Australia's Uluru (Ayers Rock) was back in business at dawn today after its Aboriginal owners lifted a ban on climbing the monolith that was imposed after the death of an elder.
Once known as Ayers Rock, Uluru was closed for 11 days during a mourning period. The elder's family originally requested a three-week closure, raising fears among tour operators that they could face an avalanche of compensation claims.
Despite the speedy reopening, tourism officials said the days were probably numbered when tourists could ignore Aboriginal objections to visitors trampling over their most sacred site, and a permanent climbing ban would one day be put in place.
"That will be on the agenda, Ms Brooke Watson, manager of the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park," told Reuters.
Around 500,000 foreign and Australian tourists a year visit Uluru, which rises 348 metres (1,130 feet) above the red desert in Australia's geographic and spiritual heart - 420 kilometres (260 miles) from the central town of Alice Springs.
Handed back to the Anangu people in 1985, when it changed its name from Ayers Rock, Uluru is leased under a permanent contract to the government.
The summit of Uluru was closed on May 14th after a key Aboriginal leader died. The elder, who cannot be named for cultural reasons, was buried on Tuesday in South Australia.
Under the perpetual lease, park authorities must dissuade visitors from climbing to the top, an act that could be regarded as akin to scrambling over an altar in a Christian church.
Signs remind tourists to respect the wishes of the owners, and Ms Watson's team distributes pamphlets to direct visitors to the cultural centre, where Uluru's Aboriginal context is explained.