The catastrophically powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck Nepal on Saturday has so far killed more than 2,300. The death toll continues to rise amid rescue efforts and persistent aftershocks.
Amid so much destruction, many in the country’s capital, Kathmandu, are taking stock of the city’s historical sites, many of which were reduced to rubble by the most severe earthquake to hit Nepal in more than 80 years. Four of the historical sites deemed by UNESCO to be World Heritage Sites were badly damaged by the earthquake.
According to UNESCO, the architecture which was developed over the past two millennia “boasts of one of the most highly developed craftsmanship of brick, stone, timber and bronze in the world.”
UNESCO has pledged to help rebuild the sites. For now, however, efforts in the country are focused on saving as many of those trapped beneath fallen buildings as possible.
Founded in the third century, Patan Darbar Square included an amalgamation of temples in several different styles, including what some believe to be the best example of stone architecture in Nepal.
Rescuers: 12 bodies recovered from under the Hari Shanker and Uma Maheswar Temple in Patan. pic.twitter.com/nMUGE2LrtY
— Kunda Dixit (@kundadixit) April 25, 2015
Patan Nepal pic.twitter.com/k83SKyps4E
— Kunda Dixit (@kundadixit) April 25, 2015
A sprawling temple complex that was once home to royalty, Bakhtapur Durbar Square originally boasted 99 courtyards. Severely damaged by an 8.0-magnitude earthquake that hit Nepal in 1934, now only six of the original courtyards remain.
Basantapur Durbar Square was the residence of Nepal’s royal family until the 19th century. According to the Nepali news site Ekantipur, 80 percent of the temples located there were destroyed by the initial earthquake and it’s aftershocks: “Several temples, including Kasthamandap, Panchtale temple, the nine-storey Basantapur Durbar, the Dasa Avtar temple, Krishna Mandir and two dewals located behind the Shiva Parvati temple, were demolished by the quake.”
UPDATE: The world's largest & holiest #Tibetan Buddhist stupa, Boudhanath damaged in #NepalEarthquake #PrayForNepal pic.twitter.com/eiRpXmQ6TF
— Jigme (@JigmeUgen) April 25, 2015
Boudhanath Stupa, the largest stupa in Nepal and the holiest Tibetan Buddhist temple outside Tibet damaged in quake. pic.twitter.com/2DUNl6BdIg"
— Divi Teachers Info (@DiviTeachers) April 26, 2015
Amongst the most immediately noticeable losses is the toppling of the Dharahara Tower, a nine story tower that offered visitors who braved its spiral staircase a magnificent view of Kathmandu. Built to honor the queen of Nepal in 1832, the Tower had recently been re-opened after renovations. On Saturday, local police said that rescue workers had pulled 180 dead bodies from amidst its broken bits, but that several people remained trapped under the debris.
“I was here yesterday, I was here the day before yesterday, and it was there,” Kashish Das Shrestha, a photographer and writer, told the New York Times. “Today it’s just gone. Last night, from my terrace, I was looking at the tower. And today I was at the tower — and there is no tower.”
The top segments of the Tower fell in the 1934 earthquake, but was subsequently rebuilt.
Dharara was seen by my grandfather minutes after it fell in 1934. Today was my turn to see the rebuilt Dharara fall. pic.twitter.com/QWbcJYOgSY
— Kanak Mani Dixit (@KanakManiDixit) April 25, 2015
Rebuilding the historical sites this time around — especially the older ones — will be no easy task as Nepal in the face of a horrific loss of life and significant damage to more basic infrastructure.
Prushottam Lochan Shrestha, a historian, said the sites may well be lost forever, given the technical and monetary challenge of rebuilding them.
“We have lost most of the monuments that had been designated as World Heritage Sites,” he said. “They cannot be restored to their original states.”