50 Fascinating Photos That Show How Famous Places Have Changed Over Time

“Change is the only constant.” You’ve likely heard different variations of this quote, but it ultimately expresses one of life’s fundamental truths: everything is bound to transform, whether through progression or regression.

Check out these photos and see for yourself. We’ve collected images of various landmarks around the world, showing how humans and Father Time have treated them over the decades.

The best part: you can see the differences in each picture with a simple swipe to the right. Enjoy!

#1 Via Della Conciliazione Is The Main Avenue Leading To St. Peter’s Basilica Of Vatican City, 1910-2013

Image credits: IFN

#2 Reichstag, Berlin, 1945 And 2012

Image credits: Ghetto Fighters' House Museum

#3 Machu Picchu, 1911-2016

Image credits: Hiram Bingham

As places go through significant changes, so do their inhabitants. Experts refer to this as urban evolution, where genetic transformations occur to help make these environments more adaptable.

An example is the rat population in New York City. Studies have shown that Big Apple rodents have evolved to have shorter rows of teeth, likely due to their diet of softer foods in an urban setting.

#4 Osnabrück Train Station, Germany, 1965 And 2015

Image credits: Robert von Hirschhorn

#5 Pripyat, Ukraine, 1986 And 2016

Image credits: Unbekannt

#6 Place Du Carrousel, Paris, France, 1900-2016

Image credits: anonym

Urban coyotes also went through a similar evolution, according to a January 2025 study published in Genome Biology and Evolution. Research has shown that urban coyotes have become more adaptable to starches due to increased access to pet and human food.

#7 Arctic Sea-Ice Coverage, 1984-2012

Image credits: NASA Scientific Visualization Studio

#8 Moulin Rouge, Paris, France, 1900 And 2016

Image credits: Unknown

#9 Eiffel Tower, 1900 And 2017

Image credits: anonym

Each of the major cities on this list has undergone notable changes, as evident in the photo comparisons. Urbanization does drive evolution, and according to recent developments, may spawn new life forms.

In 2024, a new species of mosquitoes was discovered in Mesa County, Colorado. These pests can lay eggs in small amounts of water, which, according to experts, has made them more difficult to control.

#10 Mont Saint-Michel, France, 1908 And 2016

Image credits: Frank Spencer Presbrey

#11 St. Paul’s Cathedral, London, 1941-2019

Image credits: IWM

#12 St. Nicholas Church, Berlin, 1939 And 2013

Image credits: Philipp Meuser

Before the invention of light bulbs and electricity, people relied on flames as their primary light source. The less illumination there was, the darker night skies became, unlike in today’s perpetually illuminated world.

Author and environmental philosopher Christoper Preston blames light pollution for less starry skies and disrupted circadian rhythms.

“There is no doubt (urbanization) is a path causing an unstoppable shift in who we, as well as the species that like to live alongside us, essentially are,” Preston wrote in an article for The MIT Press Reader.

#13 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington, D.C. And Capitol, 1900-2013

Image credits: Unknown

#14 Stairway To Doi Suthep Temple, Thailand, 1910-2015

Image credits: unbekannt

#15 Beverly Hills, California, USA, 1918-2018

Image credits: Unknown

As always, your insights are valued, dear readers. Which of these photos do you find most fascinating? What drew you in? Let’s liven up the comment boxes!