Created in the 6th century, the amazing Buddhas of Bamiyan were once one of Afghanistan’s most prized possessions. The two massive Buddha statues were carved into the cliffs of the Bamyan Valley and stood 35 and 53 meters tall, respectively.
These beautiful monuments managed to survive Afghanistan’s war-torn history, even making it through the horrifying rule of Genghis Khan. However, the Taliban proved to be their end, when in 2001, they decided to blow them up with dynamite. Obviously, being Islamic fundamentalists, they didn’t want any Buddhist symbols on their land. But not all hope is lost, as Afghan groups are currently in talks with UNESCO to rebuild the beautiful Buddhist monuments.
Duckbill
Situated in the beautiful U.S. state of Oregon, Duckbill was once a very popular destination for tourists and locals alike. In what seems like a story almost too ridiculous to be true, the impressive sandstone rock formation was destroyed as part of a "revenge" plot.
On August 29th, 2016, a group of people vandalized the fence and toppled the monument because one of their friends had apparently broken a leg there earlier. Unfortunately, the people responsible were never caught, and the stunning formation along the Oregon Coast was lost forever.
The Lighthouse of Alexandria
Built in 280 B.C., the Lighthouse of Alexandria, also known as the Pharos of Alexandria, was a majestic lighthouse in Alexandria, Egypt. The structure was built by the Ptolemaic Kingdom and would serve as a beacon until its destruction in 1480. The lighthouse is estimated to have been over 100 meters tall, meaning it was the tallest structure in the world for centuries.
It was considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World. However, a series of earthquakes in 956, 1303 and 1323 caused the lighthouse to eventually crumble to the ground. Its remains were only found centuries later by French archaeologists, in 1994, at the bottom of Alexandria's Eastern Harbour
The Crystal Palace
The 19th century saw a surge of culture and industry exhibitions throughout Europe, and the first one of these grand World Fairs was the Great Exhibition of 1851. Logically, it had to be held in a place fitting to its grandeur, and so The Crystal Palace was built. Located in London, which was the world's cultural capital at the time, the palace was a Victorian-style, cast-iron and plate-glass structure.
Originally built in the famous Hyde Park, it was relocated to a hill in south London after the exhibition. The Crystal Palace was a massive structure, covering an astounding 92,000 sq. meters. Sadly, this architectural marvel and tourist attraction was destroyed by a fire in 1936.
The Aral Sea
People call what happened to the Aral Sea the world's most "dramatic" disappearing act. Located between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, the Aral Sea used to be the fourth-largest lake in the world. But after an irrigation project started by the Soviet Union in the 1960s, all the rivers that fed the lake were diverted, causing it to dramatically shrink in size almost immediately.
This was a terrible disaster for the fisheries and local communities that depended on the body of water. The little water that was left became increasingly salty, and extremely polluted after pesticides and fertilizers seeped into it. Today, the once-beautiful Aral Sea is a haunting spot with poor soil and some old, decaying ships. In a final, desperate effort to save the lake, Kazakhstan built a dam, but sadly, the Aral Sea will never return to its former glory.