Before and after: World landmarks empty amid coronavirus closures, quarantines
Landmark locations in Saudi Arabia, Iran, China, Italy and Japan have emptied after closures and quarantines have reduced visitor traffic. These satellite images demonstrate the degree to which people have stopped congregating.
Mecca, Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia hosts the two holiest sites of Islam, in Mecca and Medina, and welcomes millions of Muslim visitors throughout the year with a peak for the hajj pilgrimage. This satellite image released by Maxar Technologies shows a large crowd surrounding the Kaaba at the Grand Mosque in Mecca on Feb. 14.
Saudi Arabia subsequently suspended foreigners' entry for the umrah pilgrimage, as well as tourists from countries where the new coronavirus has spread, as a growing number of cases outside China deepened fears of a pandemic. This satellite view shows Mecca on March 3.
Hazrat Masumeh Shrine, Qom, Iran
On March 6, Iran cancelled Friday prayers across its major cities. Elsewhere in the region, Iraq cancelled Friday prayers in Karbala, where a weekly sermon is delivered on behalf of the country's top Shia cleric. Authorities in the United Arab Emirates, meanwhile, limited prayers to two verses of the Qur'an so they lasted no longer than 10 minutes, over concerns about the virus. These satellite views show crowds at the Hazrat Masumeh Shrine in Qom, Iran, on Sept. 25, 2019 and then on March 1. The shrine is considered by Shia Muslims to be the second-most sacred site in Iran.
Duomo, Milan, Italy
In Italy, popular tourist landmarks like the Piazza del Duomo in Milan are empty. Milan itself is not under lockdown. But some of the towns in Italy's so-called red zone — a handful of communities placed under quarantine due to confirmed infections — are just 50 kilometres away. Here, a view of Piazza del Duomo on Jan. 22 and again on March 1.
Toll road, Wuhan, China
Wuhan, China, is regarded as the coronavirus epicentre, and was among the first cities to be quarantined. Here, vehicles at a toll plaza on Oct. 17, 2019, and again on Feb. 25.
Avenue, Wuhan, China
These images show vehicles along a road in Wuhan, China, on Oct. 17, 2019, and then the same road, empty, on Feb. 25.
Tiananmen Square, China
In Beijing, China, iconic attractions like the Forbidden City are shuttered, subways largely unridden, malls and airports avoided. Schools and universities have been closed indefinitely. Here, pedestrians and cars are seen at Tiananmen Square on Feb. 21, 2019, followed by an image of an almost empty square on Feb. 11, 2020.
Disneyland, Tokyo, Japan
Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea will be suspending operations starting Saturday until mid-March, the resorts' Japanese operator, Oriental Land Co., said Friday. Disney parks in Hong Kong and Shanghai remain closed.
These images show crowds at the Space Mountain ride at Tokyo Disneyland on Feb. 1 and again one month later.
