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 Buddhas of Bamyan
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.
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
Lake Poopó
Among the vast Altiplano Mountains in Oruro, Bolivia, you could find Lake Poopó, once the country's second-largest lake. Located at an altitude of approximately 3,700mts, Lake Poopó was a saline lake that once served as a scenic spot for tourists and an important landmark for the miners of the region.
The lake dried up in 1994 but was completely revitalized by heavy rains. Unfortunately, even though the lake was declared a conservation site in 2002, it had dried up completely for the second time in December 2015. Largely due to climate change (such as the melting of the Andes glaciers), unmonitored mining and agriculture also contributed to the lake's disappearance. And it doesn't seem the lake will recover this time around.
Cave of Altamira
Spain is one of the most culturally and historically rich countries in Europe, and the Cave of Altamira was once one of its biggest draws. Located near the small, historic town of Santillana del Mar in the Cantabria province, the Cave of Altamira was renowned for its prehistoric parietal cave art. The charcoal drawings and polychrome paintings of local fauna and shapes of human hands adorned the cave walls and attracted flocks of visitors from around the world.
Sadly, this historical treasure was closed to tourists in 2002, after the high number of visitors started to damage the paintings by breathing too close to them. This produced water vapor and carbon dioxide that caused the paintings to get moldy. However, a year before its closing, in 2001, tourism officials foresaw the situation and opened a replica cave and museum nearby so people could continue to visit.