Taking pictures of the most famous sights can be a serious risk for a tourist. As the authors of the ParrotPrint.com report, who presented the most popular sights for photographing which can be severely punished, say, yes, it does not fit in your head, but the tourist risks getting a fine or even going to jail for taking pictures of extremely popular places. For example, for photos of the Eiffel Tower… Or maybe not – if he knows the specifics.
“We all take so many pictures when we travel to new places, and when we are so used to taking pictures, it is hard to imagine that photography is actually prohibited and illegal in some places around the world,” said Matt Dahan, expert companies. According to him, there is a risk, at best, to get by with “indignant statements of the guards,” but if the tourist is not lucky enough, he can be fined and even go to jail. And in quite civilized countries.
So, let's give examples – tourists will be able to appreciate their surprise even by the first “copy”:
- The Eiffel Tower. Against the backdrop of those billions of photos of one of the main attractions of Paris that appear daily on the network, it even sounds absurd – but it's a fact. Taking pictures of the tower is illegal, though only at night and only when all 20,000 light bulbs are on. “European copyright laws say that photographers must obtain permission before photographing this. In addition, images cannot be distributed without permission, including uploading them to social networks,” the service’s experts write. They also claim that it is difficult to seriously “hit” by violating this law – the authorities understand that with the total volume of photographs this is absurd. But tourists – lovers of complex and professional photographs – are warned: by setting up a camera and a tripod near the Eiffel Tower at night, you can get a not very pleasant conversation with the police …
- Taj Mahal. Almost every tourist is familiar with the appearance of this famous landmark in the Indian city of Agra. But the interiors of the mausoleum are almost none of those who have not been in it. And this is not an accident – photography is strictly prohibited inside the main mausoleum and near it. By the way, with a large backpack or a tripod, they simply won’t let you in, or they can make sure that the tourist turns off the phone.
- UAE: no specific sights are named here, and in general, in most museums you can take pictures, in the famous Sheikh Zayed Mosque in Abu Dhabi you can also take pictures, including in terms of interiors. But tourists are warned to still be very careful when it comes to photography, “especially around palaces, military installations and government buildings, where it is expressly prohibited.” Tourists are also warned that the country's laws require consent and permission to photograph anyone, and UAE prosecutors are running ongoing online campaigns to raise public awareness of the rules and penalties. Another point of warning: UAE airports have photo and video bans – this is where you run the risk of getting a fine and even jail for an innocent video on social networks before departure.
- Sistine Chapel: in the famous sights of Rome to take pictures strictly prohibited. The reason, by the way, is not the safety of the frescoes – as the authors of the study assure, the rule was introduced after the Japanese television company Nippon TV financed a multimillion-dollar restoration project for the chapel in exchange for exclusive photography rights.
- The Tower of London. “The ban is probably a security measure so that people do not plan a robbery,” comment the experts of the service. In the “House of Jewels”, where the Crown Jewels are kept, photography and video recordings are strictly prohibited. Let us add, by the way, that a similar ban “works” in the Russian Diamond Fund, where photography and video filming is also strictly prohibited.
For those who value a healthy lifestyle, we recommend reading: “A nutritionist called 7 Reasons to Benefit from Eating Olives.