Hi everyone, I'm really excited to present this video to you. I’ve been working on it for 9 months so I’m happy to finally share it and I hope you love it. I also want to announce that I have a Patreon page now. I love making these videos for you, so if you feel like supporting my work, I would be very grateful. And if you can't, no problem, but please subscribe to my channel :) You have my thanks in advance. Jordan www.patreon.com/StreetGems
At 02:46 you say ".. the last pagan emperor, Julian." his is the first time I've ever heard Rome, around the height of it's power and influence, referred to as a pagan society. - 'Pagan' - a person holding religious beliefs other than those of the main or recognized religions -. At the time, the religion of Rome was likely the most widespread recognized religion in the world. So, simply by the definition of the word ;pagan' itself, the polytheistic religion of Rome cannot be pagan.
In ancient Greek, the root of word we now pronounce 'virgin' had nothing to do with what we NOW refer to as virginity. It simply meant a young woman. Which is interesting even outside of reference to the Goddess Athena as being a virgin. It also calls into question the concept Mary (the mother of Jesus) ALSO being a virgin (in the modern sense of the word). Christian dogma CLAIMS Mary was conceived by her own mother without 'Original Sin'. That is, without the 'Original Sin' that ALL human beings are conceived in according to Christian dogma. It does not necessarily imply that Mary remained a virgin all her life, even though Christian dogma generally assumes that she did.
When I was 6 years old, sometimes the whole school on Saturdays would go to the Acropolis and sit inside the building while the teacher would tell us about the History of Athens. I remember we used to play inside the building touching the columns. Although I was young I still felt awed about the building and the people who lived back then and built it. Now I go bye everyday and still it feels like the first time when I saw it. I'm a very lucky man ..
As a Brit, i feel its time for the statues to come home, history is history, i know in my heart we will return them from 'safe keeping' to where they truly belong one day, ending any animosity over this between the Greeks and the Brits, in jubilation.
I was aware of the destruction of the Parthenon, but never the circumstances behind its destruction. I guess Einstein was correct in the assumption that human stupidity is greater than the universe itself. Great video, you’ve earned my subscription today!
I guess the only positive (if you can call it that) is that the Venetians sometimes looted things (not so much because of artistic and historical interest but to acquire power and cultural authority through association with the artefacts), whereas their allies didn't care at all and just melted things down.
As a 14 year old in middle school, I was so enamored of the beauty of classical Greek architecture that I built a scale model of the Parthenon out of white soap bars and cardboard, though it was somewhat crude, just the basic architectural elements. I think it was about a foot, or so, long. The history teacher was so impressed by it that he put it in the center of a display case, surrounded by the works of other classmates.
The Ottomans aren't without blame either. From the Venetian perspective, they blew up a big mosque with all the enemy's gunpowder, but why would the Ottomans store all their explosives their grand mosque? All is fair in war I guess.
Great video, and indeed sad that it was destroyed. Another sad thing is the reconstruction (if that's what the current Greeks are doing), seems to be going very very slow. I visited the Parthenon in 1998 and I have recently compared my old photos to what it looks like today and I don't see much difference. I have also visited the fully standing copy of the Parthenon in Nashville TN. It was amazing to see how it would have looked originally.
Great Job Jordan!. I said i wrote a paper in school years ago about this, so even though i knew this info, it was FANTASTIC to see all the great visual recreations bringing the Parthenons history to life!!. This building has held a special place in my love for ancient architecture from my earliest memories. Not for the pagan practices and rituals, but for the style of these buildings. The church/school i attended from kindergarten onward had majestic white columns across the front of the building the exact size of the Parthenons. So,yea, grew up with being able to visually and physically experience the majesty of these things. Very moving. And, emphatically YES !!! the Brits NEED to give Athens back their history!. No question!. Loved your video as always!! ⚜️
Jordan, kudos to you yet again! A masterful telling of what happened to the parthenon! I had NO idea about the massive damage done as a result of the Morean War!! Such a beautiful masterpiece of architecture to the world, and as man seems to always do, destroyed only for the goals of war, as are so many other historic works of art being attacked today. Thank you for your beautiful artwork, which so vibrantly makes sense of the story! And your narration, too! (I could listen all day long!)
I am 70 years old and 60 years ago in the 4th grade we learned about Greek Mythology. I did a report on the Parthenon and learned about the gun powder explosion. The details had grown dim, but I knew the Ottoman’s were involved and that the temple was mostly intact up to the explosion. It was great to revisit this history of the Parthenon.
A great video, I got to visit the Parthenon on the 16th November 2023 with my partner, it's just a stunning building. When you first lay eyes on it it takes your breath away, our Athens hotel was at the rear and so we could see it from our room for all of our stay in Athens. Thanks for posting.
@@Street-Gems Buildings that were made into churches were usually the ones that survived - the great domed temple in Rome known as the Pantheon is a prime example of this -it survived largely because it was turned into a church! In the same manner the Christian monasteries preserved ancient literature during the Dark Ages - the Irish monks were particularly active in this field.Most buildings decay because of lack of function not because they were wantonly destroyed.
The destruction of the Mayan codices is much worse (and the overall intentional destruction of every civilization and culture in American continent) in my opinion, and what's more terrible is that the overall process of cultural destruction is ongoing.
@@noticiasinmundicias Actually if you knew your history you would discover that the Christian church, though some things were unnecessarily destroyed like the Maya stuff, but overall they did more than anyone else to preserve native languages and cultures. This was because the Christian missionaries wanted to convert the people and wanted them to be able to read the Bible. So they gave the previously oral only languages a written form, creating a grammar and syntax for those languages and thus preserving them. So many of the indigenous languages of the world were preserved because of this like the languages of Australia, Africa and Papua New Guinea. The process started early in history with bishop Ulfilas translating the Bible into Gothic -the earliest written traces of a germanic language. St Cyril and Methodius created the Cyrillic alphabet for the Slavs -the alphabet used by the Russians, Serbians, Bulgarians and others today. With the Protestant reformation the Bible translation thing reached a fever pitch and kickstarted the literatures of many languages like German, the Baltic languages and of course the king James Bible had an inestimable influence on the English cutlure.Special schools were set up to teach literacy so that people might be able to read the Bible and that is why countries like Sweden were the first ones in history to achieve universal literacy. This is all factual!
Amazing video I am a Greek & had no idea about that explosion that occur during the war you described between the ottomans & Venetian army, that's the first time I'm hearing about it & seriously I felt a stab in my chest when you show the scene of the explosion that was a major crime what they did both sides, I can't believe that there was humans that acted like that only few centuries ago, no regard at all for historical monuments with thousands of years of history, they are worse than monkeys, no brain on their skulls, don't know what else to say...
The blessed Virgin Mary was not a goddess, but a creature like you and I. The highest of all creatures,Full of Grace and Blessed. Prepared to be the perfect mother to Jesus and all who Trust in him. Salve Maria, God is all that is Good!
Great video, it answered a question I've had since I was in Architecture school (long ago). When we studied the classical Greek structures, I was shocked to learn that the Parthenon had survived through most of the 17th century. Always wondered what led to its destruction and now I know. Thanks -
There is a recreation of the building in Nasville Tennesee USA. They recently finished a gold clad statue of Goddess Athena. It is splendid, I do not know how accurate it really is but at least it sembles what the real Parthenon might have looked like. Humans are mostly Barbarians and religious ones are the worst of the worst that humanity has ever produced. That beautiful building may still be restored to its ancient beauty. Athena may even make a comeback as a Goddess, no one really know.
Hey, random Greek guy here, loved the video and learned a lot from it. My only criticism is the choice of music, very typical and whats expected when north Americans make a movie or documentary about Greece. Doesn't offend me to be clear but bouzouki solo while learning about Parthenon is like listening to rap beats while learning about MLK. Eye rolling situation if you know what I mean. My choice would be ancient greek lyre or harp music.
He wouldn't know what you mean. He used the bouzouki. An infraction that's easily let slide due to thorough research of the chosen topic by a non-Greek. The music was more for a musical flavor of Greece rather than an accurate musical detail of the time.
@@PhantomFilmAustralia That's why I gave an analogy, we get it how and why non Greeks associate it with Greece, Zorba etc. For Greeks bouzouki=nightclub,drinking,partying. Makes no sense in this setting. You could use it when showing modern day chaos in Athens or Greek beaches but this is out of place , that's all.
That’s actually a great comment! As a random North American guy, I think that any time a creator uses stereotypical but inappropriate music, it’s good if someone lets that person and the viewers know. I’ve seen another, rather extensive video talking about stereotypical Middle-Eastern music and a short video situated in Venice that uses stereotypical “Italian music,” i.e., Tarantella, to the derision of several viewers, by an organization, Deutsche Welle, that really _should_ know better, so, quite obviously, the issue is not limited to Greece or Greek music (not that you said anything that implied that it was). I would surmise that these creators aren’t even really _thinking_ about these choices-they’re just going for what, to them, “sounds about right,” what one other commenter called “a musical flavor of Greece” in this case-but, probably, with a few moments of thought, they might be able to find something that is more appropriate and not stereotypical (although whether they are actually authorized to use that music on this platform is another matter).
You are far too hard on Lord Elgin. Truth be told, the Ottoman Turk cared quite little for the ruin of the building. They had already cannabilised what remained in order to build their mosque. Many of the remaining Pentellic Marble sculptures were bunt in a kiln to make mortar and Lord Elgin rightfully believed that this was the fate of the Parthenon frieze: he *rescued* them from almost certain oblivion. The British museum has preserved them and they should probably remain there.
I disagree. What will happen when the next power takes London? Greeks are going to be pretty upset if their artifacts can't be protected. What a shame that when the dust settled English students were able to study those artifacts and Greeks could not
No stone doesn't burn but it doesn't have to. Depending on the type of stone, temperature of the fire and length of time it's exposed to it, a fire can severely alter it's characteristics in as little as 20 minutes. Ironically, one of the worst things you can do it try and put it out quickly. Thermal shock can cause stone to crack and shatter collapsing it. However most damage takes the form of fracturing and weakening and requires an inspection. Left unchecked it can leave the structure more susceptible to outside factors like earthquakes and nearby construction.
I dont think that the Venetian’s are totally to blame for this. The Ottomans shouldn’t have place gun powder in there in the first place, regardless if they knew what it was or not.
Thank you for presenting a piece of History not normally covered. On the British removal, while it might be good for them to get the works back for a proper restoration job, the Turks had no interest in preserving them. Under Islam it is even proper to destroy such history as it is both pagan and pre-Quran, the only thing that saved the site at all was it was useful to the Turks and not worth the effort to fully replace. By such works being held elsewhere also insures against full destruction. If returned or not cast copies should be made and either original or copy sent with the other held. Remember it has not been that long ago Egypt was taking bids to level the pyramids with the Arab spring before coming back to some economic reality with tourism.
Love your videos! Thanks for making this one. It's very easy to watch. The story is probably little known so very intriguing. Happy New Year's to everyone watching and wishing you all the best in the next year and on! 🎉🎉🎉 Lets pray for peace and happiness for All and may the great works of the world be treasured always ❤
While Lord Elgin was guilty of architectural vandalism, you must admit that the marbles, being protected indoors, had their deterioration arrested. The air pollution of the 20th Century was especially brutal (mostly acidic car exhausts). If you look at other ancient marble in Athens that stayed outside the entire time, they are severely eroded to the point that they aren't recognizable. IIRC, the British Museum pulled some molds off the statues in the collection and cast concrete replacements (much more resistant) that were installed in place of the originals.
Thankyou! I really enjoyed this video. I've visited the Parthenon I think three times so far and I never knew any of the history which you have spoken about. The way you presented it is also first class and a joy to listen to including the music. This will really help me to see the Parthenon in a different light in future. Thank you once again.
Great job Jordan! I never knew that story about its Destruction. Or that the roof was that old. Its crazy how we think if a home last mabey 100 years now, its a good home. So much history, so much wisdom, so many good stories. Keep up the good work!
Thank you for a wonderful and insightful breakdown on how the complex came to grief. When I lived and worked in Greece back in the mid 80s and early 90s you would talk to people and they would bring up. The whole thing was done by the Italians and they weren’t too happy about it. I’ve think a good deal of the blind also rests with the turks as it was a damn stupid place to store munitions
Being a bit unfair on Elgin. He not only paid for what he took, he also stopped Greeks burning the shattered ruins for lime. It could be argued he did more for Greek tourism than anyone who ever lived, bar Alexander the Great.
What a fantastic video, thank you! I love history, and I don’t think I’ve ever heard of this account before. Judging by the.comments, many others didn’t know it as well. It was so easy to follow, and the visuals were simply stunning .
This is quite a wonderful piece of work! Like millions of other people, I knew nothing of the history of the building. Now I want to go see (what's left of) it even more. Thank you! 😁
Decent brief survey of the history of the Parthenon, but your bias/moralizing regarding Lord Elgin was a little over the top and in error in several points. I take no stand on the controversy, but accurately relaying the facts is vital to a work of history.
A nice but sadly inaccurate description of the history of the the Parthenon - written and narrated to make Elgin a plunderer and thief. In actuality, Elgin was highly disturbed by the neglect he saw of this ancient monument and noted that the locals had neither the money or will to protect or preserve the marvels all around them. Parts of the temple were casually plundered and reused in new buildings and many of the Statues lay toppled and subject to the elements.
I wonder how much time and effort went into this 14 minute video ? two millennia of history condensed to a few minutes, well done! I learned something new today.
I don't to think Elgin was such a barbarian after all at the time the locals were burning the marble to make lime .and the British have looked after them pretty well from pollution and the likes . What id like to see happening now is digital reconstructions made so the building could be restored in Al it's ancient glory.wonderful project for the EU and Greece and Britain to be involved in
It's always amusing to view history through the lens of modern moral categories. Living in the times we now critique would probably have revealed the prevailing concept of existence in eras where death and destruction were constant parts of daily life.
1:31 lol I just came from that video! Yet you summed it up in less than 10 seconds here! Either way I enjoy the video. This is my second video after finding your channel. Definitely subscribing!
What a wonderful video! I was several times in Athens, last time was three months ago and I knew about the explosion that destroyed the parthenon. But I have forgotten the circumstances and who and why the cannon was shot onto the temple. Thank you for your valuable work! Fiona
I have visited the original Parthenon in Athens, Greece several times. Then in my later years I visited the full sized copy of the Parthenon in Nashville, Tennessee that was built in 1898 depicting the building as it was during the Golden Age of Greece. The copy in Tennessee really helped me appreciate how much was lost and how truly magnificent the original building had to have been when it was new.
I’ve been to the Parthenon at Nashville. It’s very pretty and with the Athena statue. It did give me a sense of what the Athens Parthenon would been. Many years ago I finally did visit the original during a cruise trip we stopped at Athens and went to an excursion there. What an amazing experience… but it was also sad seen such monumental building destroyed. I wondered if a portion… maybe half of it couldn’t been completed renovated while leaving other half as the original ruins?
tbh, the Greek government should reconstruct the Parthenon. even have a new Athena statue made from gold, ivory and marble. it might not be original but the ruins sitting there right now are exposed to the elements and suffer erosion. I would say the same thing with regards to the Colosseum in Rome.
@@darknessoftruth9314 Since it was the Venetians that caused the explosion, how about having the Italian government help pay the bill? Silly me, that would never happen.
Hello Jordan, I thought this was going to be a click bait video, for what is going on in America. So much to learn about our world history, I am happy I watched with understanding that war has never left any country to heal. If I was a rich man I would build it back to its full glory. Thanks for sharing. ❤
Fun fact wood can withstand a very long time if maintained look to Japan and espiacially Nara where the oldest wooden building from 630 stands in a temple area in the city.
GREAT video. I have a degree in history and this subject was simply never touched. Such a great bit of history to learn and you did a great job teaching it.
Every time I see this building I feel sick about the idiocy that destroyed it. Thanks for sharing your angle on the history. I appreciate your thinking. Have a great day :)
As if religion was bad enough to desecrate just a timeless treasure, there’s war and stupidity to destroy it entirely. Excellent video, I learned a lot.
Wtf islamic faith actualy prescribed tons of ruins and scripture stop blaming religion blame people religion as a whole is good for many. Sadly lost of zeliots saw it as a means of power.
It was Pere III of the House of Barcelona, king of Aragon, who mencioned it for the first time in the Medieval West in 1380 and even ordened it to be guarded day and night. He said that the Acropolis was "la pus richa joia qui al mont sia" ("the richest jewel in the whole World"). In fact he calls it "lo castell de Cetines", that is "the Castle of Athens", in medieval Catalan.
This presentation was really well done. Taught me a lot too. One of the things I'd like to know is what happened after that war, because at some stage the mosque in the middle of the Parthenon was removed. When did that happen?
This is due to other barbarians like Lord Elgin that our museums Le Louvre or the British Museum have saved remnants of Mesopotamian civilization which otherwise would have been shattered to pieces.
The Ottoman were similar to Hamas. If it was a place of worship, a school, a museum, it was also an armory. Oh, and Mary isn't and never was a "goddess". She is, of course, a Saint -- a person to be emulated in daily life.
Large public buildings have always been used for storage and as barracks when needed in times of war, as that's the easiest way to find the necessary space. It's presently a common practice in Ukraine as well.
@@slickrick2420 Considering that it was essentially the only large building on the hill, yes. People generally didn't attribute that much special value to ancient buildings back then. For instance, the Roman colosseum was used as a quarry all the way to the middle of the 18th century.
@@slickrick2420 Considering that it was essentially the only large building on the hill, yes. People generally didn't attribute that much special value to ancient buildings back then. For instance, the Roman colosseum was used as a quarry all the way to the middle of the 18th century.
I was there on my honeymoon with my wife, beautiful building and can only imagine how beautiful intact. War has sadly destroyed many historical buildings, WW2 was very devastating.
I read two versions, that it was a mortar shell and possibly a cannon ball. I kind of used that term a bit ambiguously, as I wasn't 100% what type of armament it was exactly.
By the time of Napoleon exploding shells were common so you are off by a century, the later 1700's or 18th. They were used by both ship and land forces along with Canister, Grape, Jack, Hot, Chain, Bar and some other specialty rounds. Most I mention can even be found on USS Constitution that served very actively in the early 1800's.
This needs to be fully restored, the missing columns replaced, the inner walls rebuilt, a new roof put on and the marble carvings returned from the British museum and with the help of those old drawings placed back in there right places on the pediments and friezes ! And then an new statue of Athena made to replace the one carried of so many years ago !
The most destructive period is now with the Greeks. It’s a relief they aren’t getting the Elgin Marbles and that Elgin was able to save what he could save for next generations . Just respect for this man
Excellent video. The reconstruction of Notre Dame should be an inspiration to the people of Greece and the world at large to faithfully rebuild the Parthenon. I’d love to see it rededicated as a Greek Orthodox church, it’s lengthiest role through its history, instead of a ruin where tourists go for selfies. Britain needs to return the Marbles and also the numerous other treasures of antiquity it hordes to other countries, not to forget a few massive, rare gems it looted as well.
A church would be incompatible with faithful rebuilding efforts, unless you want to reconstruct the hideous mess seen in the video, rather than the original temple.
The fact you're comparing Many to Athena as a figure to be worshipped is despicable. I wouldn't be surprised if you also believed Jesus was the accumulation of older religions like the other guy, only fools who don't care about the facts say things like that, and the fact is Mary isn't a diety, nor a figure higher than Jesus, who was a historical figure and God, so don't bother arguing with matt.
The Venetians would never have penetrated so deep into the Ottoman Empire, in prior times. The Ottomans were in decline. Their last great threat, was the siege of Vienna, less than half a decade earlier. But only a joke of their original glory a few decades later. I've heard of this cause of the Parthenon's destruction years ago, but not in the details described in this video. Well done. May not have been a cannon ball. Could have been a mortar shell, filled with gun powder, with the looks of that classic spherical "bomb", detonated by a timed lit fuse. Otherwise, if a cannon ball, the ball would have been heated prior to loading it in the gun, so that it would catch fire to what ever it settled into. Gunpowder, especially the early crude stuff, was not as sensitive to impact, as most people believe. This is from personal experience, of making homemade fireworks, and explosives, from my misspent youth.
Hi everyone, I'm really excited to present this video to you. I’ve been working on it for 9 months so I’m happy to finally share it and I hope you love it.
I also want to announce that I have a Patreon page now. I love making these videos for you, so if you feel like supporting my work, I would be very grateful.
And if you can't, no problem, but please subscribe to my channel :) You have my thanks in advance. Jordan
www.patreon.com/StreetGems
Thanks for the video your vids are really good
You’ll be at 100,000 in no time
At 02:46 you say ".. the last pagan emperor, Julian."
his is the first time I've ever heard Rome, around the height of it's power and influence, referred to as a pagan society. - 'Pagan' - a person holding religious beliefs other than those of the main or recognized religions -. At the time, the religion of Rome was likely the most widespread recognized religion in the world. So, simply by the definition of the word ;pagan' itself, the polytheistic religion of Rome cannot be pagan.
In ancient Greek, the root of word we now pronounce 'virgin' had nothing to do with what we NOW refer to as virginity. It simply meant a young woman.
Which is interesting even outside of reference to the Goddess Athena as being a virgin. It also calls into question the concept Mary (the mother of Jesus) ALSO being a virgin (in the modern sense of the word).
Christian dogma CLAIMS Mary was conceived by her own mother without 'Original Sin'. That is, without the 'Original Sin' that ALL human beings are conceived in according to Christian dogma. It does not necessarily imply that Mary remained a virgin all her life, even though Christian dogma generally assumes that she did.
Masterful story telling. Please explain how the replacement mosque disappeared from the center of the building...
When I was 6 years old, sometimes the whole school on Saturdays would go to the Acropolis and sit inside the building while the teacher would tell us about the History of Athens. I remember we used to play inside the building touching the columns. Although I was young I still felt awed about the building and the people who lived back then and built it. Now I go bye everyday and still it feels like the first time when I saw it. I'm a very lucky man ..
As a Brit, i feel its time for the statues to come home, history is history, i know in my heart we will return them from 'safe keeping' to where they truly belong one day, ending any animosity over this between the Greeks and the Brits, in jubilation.
I was aware of the destruction of the Parthenon, but never the circumstances behind its destruction. I guess Einstein was correct in the assumption that human stupidity is greater than the universe itself. Great video, you’ve earned my subscription today!
It continued to be a Pagan temple.
Well, Einsteins' fear of relatives was right !
So the Venetians wrecked both Constaninople and the Parthenon, anything else?
This comment literally made me crack up. Yeah their legacy is a mixed bag. Beautiful architecture and cities, but also a trail of destruction.
They were like the us of bush
The Venetians were so cool
I guess the only positive (if you can call it that) is that the Venetians sometimes looted things (not so much because of artistic and historical interest but to acquire power and cultural authority through association with the artefacts), whereas their allies didn't care at all and just melted things down.
The Venetians were not the ones using the Parthenon as a powder magazine.
As a 14 year old in middle school, I was so enamored of the beauty of classical Greek architecture that I built a scale model of the Parthenon out of white soap bars and cardboard, though it was somewhat crude, just the basic architectural elements. I think it was about a foot, or so, long. The history teacher was so impressed by it that he put it in the center of a display case, surrounded by the works of other classmates.
The Ottomans aren't without blame either. From the Venetian perspective, they blew up a big mosque with all the enemy's gunpowder, but why would the Ottomans store all their explosives their grand mosque? All is fair in war I guess.
I personally blame both.
I blame the guys who planted gunpowder in a church. nevermind, I blame the people claiming a church has meaning to it.
Im still mad they used the pyramids casing stones to make mosques
Because the building they were originally using to store their gunpowder in blew up after a lightning strike
@zaxmaxlax Uh I think the casing stones were mostly long since looted before they came.
Extremely SAD Impressive visuals and great storytelling.
Great video, and indeed sad that it was destroyed. Another sad thing is the reconstruction (if that's what the current Greeks are doing), seems to be going very very slow. I visited the Parthenon in 1998 and I have recently compared my old photos to what it looks like today and I don't see much difference. I have also visited the fully standing copy of the Parthenon in Nashville TN. It was amazing to see how it would have looked originally.
As a dutch historian I must say: very, very impressive. Now I understand how devastating this 1687 explosion was...
Great Job Jordan!. I said i wrote a paper in school years ago about this, so even though i knew this info, it was FANTASTIC to see all the great visual recreations bringing the Parthenons history to life!!. This building has held a special place in my love for ancient architecture from my earliest memories. Not for the pagan practices and rituals, but for the style of these buildings. The church/school i attended from kindergarten onward had majestic white columns across the front of the building the exact size of the Parthenons. So,yea, grew up with being able to visually and physically experience the majesty of these things. Very moving. And, emphatically YES !!! the Brits NEED to give Athens back their history!. No question!. Loved your video as always!! ⚜️
The Parthenon would have been so magnificent today. So tragic😢
Nashville has an exact reproduction that quite impressive, and it’s to scale.
It still is.
@@Wanamaker1946I’ve been there! It was amazing.
@@Wanamaker1946 But it's from the gift shop.
Jordan, kudos to you yet again! A masterful telling of what happened to the parthenon! I had NO idea about the massive damage done as a result of the Morean War!! Such a beautiful masterpiece of architecture to the world, and as man seems to always do, destroyed only for the goals of war, as are so many other historic works of art being attacked today. Thank you for your beautiful artwork, which so vibrantly makes sense of the story! And your narration, too! (I could listen all day long!)
I am 70 years old and 60 years ago in the 4th grade we learned about Greek Mythology. I did a report on the Parthenon and learned about the gun powder explosion. The details had grown dim, but I knew the Ottoman’s were involved and that the temple was mostly intact up to the explosion. It was great to revisit this history of the Parthenon.
im 56 and wasn't till now i learnt the same.. were never to old to be amazed xx
A great video, I got to visit the Parthenon on the 16th November 2023 with my partner, it's just a stunning building. When you first lay eyes on it it takes your breath away, our Athens hotel was at the rear and so we could see it from our room for all of our stay in Athens.
Thanks for posting.
The Ottomans are completely to blame.
Mostly...
Thank you very much. You speak from my heart. The destruction of the agyptian and greek culture was one of the biggest crimes in history.
Thank you man. And I agree with you. We lost so much.
@@Street-Gems Buildings that were made into churches were usually the ones that survived - the great domed temple in Rome known as the Pantheon is a prime example of this -it survived largely because it was turned into a church! In the same manner the Christian monasteries preserved ancient literature during the Dark Ages - the Irish monks were particularly active in this field.Most buildings decay because of lack of function not because they were wantonly destroyed.
The destruction of the Mayan codices is much worse (and the overall intentional destruction of every civilization and culture in American continent) in my opinion, and what's more terrible is that the overall process of cultural destruction is ongoing.
@@noticiasinmundicias Actually if you knew your history you would discover that the Christian church, though some things were unnecessarily destroyed like the Maya stuff, but overall they did more than anyone else to preserve native languages and cultures. This was because the Christian missionaries wanted to convert the people and wanted them to be able to read the Bible. So they gave the previously oral only languages a written form, creating a grammar and syntax for those languages and thus preserving them. So many of the indigenous languages of the world were preserved because of this like the languages of Australia, Africa and Papua New Guinea. The process started early in history with bishop Ulfilas translating the Bible into Gothic -the earliest written traces of a germanic language. St Cyril and Methodius created the Cyrillic alphabet for the Slavs -the alphabet used by the Russians, Serbians, Bulgarians and others today. With the Protestant reformation the Bible translation thing reached a fever pitch and kickstarted the literatures of many languages like German, the Baltic languages and of course the king James Bible had an inestimable influence on the English cutlure.Special schools were set up to teach literacy so that people might be able to read the Bible and that is why countries like Sweden were the first ones in history to achieve universal literacy. This is all factual!
@@kaloarepo288that is your best guess, nice theory!
Amazing video I am a Greek & had no idea about that explosion that occur during the war you described between the ottomans & Venetian army, that's the first time I'm hearing about it & seriously I felt a stab in my chest when you show the scene of the explosion that was a major crime what they did both sides, I can't believe that there was humans that acted like that only few centuries ago, no regard at all for historical monuments with thousands of years of history, they are worse than monkeys, no brain on their skulls, don't know what else to say...
Take a look at what ISIS and Al-Qaeda do to ancient Iraq monuments
Passionate video. Very engaging.
Thank you. I feel this has been my most passionate project on my channel so far. It's been in the works for 9 months.
The blessed Virgin Mary was not a goddess, but a creature like you and I. The highest of all creatures,Full of Grace and Blessed. Prepared to be the perfect mother to Jesus and all who Trust in him. Salve Maria, God is all that is Good!
Great video, it answered a question I've had since I was in Architecture school (long ago). When we studied the classical Greek structures, I was shocked to learn that the Parthenon had survived through most of the 17th century. Always wondered what led to its destruction and now I know. Thanks -
There is a recreation of the building in Nasville Tennesee USA. They recently finished a gold clad statue of Goddess Athena. It is splendid, I do not know how accurate it really is but at least it sembles what the real Parthenon might have looked like. Humans are mostly Barbarians and religious ones are the worst of the worst that humanity has ever produced. That beautiful building may still be restored to its ancient beauty. Athena may even make a comeback as a Goddess, no one really know.
Thank you for this. I had no idea of its recent history. Very sad indeed. Man creates such masterpieces only to destory them.
Hey, random Greek guy here, loved the video and learned a lot from it. My only criticism is the choice of music, very typical and whats expected when north Americans make a movie or documentary about Greece. Doesn't offend me to be clear but bouzouki solo while learning about Parthenon is like listening to rap beats while learning about MLK. Eye rolling situation if you know what I mean. My choice would be ancient greek lyre or harp music.
Thank you for your support.
Love and respect from Turkey 🇹🇷
Ημουν στο πρωτο λεπτο του βιντεο και εκανα την ιδια σκεψη. +1
He wouldn't know what you mean. He used the bouzouki. An infraction that's easily let slide due to thorough research of the chosen topic by a non-Greek. The music was more for a musical flavor of Greece rather than an accurate musical detail of the time.
@@PhantomFilmAustralia That's why I gave an analogy, we get it how and why non Greeks associate it with Greece, Zorba etc. For Greeks bouzouki=nightclub,drinking,partying. Makes no sense in this setting. You could use it when showing modern day chaos in Athens or Greek beaches but this is out of place , that's all.
That’s actually a great comment! As a random North American guy, I think that any time a creator uses stereotypical but inappropriate music, it’s good if someone lets that person and the viewers know.
I’ve seen another, rather extensive video talking about stereotypical Middle-Eastern music and a short video situated in Venice that uses stereotypical “Italian music,” i.e., Tarantella, to the derision of several viewers, by an organization, Deutsche Welle, that really _should_ know better, so, quite obviously, the issue is not limited to Greece or Greek music (not that you said anything that implied that it was).
I would surmise that these creators aren’t even really _thinking_ about these choices-they’re just going for what, to them, “sounds about right,” what one other commenter called “a musical flavor of Greece” in this case-but, probably, with a few moments of thought, they might be able to find something that is more appropriate and not stereotypical (although whether they are actually authorized to use that music on this platform is another matter).
You are far too hard on Lord Elgin. Truth be told, the Ottoman Turk cared quite little for the ruin of the building. They had already cannabilised what remained in order to build their mosque. Many of the remaining Pentellic Marble sculptures were bunt in a kiln to make mortar and Lord Elgin rightfully believed that this was the fate of the Parthenon frieze: he *rescued* them from almost certain oblivion. The British museum has preserved them and they should probably remain there.
A Scot here. Agreed, the video is a bit hard on Lord Elgin but I think that the time has come to send the marbles back.
I disagree. What will happen when the next power takes London? Greeks are going to be pretty upset if their artifacts can't be protected. What a shame that when the dust settled English students were able to study those artifacts and Greeks could not
No stone doesn't burn but it doesn't have to. Depending on the type of stone, temperature of the fire and length of time it's exposed to it, a fire can severely alter it's characteristics in as little as 20 minutes. Ironically, one of the worst things you can do it try and put it out quickly. Thermal shock can cause stone to crack and shatter collapsing it. However most damage takes the form of fracturing and weakening and requires an inspection. Left unchecked it can leave the structure more susceptible to outside factors like earthquakes and nearby construction.
Thank you. I've always found it puzzling that fire can do such damage to stone buildings.
I dont think that the Venetian’s are totally to blame for this. The Ottomans shouldn’t have place gun powder in there in the first place, regardless if they knew what it was or not.
There were no other space more suitable
@@kingofbithynia Ottomans had no right to be there to begin with
I don't think we should play the blame game so soon after the explosion. We should let both sides deal with their feelings first.
Israel targets mosques (etc) apparently for no reason. Depending on who you listen to of course.
Thank you for presenting a piece of History not normally covered. On the British removal, while it might be good for them to get the works back for a proper restoration job, the Turks had no interest in preserving them. Under Islam it is even proper to destroy such history as it is both pagan and pre-Quran, the only thing that saved the site at all was it was useful to the Turks and not worth the effort to fully replace. By such works being held elsewhere also insures against full destruction. If returned or not cast copies should be made and either original or copy sent with the other held. Remember it has not been that long ago Egypt was taking bids to level the pyramids with the Arab spring before coming back to some economic reality with tourism.
Love your videos! Thanks for making this one. It's very easy to watch. The story is probably little known so very intriguing.
Happy New Year's to everyone watching and wishing you all the best in the next year and on! 🎉🎉🎉
Lets pray for peace and happiness for All and may the great works of the world be treasured always ❤
Hello there sir. Nice to see a comment from you. So happy you watched it. Happy New Year to you too.
While Lord Elgin was guilty of architectural vandalism, you must admit that the marbles, being protected indoors, had their deterioration arrested. The air pollution of the 20th Century was especially brutal (mostly acidic car exhausts). If you look at other ancient marble in Athens that stayed outside the entire time, they are severely eroded to the point that they aren't recognizable. IIRC, the British Museum pulled some molds off the statues in the collection and cast concrete replacements (much more resistant) that were installed in place of the originals.
By far the best historical dramatization on the destruction of monument ever! Congratulations!
Very informative. Keep doing what you are.
What a shame. That was a crime against humanity, and history!
Thank you for making this video. Lest we forget.
Thankyou! I really enjoyed this video. I've visited the Parthenon I think three times so far and I never knew any of the history which you have spoken about. The way you presented it is also first class and a joy to listen to including the music. This will really help me to see the Parthenon in a different light in future. Thank you once again.
Great job Jordan! I never knew that story about its Destruction. Or that the roof was that old. Its crazy how we think if a home last mabey 100 years now, its a good home. So much history, so much wisdom, so many good stories. Keep up the good work!
Great video, very well done!
Ottomans and remorse in the same sentence... impossible.
The Ottomans were barbarians... and they still are today.
Barbarian Greeks
👍
Thank you. A testament to the human paradox between excellence and destructiveness.
Elgin wasn’t a barbarian, just for a bit of reality.
A Pirate for his Lordship ?
Great video. Learned a LOT. Thanks!
Awesome!
Thank you for a wonderful and insightful breakdown on how the complex came to grief.
When I lived and worked in Greece back in the mid 80s and early 90s you would talk to people and they would bring up. The whole thing was done by the Italians and they weren’t too happy about it. I’ve think a good deal of the blind also rests with the turks as it was a damn stupid place to store munitions
Being a bit unfair on Elgin. He not only paid for what he took, he also stopped Greeks burning the shattered ruins for lime. It could be argued he did more for Greek tourism than anyone who ever lived, bar Alexander the Great.
You are blatantly ignorant if you think he "paid for it", or that by any means it was ethical what he did
@@giorgosvarvi697 Do you think he snuck them out under the cover of darkness?
What a fantastic video, thank you! I love history, and I don’t think I’ve ever heard of this account before. Judging by the.comments, many others didn’t know it as well. It was so easy to follow, and the visuals were simply stunning .
Fabulous video. Thank you Jordan.
Wonderful narrative and narration. Thank you. Subscribed.
This is quite a wonderful piece of work! Like millions of other people, I knew nothing of the history of the building. Now I want to go see (what's left of) it even more. Thank you! 😁
This video is totally awesome! Thanks 8)
Decent brief survey of the history of the Parthenon, but your bias/moralizing regarding Lord Elgin was a little over the top and in error in several points. I take no stand on the controversy, but accurately relaying the facts is vital to a work of history.
A nice but sadly inaccurate description of the history of the the Parthenon - written and narrated to make Elgin a plunderer and thief.
In actuality, Elgin was highly disturbed by the neglect he saw of this ancient monument and noted that the locals had neither the money or will to protect or preserve the marvels all around them. Parts of the temple were casually plundered and reused in new buildings and many of the Statues lay toppled and subject to the elements.
So it’s okay to steal from the poor? Cool. A very British perspective there.
I wonder how much time and effort went into this 14 minute video ? two millennia of history condensed to a few minutes, well done! I learned something new today.
Μπράβο! Well done on choosing the subject less discussed and preventing it as simple as that. Well done on the music theme, too.
I don't to think Elgin was such a barbarian after all at the time the locals were burning the marble to make lime .and the British have looked after them pretty well from pollution and the likes . What id like to see happening now is digital reconstructions made so the building could be restored in Al it's ancient glory.wonderful project for the EU and Greece and Britain to be involved in
It's always amusing to view history through the lens of modern moral categories. Living in the times we now critique would probably have revealed the prevailing concept of existence in eras where death and destruction were constant parts of daily life.
1:31 lol I just came from that video! Yet you summed it up in less than 10 seconds here! Either way I enjoy the video. This is my second video after finding your channel. Definitely subscribing!
What a wonderful video! I was several times in Athens, last time was three months ago and I knew about the explosion that destroyed the parthenon. But I have forgotten the circumstances and who and why the cannon was shot onto the temple. Thank you for your valuable work! Fiona
I have visited the original Parthenon in Athens, Greece several times. Then in my later years I visited the full sized copy of the Parthenon in Nashville, Tennessee that was built in 1898 depicting the building as it was during the Golden Age of Greece. The copy in Tennessee really helped me appreciate how much was lost and how truly magnificent the original building had to have been when it was new.
I’ve been to the Parthenon at Nashville. It’s very pretty and with the Athena statue. It did give me a sense of what the Athens Parthenon would been. Many years ago I finally did visit the original during a cruise trip we stopped at Athens and went to an excursion there. What an amazing experience… but it was also sad seen such monumental building destroyed. I wondered if a portion… maybe half of it couldn’t been completed renovated while leaving other half as the original ruins?
tbh, the Greek government should reconstruct the Parthenon. even have a new Athena statue made from gold, ivory and marble.
it might not be original but the ruins sitting there right now are exposed to the elements and suffer erosion.
I would say the same thing with regards to the Colosseum in Rome.
@@darknessoftruth9314 Since it was the Venetians that caused the explosion, how about having the Italian government help pay the bill? Silly me, that would never happen.
Needs to be a go fund me like the cathedral of notradame is already rebuilt 100% just 5 years after being in ruins
Obwohl wenn man die Schulden beider Länder betrachtet, glaubt man das sie das schon mehrfach getan hätten?
Hello Jordan, I thought this was going to be a click bait video, for what is going on in America. So much to learn about our world history, I am happy I watched with understanding that war has never left any country to heal. If I was a rich man I would build it back to its full glory.
Thanks for sharing. ❤
A fascinating history of tragic Grecian historical events. Thank you for sharing this amazing project!
There’s a replica in Tennessee, USA And it’s very stunning.
It is impressive. I had no idea this existed until just a few years ago when I visited Nashville.
*Roy Rooster Voice* "I say boy I, I do say boy, whoever keeps destroying the roofs, is roofless."
Wonderful documentary of the lesser known history of the Parthenon (I didn't know the name origin until now). Thank you for posting this!
Such great history. Thank you! New subscribed.
Fun fact wood can withstand a very long time if maintained look to Japan and espiacially Nara where the oldest wooden building from 630 stands in a temple area in the city.
See also wooden churches built by Goths in eastern Europe and Scandinavia, still standing as from 1300s or so.
Great video happy new year looking forward to more
This youtube channels always tops their content everytime, hope 2025 brings us atleast 1 video per month
Enjoyed seeing all the photos. Good job of putting this together. Even so, it was sad to watch this video.
Εξαιρετικό βίντεο! Μπράβο για την έρευνα και το αποτέλεσμα που αποτυπώθηκε στην εικόνα.
Great video. Most people who never know about the explosion and what really happened to it.
GREAT video. I have a degree in history and this subject was simply never touched. Such a great bit of history to learn and you did a great job teaching it.
Great video and narration! Thank you!
Every time I see this building I feel sick about the idiocy that destroyed it. Thanks for sharing your angle on the history. I appreciate your thinking. Have a great day :)
Acropolis, including the Parthenon, was the first Temple in History
to be built with public money, voted Democratically, by citizens.
As if religion was bad enough to desecrate just a timeless treasure, there’s war and stupidity to destroy it entirely. Excellent video, I learned a lot.
Wtf islamic faith actualy prescribed tons of ruins and scripture stop blaming religion blame people religion as a whole is good for many.
Sadly lost of zeliots saw it as a means of power.
@@redemptionjack4657 did you not watch the video? Perhaps the miranet on top the structure was to your liking. The toilet is where you belong
*tips fedora*
Super video, graphics and compelling story. Thank you!
It was Pere III of the House of Barcelona, king of Aragon, who mencioned it for the first time in the Medieval West in 1380 and even ordened it to be guarded day and night. He said that the Acropolis was "la pus richa joia qui al mont sia" ("the richest jewel in the whole World"). In fact he calls it "lo castell de Cetines", that is "the Castle of Athens", in medieval Catalan.
So many gabs in my knowledge you filled with this video! 👍🏽 thanks for that. subscribed
This presentation was really well done. Taught me a lot too. One of the things I'd like to know is what happened after that war, because at some stage the mosque in the middle of the Parthenon was removed. When did that happen?
It was removed.
This is due to other barbarians like Lord Elgin that our museums Le Louvre or the British Museum have saved remnants of Mesopotamian civilization which otherwise would have been shattered to pieces.
We should be impressed it stay in such a good condition until the 1600’s. 2000+ years is remarkable
Fascinating. Enjoyed this video.
There is a full sized replica in Nashville, Tennessee that is worth visiting because it shows what it looked like when first built.
The Ottoman were similar to Hamas. If it was a place of worship, a school, a museum, it was also an armory. Oh, and Mary isn't and never was a "goddess". She is, of course, a Saint -- a person to be emulated in daily life.
Large public buildings have always been used for storage and as barracks when needed in times of war, as that's the easiest way to find the necessary space. It's presently a common practice in Ukraine as well.
@@WimboldNot one of the most important ancient buildings
@@slickrick2420 Considering that it was essentially the only large building on the hill, yes. People generally didn't attribute that much special value to ancient buildings back then. For instance, the Roman colosseum was used as a quarry all the way to the middle of the 18th century.
@@slickrick2420 Considering that it was essentially the only large building on the hill, yes. People generally didn't attribute that much special value to ancient buildings back then. For instance, the Roman colosseum was used as a quarry all the way to the middle of the 18th century.
@@Wimbold By the Russians.
Wow, excellent video. I was at the Parthenon years ago and don't recall any explanation of the destruction. That was pre internet.
Excellent Video. Very informative.
I was there on my honeymoon with my wife, beautiful building and can only imagine how beautiful intact. War has sadly destroyed many historical buildings, WW2 was very devastating.
They didn't use a shell they used a solid shot cannonball shells where in development in the early 19th century..
I read two versions, that it was a mortar shell and possibly a cannon ball. I kind of used that term a bit ambiguously, as I wasn't 100% what type of armament it was exactly.
By the time of Napoleon exploding shells were common so you are off by a century, the later 1700's or 18th. They were used by both ship and land forces along with Canister, Grape, Jack, Hot, Chain, Bar and some other specialty rounds. Most I mention can even be found on USS Constitution that served very actively in the early 1800's.
very good and researched reel - thank you!
I never knew this, thank you!
This needs to be fully restored, the missing columns replaced, the inner walls rebuilt, a new roof put on and the marble carvings returned from the British museum and with the help of those old drawings placed back in there right places on the pediments and friezes ! And then an new statue of Athena made to replace the one carried of so many years ago !
well.... get over there and help
337 years later, why has it never been restored?
Great video!
The most destructive period is now with the Greeks. It’s a relief they aren’t getting the Elgin Marbles and that Elgin was able to save what he could save for next generations . Just respect for this man
Excellent video.
The reconstruction of Notre Dame should be an inspiration to the people of Greece and the world at large to faithfully rebuild the Parthenon. I’d love to see it rededicated as a Greek Orthodox church, it’s lengthiest role through its history, instead of a ruin where tourists go for selfies.
Britain needs to return the Marbles and also the numerous other treasures of antiquity it hordes to other countries, not to forget a few massive, rare gems it looted as well.
A church would be incompatible with faithful rebuilding efforts, unless you want to reconstruct the hideous mess seen in the video, rather than the original temple.
So humanity continued worshipping idols from Athena to Mary.
Correct,.Jesus is a fictional chatacter created from an accumulation of religions from Antiquity~
The fact you're comparing Many to Athena as a figure to be worshipped is despicable. I wouldn't be surprised if you also believed Jesus was the accumulation of older religions like the other guy, only fools who don't care about the facts say things like that, and the fact is Mary isn't a diety, nor a figure higher than Jesus, who was a historical figure and God, so don't bother arguing with matt.
@s3v3n3 I'm not saying Mary is a diety. The Bible does say, call no man a fool. Thank you for your comment and have a great day.
A perfect example of hubris. Human failure at an historic scale. Humanity will eventually kill itself off. Blessed & cursed our entire history.
Had no idea how deep the history of the Parthenon was
The Venetians would never have penetrated so deep into the Ottoman Empire, in prior times. The Ottomans were in decline. Their last great threat, was the siege of Vienna, less than half a decade earlier. But only a joke of their original glory a few decades later.
I've heard of this cause of the Parthenon's destruction years ago, but not in the details described in this video. Well done. May not have been a cannon ball. Could have been a mortar shell, filled with gun powder, with the looks of that classic spherical "bomb", detonated by a timed lit fuse. Otherwise, if a cannon ball, the ball would have been heated prior to loading it in the gun, so that it would catch fire to what ever it settled into. Gunpowder, especially the early crude stuff, was not as sensitive to impact, as most people believe. This is from personal experience, of making homemade fireworks, and explosives, from my misspent youth.
Thank you for proving Harry S. Truman correct: "The only thing new is the history you have not learned".
Pagan engineers were some of the best ever
A proper Christian slogan "I found Rome a city of marble and stripped it bare leaving only rubble and ruins"
Christian ones were even better
@@Gaheku Nonsense
@@Gahekuthe same could be said of Mexico City. There are today exactly as many churches as there were once Aztec Pyramids
Do you think they were pagan? With such technology? Modern architects can’t duplicate.. 4:27 4:29
Je connaissais l'historique de ce monument, mais pas certain détails aussi précis,
sincères remerciements pour ce travail de recherches.
Thanks for sharing