ABSTRACT
Through an analysis of Acropolis relevant content within guidebooks which were available in Athens city centre in 2006, this chapter explores the modes in which the narratives contained in travel guidebooks construct or reinforce some of the meanings related to its status as a World Heritage site, a popular tourist attraction, and the ultimate symbol of Greek identity'. In an earlier study, Koshar discusses the historical development of guidebooks in Germany and Europe from the mid-nineteenth century onwards, in which he also traces the representations of national identities. The power of guidebooks to inform the meanings millions of tourists attach to places, including meanings related to national versus universal' belonging and ownership of World Heritage sites. The World Heritage status of the Acropolis is omitted even though the Acropolis is described as the universal symbol of art and values that were born' in the classical period.
