The Dharahara Tower Then
Built back in 1932 by Bhimsen Thapa—the “Machiavellian” mukhtiyar (chief minister) of Nepal, the Dharahara Tower stood tall over downtown Kathmandu, Nepal for nearly two centuries. Rising nine stories high from its base to the top, the monument was recognized as the tallest building in Nepal. This tower housed a spiral staircase, complete with 213 steps for any visitors brave enough to take on the challenge of hiking up to the very top of the structure.
But being in the Himalayan Valley and its terrifying proximity to an unstable fault line, the Dharahara Tower faced a myriad of environmental challenges since its construction. After standing through some formidable earthquakes, the tower’s luck ran out. On April 25, 2015, Nepal’s most iconic landmark was reduced to rubble, after a 7.8-magnitude earthquake shook the nation.
The World Trade Center Then
The World Trade Center of New York City was originally comprised of seven buildings, spread all across the NYC burrow of lower Manhattan. While the concept was proposed in 1943, it was not built until David Rockefeller put the construction in motion. In total, over 10,000 workers were hired for the construction of the massive World Trade Center complex.
At the time of the World Trade Center’s initial construction, there were a number of concerns. However, despite it all, the World Trade Center would carry on. Beginning on August 5, 1966, it was completed by April 4, 1973. The structure was considered “a triumph of human imagination and will,”
The Tragedy and Ground Zero Today
It was on this day—on 9/11–that the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center would fall in an act of brutal, extremist terrorism. 2,606 innocent people in and around the towers in the Financial District would be tragically taken. In addition to the lives of those taken on the ground, the 157 people on board the two hijacked planes that crashed would also be tragically killed during the terrorist attack. In the aftermath of these devastating attacks, the tragedy, though heartbreaking, inspired Americans to band together, supporting one another through the nation’s darkest hours.
The tragic loss of loved ones, combined with the shocking disappearance of the Twin Towers from the classic New York City skyline, will forever serve as a reminder to never forget what happened on the tragic September day. On September 12, 2011, a memorial to honor the victims, as well as the heroic efforts of the firefighters and first responders was placed at Ground Zero, where the World Trade Center once stood.
The Dharahara Tower Today
The government of Nepal banned together to push forward efforts to reconstruct the Dharahara Tower. Construction of the Dharahara Tower 2.0 began in June of 2018. Designers, architects, and builders aimed to make the new Dharahara Tower completely earthquake-proof.
Funded by the Nepal Reconstruction Authority — the government organization leading the reconstruction effort of the structure — according to Lonely Planet, while the new tower is “aesthetically similar” to that of the old tower that once stood prior to the earthquake, the new tower was ultimately decided to be constructed out of modern materials, utilized with the latest earthquake-resistant technology.
The Berlin Wall Then
The infamous Berlin Wall of Germany was widely regarded all over the world as the “Wall of Shame.” Constructed on August 13, 1961, by the German Democratic Republic following the end of World War II, this foreboding concrete, barbed wire was placed between East and West Berlin, and was built to divide the German city of Berlin both ‘physically’ and ‘ideologically.’
Heavily guarded by German militants, the Berlin Wall stood for nearly three decades. This suppressive structure was meant to prevent those in East Germany from crossing over into the West. Prior to the wall’s construction, an estimated 3.5 million East Germans crossed over from the East, into West Berlin.