From wonder of the ancient world to a cathedral in flames, here are 7 historical landmarks
that were destroyed.
Number 7 Statue of Zeus Around 435 BC, renowned Greek sculptor Phidias
created a statue of Zeus that would be regarded as a wonder of the ancient world.
The 43-foot tall statue was erected at the sanctuary of Olympia, Greece, in the Temple
of Zeus.
The ruler of the Olympian gods was depicted sitting on a throne with a statue of Nike,
the goddess of victory, in his right hand and a scepter, with an eagle atop it, in his
left.
The statue was made out of gold and ivory panels that were placed on a wooden framework.
The cedar wood throne was decorated with ivory, ebony, gold and precious stones.
Some historic sources claim it to have been so beautiful that “a single glimpse would
make a man forget all his earthly troubles”.
Many, including Roman general Aemilius Paulus, felt as if they were in the presence of the
god himself.
The details surrounding the destruction of the statue of Zeus are unknown but most sources
claim it was lost in a fire, either at the temple in Olympia or after it was moved to
a palace in Constantinople.
Number 6 Senator Tree At one point, Florida’s Senator Tree was
the both the largest and the oldest bald cypress tree in the world.
It was an estimated 3,500 years old.
Native American people living in Central Florida once used the tree as a landmark.
It stood 125 feet tall with a trunk diameter of 17.5 feet.
Its original height was 165 feet.
But, in 1925, a hurricane destroyed the top of the tree.
It represented a frequent attraction for visitors ever since the 19th century, when most of
the land surrounding it was swamp.
Before we continue with our list, it’s time for our quiz question.
How was the Senator Tree destroyed?
Was it: bulldozed
struck by lightning brought down by another hurricane
burned down Let us know what you think in the comments
section below and stay tuned to find out the right answer.
Number 5 Lighthouse of Alexandria For a long time, the Lighthouse of Alexandria
was one of the tallest man-made structures in the world.
Its construction was commissioned by the first Ptolemy ruler of Egypt, after the death of
Alexander the Great.
The imposing 330-foot tall structure was completed during the reign of Ptolemy II Philadelphus,
between 280 and 247 BC.
It’s regarded as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and its construction
cost about 26 tons of silver.
A furnace at the top produced the light and the tower was mostly built with solid blocks
of limestone.
The lighthouse was destroyed by a series of earthquakes in 956, 1303 and 1323.
Only a stub remained of the former structure and it too disappeared during medieval times
when a fort was built in its place.
Some of the lighthouse ruins were rediscovered in 1994, on the floor of Alexandria’s Eastern
Harbor.
Then, in 2016, plans were initiated by the Egyptian government to turn the submerged
ruins of ancient Alexandria into an underwater museum.
There’s also a proposition to include them on a World Heritage List of submerged cultural
sites.
Number 4 Valetta Royal Opera House The Royal Opera House was one of the most
beautiful and iconic buildings in Valetta, Malta’s capital city.
The classic design was completed by 1861 and the building opened its doors in 1866.
Also known as the Royal Theatre, it had a seating capacity of 1,095 with 200 people
standing.
A mere six years after the theatre’s opening a devastating fire consumed its interior.
Even though the outside was pretty much intact, the intense heat calcified the interior stonework.
The Royal Opera House was subsequently restored and it opened its doors once more, in 1877,
with a performance of Verdi’s “Aida”.
Tragedy struck again, during World War II, when the theatre was struck by German bombers.
Direct hits from the Luftwaffe destroyed the roof, the portico and the auditorium.
The remaining structures were leveled towards the end of the 1950s, as a safety precaution.
Number 3 Crystal Palace London’s Crystal Palace was a true marvel
of the 19th century.
Originally built in Hyde Park, the structure was three times larger than St. Paul’s Cathedral.
The enormous building was made out of cast-iron and plate-glass.
It fact, it had the greatest area of glass ever seen in a building.
Visitors marveled at its clear walls and ceilings, which didn’t require interior lighting.
The Crystal Palace was built to house the Great Exhibition of 1851 and its displays
of technology developed during the Industrial Revolution.
More than 14,000 exhibitors from all-over the world gathered in the space, which measured
close to one million square feet.
It also had a length of 1,850 feet and an interior height of 128 feet.
After the exhibition was over, the Crystal Palace was moved and rebuilt next to an affluent
neighborhood in South London.
It continued to house events and exhibitions but deteriorated with time.
Building the palace cost about $21 million.
But relocating cost approximately $168 million.
The move burdened developers with a huge debt and the building gradually became unsustainable.
Then, on November the 30th, 1936, a raging fire completely consumed the Crystal Palace
within hours.
Number 2 Palmyra After Islamic State militants captured the
Syrian city of Palmyra, a wave of destruction swept through the UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Palmyra is one of the oldest cities in the world with archaeological finds dating back
to the Neolithic.
Early in its history, the city was occupied by different forces until it became part of
the Roman Empire during the first century AD.
It was an important stop on the Silk Road and its inhabitants became renowned merchants.
As the city grew in wealth, it saw a number of monumental construction projects.
The Islamic State took control of Palmyra in 2015.
They subsequently destroyed numerous historic landmarks, including the ancient Lion of At-lat
statue, the 1st-century Temple of Baalshamin, the Temple of Bel, the Tower of Elahbel and
the Monumental Arch.
So, how was the 3,500 year-old Senator Tree destroyed?
If you guessed c, burned down, then you’re right.
The fire at the top of the tree was reported on January 16, 2012.
Like a chimney, it had burned from the inside out and, despite the firefighters’ efforts,
the Senator collapsed.
Only about 20 feet of charred remains were left of it.
A 26-year-old woman named Sara Barnes was arrested by Florida’s forestry division
for starting the blaze.
She was subsequently sentenced to 30 months in prison.
Barnes told officers that she’d regularly visit the tree site when the park was closed.
On January the 16th, she lit a fire with debris so that she could see in the dark.
Unfortunately for the millenary tree, the blaze got out of control and brought about
its destruction.
Number 1 Notre-Dame de Paris The Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris is one
of the world’s most recognized landmarks and a celebrated example of French Gothic
architecture.
A symbol of the French nation, the cathedral welcomed about 12 million visitors every year,
making it one of the most visited Parisian monuments.
Its name translates as “Our Lady of Paris” as it was consecrated to the Virgin Mary.
The cathedral’s cornerstone was laid in the spring of 1163 and it was largely complete
by 1260.
However, it underwent frequent modifications in the centuries that followed.
Its international popularity increased with the publishing of Victor Hugo’s novel “Notre-Dame
de Paris”, also known as “The Hunchback of Notre-Dame”.
In 1971, high-wire artist Phillipe Petit walked a tight-rope between the Notre-Dame towers,
a feat he would repeat three years later with the World Trade Center Towers, in New York
City.
The cathedral was also the site for a number of royal marriages, Napoleon’s coronation
as Emperor of France and the funerals of several French Presidents.
Its long history has also seen tragedy in the form of desecration during the French
Revolution, two gunshots suicides at the altar, a bombing attempt and, more recently, a destructive
fire.
On April the 15th, 2019, a fire broke out beneath the roof of the cathedral and burned
continuously for approximately 15 hours, before it was extinguished.
By that time, Notre-Dame’s spire and roof had collapsed.
There was also severe damage to its interior windows and upper walls.
The cathedral’s stone vaulted ceiling contained the collapse of the burning roof, thus preventing
more extensive damage to the interior.
Some of the treasures and works of art were evacuated in the early hours of the fire but
others were destroyed or damaged.
The fire is believed to have been connected to the renovation works which were taking
place at the time.
There isn’t suspicion of a deliberate act.
But as of the making of this video, the investigation is still ongoing.
President Emmanuel Macron promised a restoration of the cathedral and within 24 hours, there
were worldwide pledges amounting to over $900 million.
Thanks for watching!
The destruction of which landmark do you think impacted the world the most?
Let us know in the comments section below!