New Grange, the blending of civilizations in Agrigento and the list goes on.
Some monuments we ignore, some are given importance, some we wonder why they were built at all. As the conversation continues, I intend to experience more such sites and if I feel like sharing I will. Gathering dust, for me, is not an option.