The death toll in Nepal from last weekend’s 7.9 magnitude earthquake has exceeded 4,000 people, a number expected to rise as local authorities continue to comb through the remote regions surrounding the country’s capital of Kathmandu. But also lost in the indiscriminate destructive powers of the quake were irreplaceable pieces of Nepal’s cultural history, some dating back several centuries.

Four of the Kathmandu Valley’s seven World Heritage Sites—as deemed by UNESCO, the United Nations’ science and culture agency—suffered serious damage in the quake, with UNESCO director Irina Bokova describing the destruction as “extensive and irreversible.”

According to early assessments by UNESCO, the damage appears to be concentrated in three Durbar squares (or “noble courts”); Patan, Hanuman Dhoka (Kathmandu), and Bhaktapur. Below are before and after photos of some of the landmarks destroyed in the quake, appended with their approximate build date. (If I’ve misidentified any of the buildings, please let me know: aleksander@gawker.com)

Maju Deval (1692)


Statue of Hindu god Garud (1692)


Basantapur Tower (1770)


Dharahara Tower (1832)

Before images via Wikimedia; after images via AP/Getty. Contact the author at aleksander@gawker.com.