British TikToker sparks outrage in Greece by comparing the Acropolis to ‘a place where Bob the Builder would live’ and criticising ‘the absolute state of it’ during a visit, as furious staff throw him out of the restricted area
A British TikTokker has sparked anger in Greece by dismissing the famous Acropolis as a âglorified construction siteâ.
The influencer, who lists on the platform as being from Manchester, criticised the “absolute state” of the famous landmark, saying it resembles a place where beloved British cartoon character “Bob the Builder” would live.
“They call it the city of the gods, but I’m a little disappointed (because) it’s a glorified construction site. Look at the state of it, the absolute state of it,” he said as he filmed ruins with scaffolding around them.
During his visit, an irate staff member ordered the man to leave the restricted area after he stepped over the rope to get closer to the temples that were being restored at the time.
âPeople are loving it… look at this, theyâre throwing me off too. Whatâs wrong with me walking here, realistically?â the TikToker asked as a staff member repeatedly blew a whistle at him, telling him to âget outâ of the cordoned-off area.
Greek TikTok users called him out over the video, with one telling the content creator: “You are disrespectful and I wonder if you would dare to break the rules of the British Museum. Never visit the Acropolis again.”
The influencer (pictured), who states on the platform that he is from Manchester, criticized the “absolute state” of the famous monument and called it a “glorified construction site”
“They call this the city of the gods, but I’m a little disappointed (because) it’s a glorified construction site. Look at the state of it, the absolute state of it,” he said as he filmed ruins with scaffolding around them
The TikTokker said ‘this is where Bob the Builder would live’ while pointing to the construction containers on the Acropolis
âWhat are you paying ÂŁ10 for if you’re just going to walk around and look at the scaffolding and stuff,â the TikToker said
The man, whose username is peakedteaviews, appeared to be angry about builders storing the materials they needed to restore the Acropolis.
He said, pointing to scaffolding and seemingly unused equipment, “They just left it there. To be honest, they don’t care. If they just leave it there, leave it there â it’s a tip. It’s a glorified tip.”
After the employee told him he wasn’t allowed to go into the restricted area next to the walking path, he replied, “But I just wanted to go that way… I just want to get going again,” as she reiterated that he wasn’t allowed to do so.
âWhat are you paying ÂŁ10 for if youâre just going to walk around and look at the scaffolding and stuff? Itâs like giving a kid a Minecraft game and telling them to just make a pile of shit,â said the tourist, who has almost 40,000 followers on TikTok.
He added: ‘Is this the city of the gods or is it a place where Bob the Builder would live, let’s be honest.’
The TikTokker claims he was later âthrown out of the Acropolis,â but it’s unclear whether he means being kicked out of the restricted area or whether he was asked to leave the Acropolis altogether.
His video quickly drew comments calling him âdisrespectfulâ and saying he deserved to be kicked out.
Someone commented under the video: ‘Instead of making a fool of yourself like this, you should go to your own country and return the sculptures you stole from the Acropolis.’
âIt’s like giving a kid a Minecraft game and telling him to just make a pile of shit,â said the tourist, who has nearly 40,000 followers on TikTok.
During his visit, an irate staff member ordered the man to leave the restricted area after he stepped over the rope to get closer to the temples that are currently undergoing restoration.
After the employee told him he was “not allowed” in the restricted area outside the walkway, he responded, “But I just wanted to go that way… I just want a fresh start,” as she reiterated that he was not allowed to do so
Above you can see some of the marble objects that Lord Elgin removed from the Pantheon Temple on the Acropolis in the 19th century
The Pantheon (pictured in 2023) was partially destroyed during a Venetian bombardment of the Ottoman Empire in 1687 – when a cannonball was fired into it, blowing up the gunpowder stored inside – and subsequently looted
What are the Elgin Marbles?
The marble sculptures, also known as the Parthenon sculptures, are a series of ancient Greek sculptures created between 447 BC and 432 BC.
They were the work of the Greek architect Phidias, who also created a statue of the ancient god Zeus, which was considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
The artifacts consist of 17 figures that adorned the Parthenon.
A smaller portion of the sculptures, about 50 metres high, still stands in Athens, but the majority â about 80 metres high â are in the United Kingdom.
Another added: ‘An uneducated person. Please don’t be like him. If you want to see a better Acropolis, ask (the) UK to return all the marbles they stole. It would look beautiful then.’
âIf you and your country (the UK) don’t care about the Acropolis by breaking the rules in the temple (which you clearly did), then bring the marbles you stole from us back to Greece,â urged a user named Freskos.
The marbles the commentators are referring to are the Elgin Marbles. These were brought to Britain from the famous Pantheon Temple.
In the early 19th century, workers commissioned by the Scottish nobleman Thomas Bruce, better known as Lord Elgin, removed entire friezes from the monument.
Elgin sold the marble statues to the British government, which transferred them to the British Museum in 1817, where they remain one of the museum’s most prized exhibits.
London has long claimed that the statues were taken with the permission of the Ottoman Turks, who ruled Greece at the time. Athens, however, continues to insist that they were stolen.
The Pantheon, together with the Erechtheion, the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, the Propylaea of ââAthens and Athena Nike on the Acropolis, was built in the 5th century BC in honour of Athena, the patron goddess of Athens.
The Pantheon was partially destroyed during a Venetian bombardment of the Ottoman Empire in 1687. A cannonball fired at the Pantheon exploded the gunpowder stored inside, and it was subsequently looted.
Fragments of the temples and the artworks within them are scattered across many renowned museums.
Since the beginning of the 20th century, Greece has been trying to regain it.