Just one year ago, a massive fire took over the pearl of Gothic architecture, Notre-Dame de Paris. The images of the burning cathedral spread in just a few moments, causing everyone to shut down and whisper words of solidarity with France.
Notre-Dame experienced wars and revolutions, but we couldn’t keep it safe in the 21st century. It is sad, but we continue to lose the beautiful places we love, even though we have everything necessary to protect them.
We want to remember the beautiful architectural and natural sites that we have lost in the last 5 years, hoping that we can all do something to prevent this.
1. Notre-Dame de Paris, Paris, France
The fire at Notre-Dame de Paris shocked the entire world and became almost a personal tragedy for all French citizens. A masterpiece of French Gothic architecture suffered a major fire on April 15, 2019.
According to police investigators, the fire started in the center of the cathedral ceiling. The causes of the tragedy are still being investigated.
One of the theories suggests that the fire may be related to the works that were taking place in the cathedral at the time of the disaster.
During the eight centuries of its history, Notre-Dame has served as a religious, cultural and educational center for France and the entire world and has inspired the most prominent artists.
2. Legzira Beach, Sidi Ifni, Morocco
A couple of beautiful arcades on Legzira Beach was a landmark and one of the symbols of Morocco, until one collapsed in September 2016.
A pile of rubble on the coast was all that was left of the natural wonder that attracted thousands of tourists to the beach. Some people blamed local authorities for the collapse of the arch.
A few months before the tragedy, people noticed cracks and small stones falling from the arch, so it is predicted that it will fall sooner or later. Local residents believe that authorities could have shored the arch to protect it.
3. Temple of Bel, Palmyra, Syria
The main temple of Palmyra was destroyed in 2015 during the war in Syria. It was one of the most important religious buildings of the 1st century AD and the ancient world in general. What remains now is a pair of columns standing amidst ruins.
The city of Palmira, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, included monumental ruins of the ancient city, arts and architecture dating from the 1st and 2nd centuries and the integration of Greco-Roman techniques with local traditions.
It also had more than 1,000 columns, a Roman aqueduct, and a necropolis with more than 500 tombs. Unfortunately, many treasures in this ancient city suffered during the conflict in Syria.
4. Joshua Tree National Park, California, USA
Joshua Tree National Park is a wonderful place that boasts unique desert ecosystems, with surreal geological features and a wide variety of the most unusual plants.
Ranger supervision was greatly reduced during those days, and the park suffered terrible vandalism.
People cut down trees, started fires, damaged trails, and left graffiti on these amazing places.
One of the park’s former superintendents said it could take 200 to 300 years for the park to recover from the damage it got over just a couple of weeks.
5. The Little Mermaid, Copenhagen, Denmark
The sculpture was made by Edvard Eriksen in 1909 and, in fact, we “lost” this monument many times during its comparatively short history.
The beautiful mermaid was decapitated twice, lost her arm, and was covered with paint and graphite on numerous occasions.
6. Lake Mackenzie, Tasmania, Australia
In January and February 2016, Tasmania suffered severe forest fires that affected one of the most picturesque lakes in the region, Lake Mackenzie.
The bushfires also destroyed unique plants, some of which, like old pines, have no chance to regenerate.
In short, the fire burned 20,000 hectares of the Tasmanian desert. Although now, years after the disaster, plants are beginning to show signs of recovery, it will be a long time before we can see this green place and live again.
7. Brimham Rocks, North Yorkshire, England
It’s no secret that tourism ruins landmarks, but it still looks amazing when people destroy 320 million years of history in just seconds.
In June 2018, the children toppled one of the balanced rocks at Brimham Rocks, and the stone was broken into pieces.
These oddly shaped balance rocks have been formed by wind and ice for millions of years, but for some reason people have deemed it appropriate to ruin this beauty and part of history.
In addition to physically ruining the natural treasure, they also carve their names on these stones that appeared even before the first dinosaurs roamed the Earth.
What do you think of the damage we have done to our inheritance? Do you think there is a way to stop this and make people appreciate our treasures?
Preview photo credit Depositphotos.com, AFP / EAST NEWS
