From France to Mali: Destruction of iconic structures
Over the past 25 years, revered and often ancient cultural monuments and buildings all over the world have succumbed to fire and bombs, whether accidentally or targeted. Notre Dame Cathedral's fire is the latest example.
Paris, France: Notre Dame Cathedral
On April 15 a huge fire swept through the iconic Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, considered a jewel of gothic architecture. Firefighters managed to save the roughly 800-year-old building's main stone structure, but the roof and other parts of the cathedral were destroyed. Several donors have already come forward to help with the cathedral's reconstruction.
Weimar, Germany: Anna Amalia Library
In 2004 a fire destroyed the main wing and a good part of the collection of historical books housed in the Anna Amalia Library. Millions of euros went toward the restoration of the library building, including its ornate Rococo-era room (above), and it was reopened in late 2007. During WWII, most of the collection had been housed elsewhere to keep it safe from Allied bombing.
Palmyra, Syria: Temple of Baalshamin
During the course of the Syrian Civil War, militants from the self-proclaimed "Islamic State" (IS) group in 2015 released propaganda videos showing the explosion of ancient shrines in Palmyra, Syria — including a more than 2,000-year-old temple. In 1980 UNESCO had designated the temple of Baalshamin as a World Heritage Site. It's architectural was a blend of Syrian, Egyptian and Roman styles.
Bamiyan, Afghanistan: Buddha statues
In in 2001 fundamentalist Taliban commanders ordered two huge 6th-century Buddha statues carved out of an ancient sandstone cliff blown up for being pre-Islamic "idols." The statues, which were between 35 and 53 meters (115 and 174 ft) tall, were exemplary representations of Greco-Buddhist art that flourished in central Asia. The world was shocked by the destruction.
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: National Museum
Once the residence of the Portuguese Royal family, the building was used as a museum beginning in the late 19th century until it was gutted by a fire in 2018. For the most part, the vast collections of the country's invaluable cultural and scientific heritage were destroyed in the flames that engulfed the 200-year-old building.
Timbuktu, Mali: Historic mausoleums
Timbuktu is famous for its historic center, which dates back to Mali's 15th and 16th-century golden age when it was a center of learning. Parts of it, including mosques, shrines and tombs, were placed on UNESCO's World Heritage list in 1988. But in 2012 Islamists attacked multiple shrines, severely damaging them. Rebuilding followed and the sites, including the mausoleum above, reopened in 2016.