16 Historic Monuments That Don’t Mean What We Think They Do
Historic monuments may look like timeless symbols, but many of them tell stories far messier — and more surprising — than the myths we’ve been taught.
- Alyana Aguja
- 6 min read
We normally go to see historic monuments assuming they embody transparent, lofty ideals — but many have secret histories that complicate what we think we know. From misinterpreted beginnings to politicized reimaginings, these landmarks show how power, myth, and memory manipulate what we assume we know. Lifting the lid on these symbolic buildings brings a more nuanced, unvarnished view of the past, and compels us to reassess what we celebrate.
1. The Sphinx – Egypt
Image from HISTORY
Perhaps symbolic of a guardian pharaoh guarding the pyramids, the Great Sphinx’s original symbolism and purpose are enigmatic. Some researchers believe that its head is abnormally small in relation to the body and that it was re-carved or reused. Its generally accepted identity as a likeness of Khafre is only one hypothesis among many, not a confirmed reality.
2. The Colosseum – Rome, Italy
Image from Wikipedia
Most see it only as a site for gladiator combat to the death, but the Colosseum was also employed for dramas, public executions, and even simulated sea battles. The notion that all battles ended in death is overstated; most fights were tightly controlled, with survival being the preferred outcome. It was more an elite spectacle of power and Roman order than a bloodbath.
3. Stonehenge – England
Image from Wikipedia
Long believed to be a Druidic temple, Stonehenge predates the Druids by over a thousand years. Its true purpose may have been astronomical, spiritual, or funerary, but no definitive answer exists. The “ancient wisdom” often linked to it is a Victorian invention rather than a reflection of Neolithic beliefs.
4. The Eiffel Tower – Paris, France
Image from Wikipedia
Today’s symbol of romance and beauty, it was once hated by Parisians as an industrial blight. Artists and intellectuals rallied against its construction, deeming it a “monstrous” iron stain on the skyline. It was meant to be taken down after 20 years, but endured due to its application as a radio tower.
5. Mount Rushmore – South Dakota, USA
Image from Wikipedia
Generally considered an American patriotic tribute to U.S. presidents, it’s sculpted into the Lakota Sioux’s holy land. The Black Hills were guaranteed to them in a treaty in 1868, but the treaty was subsequently broken when gold was discovered. To some Native Americans, the monument symbolizes broken promises and erased culture.
6. The Moai – Easter Island (Rapa Nui)
Image from Wikipedia
Individuals believe the moai statues are mere heads, but the majority have complete bodies hidden under the ground. They are not random idols; they are deified ancestors guarding the island. The vision of a lost, fallen civilization is inaccurate — Rapa Nui inhabitants still inhabit the island and have cultural connections to the moai.
7. The Little Mermaid Statue – Copenhagen, Denmark
Image from Wikipedia
Visitors throng to view her as a lighthearted nod to Andersen’s fairy tale, but the history behind the statue is one of loss rather than love. In the original story, the mermaid perishes, her sacrifice unacknowledged — a stark difference from Disney’s rendition. The statue’s somber expression betrays the tragic depth of the original story.
8. The Parthenon – Athens, Greece
Image from Wikipedia
Its status as a symbol of forever Greek democracy, the Parthenon was, in fact, an Athena temple paid for by war and empire. Much of its beauty was a tribute from other Greek city-states that were under the control of Athens. It’s as much a testament to ancient propaganda as to philosophy or art.
9. The Lincoln Memorial – Washington, D.C., USA
Image from Wikipedia
Regularly referred to as a symbol of racial equality, it was initially intended to show Lincoln as a unifier of the Union, rather than the Great Emancipator. Its construction was during the Jim Crow period, and racial segregation was upheld during its dedication. It wasn’t until decades later that civil rights leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr. reused it as a symbol of justice.
10. The Taj Mahal – Agra, India
Image from Britannica
Thought by some to have been a purely romantic symbol, the Taj Mahal was also a demonstration of imperial power and Mughal architectural supremacy. Constructed at a time of extreme wealth imbalance, it cost the empire’s treasuries possibly its last major reserves of cash. It serves both as a mausoleum and a demonstration of the power of Shah Jahan’s rule.
11. The Tower of London – London, England
Image from Britannica
Nowadays, it’s depicted as a medieval castle and palace of royal intrigue, but for most of its existence, it was a dreaded jail and torture center. It kept inmates from Anne Boleyn to Nazi spies, with beheadings on Tower Hill a regular occurrence. Its sinister past tends to be glossed over in travel guides.
12. Angkor Wat – Cambodia
Image from Wikipedia
Although Angkor Wat is commonly thought of as a Buddhist temple nowadays, it was first constructed as a Hindu temple to Vishnu. As powers shifted over the centuries, its religious functions changed. Its endurance is as much a tale of resilience as it is one of architectural magic.
13. The Berlin Wall – Berlin, Germany
Image from JSTOR Daily
Frequently referred to as the ultimate icon of Communist oppression, it was initially named the “Anti-Fascist Protection Rampart” by East Germany. It served as much to deflect flight as to project ideological influence. The Western account simplifies a multifaceted Cold War relic into a one-dimensional metaphor.
14. Machu Picchu – Peru
Image from Wikipedia
Long considered a “lost city,” Machu Picchu was never actually lost to residents, merely to Western adventurers. It probably existed more as a royal retreat than as an Incan capital city. The mythology surrounding Hiram Bingham’s “discovery” disregards the fact that the natives led him there.
15. The Alamo – San Antonio, Texas, USA
Image from Wikipedia
More typically cast as a chivalrous last stand in behalf of freedom, the defenders of the Alamo were battling to preserve slavery in a Mexican republic that had banned it. The legend of Texan gallantry obscures the multifaceted, usually vexing, motives of the uprising. It’s a monument enshrouded in selective memory.
16. Christ the Redeemer – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Image from Wikipedia
Viewed around the world as an eternal Christian symbol, it was in fact a 20th-century creation paid for in part by contributions during a conservative Catholic resurgence. Its message is as much political as religious, designed to resist increasing secularism in Brazil. It wasn’t widely accepted and is still debated in its meaning today.