Authenticity and the irresistible desire to touch

I couldn't resist. I just had to touch the column beside the place where the 9th century Viking Halfdan once carved his name while visiting the by then already 300 year old church of Hagia Sophia. It was mind-boggling.

Finally home again after a long journey from the ISCH (International Society for Cultural History) conference in Istanbul. Going to a conference has many potential values, such as trying your research ideas/results/questions on a competent and hopefully benevolent group of colleagues, getting feedback, learning from others, giving feedback, and - of course - the ever important networking. This time, I left the busy and yet-to-be-explored city filled to the brim with impressions, discussions, new knowledge, new ideas - and some really nice new acquaintances. I get more and more convinced that one of the main raison d'êtres for academia is sharing: by listening, by commenting, by teaching, by the constructive disagreements. I believe the digital development makes sharing so very much easier (and more fun!) - given that people want to share, of course.

Back to the conference, and to the ever present theme of authenticity. In a city like Istanbul where the cultural layers are many and diverse, the question of what is real and what is fake, or what is original and what is a later addition, is an inevitable framework. And for me, being born and raised in a Western European context, the materiality aspect of reality is initially hard to avoid when understanding and interpreting heritage and history. One side of this, the connection between authenticity and materiality (as bearing witness of an authentic past?), is the irresistible desire to touch. I believe there are numerous parallels to the physical relation to sacred objects here.

I have seen them at countless heritage places and in numerous settings: the visitors who, sometimes with a partly ashamed, partly guilty appearance can't hold themself back, but have to touch the walls, the objects, the ground which presumably bear witness of certain events in history or just of a very distant time. They do this despite knowing that touching is generally not permitted in heritage environments due to preservation, and despite, perhaps, a rational doubt why they do this. During my visit to Hagia Sophia and the Cistern in Istanbul, I saw in both places a certain column associated with stories about wishings coming true and other magical events for those who touched it in a certain way. In both cases there were people lining up to perform this ritual of magic touch, and in both cases the people doing this were laughing and making funny faces to a companion with a camera; this was obviously something inviting, thrilling, sensual, but also something a bit shameful that needed ridicule to pass.

 
Visitor touching the ornamented pillar in Justinian's 6th century cisterns in Istanbul


Not only touching, but performing a full circle with the thumb in the hole in the Sweating Pillar or Wishing Column in musealised church-turned-mosque Hagia Sophia is a popular ritual for fulfilling wishes, or just for fun - or because it's a must-do according to guide books?

As for myself, despite considering myself both respectful towards heritage authorities and - in some sense, at least - a sensible person, I am an incurable toucher. There is something to it - but what, exactly? For now, my best answer leans towards the problematic concept of 'Authenticity'. Input, please..?