The tremors on Saturday’s devastating earthquake in Nepal lasted barely a minute by some accounts, yet this was enough to bring down centuries of Nepalese history.
Among the buildings to collapse was the Dharahara tower, which once dominated the skyline of the capital Kathmandu but has now been reduced to a stump.
Built by Nepal’s first prime minister in 1832, the site, also known as the Bhimsen Tower, was popular among tourists who would climb the more than 200 steps to the viewing deck at the top.The tower has already been rebuilt once before, after it was damaged in the huge earthquake of 1934.
The Unesco-recognised Durbar Square in the capital’s Old City, has been flattened according to some reports.
A mesh of palaces, courtyards and temples, Unesco calls it “the social, religious and urban focal point” of Kathmandu.
The Buddhist temple complex at Swayambhunat, founded in the 5th Century, has also been damaged.
Video footage showed the toppled facade of one of the buildings, with the prayer flags surrounding it still fluttering in the wind.
But the iconic central stupa, with its gazing eyes of the Buddha, still stands. – BBC
