Identity, Heritage, and Preservation:
Culture and Priorities in Rome and Istanbul
“Don’t tell me where your priorities are. Show me where you spend your money and I’ll tell you what they are.”[i]
- James Frick
Observations:
My selection of pictures reflects one of my first observations upon visiting the remains of what had once been the Eastern counterpart of the Forum in Rome. More than anything, I was struck by the decidedly different manner in which the remains were treated, and wanted to use my photos of the two sites as a lens through which to view the cultural differences that may have contributed to this disparity.
Of course, the ruins in Istanbul were simply less complete, and one might spend considerable time investigating the reasons for this alone. However, parts of the Forum in Rome very closely parallel those existing today in Istanbul in terms of their condition, yet are still seen in a very different setting. I have attempted to choose photographs that highlight the similarities in order to provide a more solid background for discussion.
In Rome, the entire area of the Forum is fenced off with ticketed entry, and in general very much feels like a large outdoor museum. No modern roads or buildings encroach on the ruins, and within the Forum, the ruins themselves (including small blocks and fragments similar to those in Istanbul) are protected by still more fences. Video cameras are visible around the edges of the site.
This contrasts sharply with the fragments we saw in Istanbul. These rest on a narrow grass parking strip, sandwiched between the sidewalk and a very busy street. Many of the stone fragments are not even protected by a fence, and one car swerving off the road could do irreparable damage to them. Far from having a ticketed entry, the stone blocks would be quite easy to miss were one not looking for them, and are far more “part of the scenery” than the Forum in Rome. It occurred to me that perhaps the majority of the site was still buried underground (given the dramatic changes in ground level we had seen in Rome), but in that case the underlying questions remain: why has it not been excavated, why is a main road built over what would presumably be part of the ruins, and why are the visible parts not more heavily protected?
Discussion:
In considering possible answers to these questions, I came to a few key conclusions that I think offer the most likely explanation. Most important in my eyes is the fact that modern Romans are the direct cultural and ethnic descendents of the ancient Romans who built the forum. During our time in Rome, we saw how this cultural legacy has resonated throughout Rome’s history – it was displayed unabashedly in Renaissance art, which frequently referenced Roman mythology. We learned about popes who tried to link themselves to pagan emperors, and pictured cardinals and bankers walking through rooms filled with depictions of ancient mythological events. The ongoing significance of imagery associated with Rome’s foundation myths is evidence of the continued relevance of this historic legacy to Romans today.
The modern inhabitants of Istanbul do not have this direct link to the civilization that constructed their Forum. They are the cultural heirs of the Ottomans, and it is their monuments, not those of the Romans, that are proudly displayed and carefully guarded. Hand in hand with this distinction lies another, related observation: many of the key sites tourists go to Rome to see are Roman ruins, whereas in Istanbul, it is largely the great buildings of the Ottoman era that bring in tourist dollars. In a purely financial sense, it is in the interest of each city to direct its efforts towards those sites which people visit them to see.
In short, I posit that the very different treatments given to the Roman forums in Istanbul and in Rome are rooted directly in differences of cultural identity. When given context by an examination of its counterpart, each Forum makes visible the priorities of those responsible for it, priorities which are largely a product of identity. People will tend to value something more when they feel a personal connection with it, and Rome’s Forum is an important vestige of a period that is still valued by modern Romans as part of their own cultural heritage. I am not arguing that modern Turks do not see the history associated with the Forum of Theodosius as important, but rather that it does not bear the same direct cultural weight for them. To see what is valued in Turkey one need look no further than the beautifully restored and preserved mosques and other vestiges of the great Ottoman Empire that abound in Istanbul.
[i] Frick, James. “James W. Frick quotes.” Thinkexist.com. http://thinkexist.com/quotes/james_w._frick/
