A monument erected in the year 2018, during the rule of the former APNU/AFC coalition government, has left several unanswered questions, such as:
- What is the significance of the monument in relation to the town of Mahdia?
- What does the monument (a rock) represent or symbolize?
These questions were never adequately answered by representatives of the former government. In fact, according to a Newsroom article dated 29th of October, 2018, an official from the Ministry of Communities said that the rock “has no significance to the town of Mahdia.”
The monument erected in the town of Mahdia, Region Eight, has no significance to the town. The dolerite rock was selected and simply placed at the center of the town; no sculpting was done. The rock was taken from Eagle Mountain and was the smaller of two options offered by a mining company in Region Eight. He said the first option was too heavy to transport; that first rock weighed some 30 tonnes. And so, the second option was decided on. It is some 12 tonnes lighter than the first option.
Source: News Room
The monument, which bears an uncanny resemblance to a human penis, was erected (no pun intended) in October, 2018 to commemorate the transitioning of the community of Mahdia into a town – and thus the capital of Region 8. Mahdia, incidentally, is located very close to the center of Guyana. The “rock structure” is embedded 11 feet underground and stands 11 feet above the ground. It was unveiled the same time that Mahdia was declared a town in October, 2018.
Although the Mahdia rock monument has been a source of amusement for a lot of people, and the significance was never formally stated by government officials, a rock in general is a symbol of strength, security, stability, and protection. Nevertheless, it is the shape and appearance of the Mahdia monument which makes Guyanese uneasy, ticklish, and sometimes even a bit embarrassed.
So, what do you think about the Mahdia rock monument? Tell us in the comments! And would you take a selfie next to it?
