World-famous destinations empty due to corona pandemic outbreak

Kaaba Temple

Every year, millions of Muslims make a pilgrimage to the Kaaba, located in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. The Kaaba is a rectangular structure built of granite, 15.2 m high, 10.7 m wide, 12.2 m long, covered with black silk kiswa embroidered with gold thread on the outside. This is believed to be the place where the Prophet Mohammed was born.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused the Saudi Arabian government to suspend visas for pilgrims to Mecca since late February 2020. Therefore, the Kaaba temple these days has only a few people.

St. Peter's Square

The vast St. Peter's Square, located in Vatican City in front of St. Peter's Basilica, is a masterpiece of architecture and balance that inspires a sense of reverence and spiritual peace. Designed by Bernini in the 1600s, the square, while limited by the constraints of the surrounding architecture, was able to create a trapezoidal square of exquisite symmetry.

On March 6, the Vatican announced the discovery of its first case of Covid infection and immediately erected a barrier. St. Peter's Square, a tourist attraction that brings great economic benefits to the Vatican, has become deserted, even during prayer sessions.

Sensoji Temple

Sensoji Temple is an important Buddhist temple in Asakura Ward and Tokyo City. It is also known as one of the oldest and most "colorful" temples in this city. According to legend, in 628, two brothers carved a statue of Kannon Bodhisattva to release on the Sumida River. Every time they released the statue, it returned to its original place, and from there the people built Sensoji Temple.

Considered a must-see attraction for visitors to Tokyo, Sensoji is rarely visited these days.

St. Mark's Square

Venice is considered one of the most romantic cities in Europe, with St. Mark's Square considered the "heart" of the city. Napoleon once called this unique square "the most beautiful square in Europe", and it is always filled with tourists, photographers and pigeons.

Covid-19 has put Italy under a complete lockdown, with people asked to stay at home and foreign tourists not allowed to enter. The most beautiful square in Europe is therefore also empty of visitors.

Disneyland

Disney recently announced the closure of Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, USA, due to the Covid-19 epidemic. The company also announced that Disneyland Paris and cruise ships would stop operating. Previously, Disneyland in Anaheim, California also had to close. Currently, all 11 Disney parks across North America, Europe and Asia have stopped welcoming guests.

Tokyo Dome Stadium

Tokyo Dome is located in the center of Tokyo, the capital city of Japan, is the home stadium of the Yomiuri Giants baseball team, also hosts basketball, football and professional wrestling matches... with a capacity of up to 55,000 people. Tokyo Dome was designed by Japanese architects based on the model of a baseball and is designed as a closed ball.

The pandemic has caused sports matches and events scheduled to be held here to be cancelled.

Piazza del Duomo

Piazza del Duomo is Milan's main square, nestled between some of the city's most important buildings, including the world's oldest shopping mall and Italy's largest cathedral. As such, Piazza del Duomo is always the first choice for tourists when they have the opportunity to visit the beautiful city of Milan.

Tiananmen Square

Tiananmen Square is one of the famous tourist attractions in Beijing, known as the “heart” of the capital. Built in 1417, the square was originally named Thua Thien Mon.

During the Qing Dynasty, the square was renamed Tiananmen Square. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, this was the office of the imperial court. After the Boxer Rebellion, this place was heavily damaged and was restored by the imperial court to become the square as it is today. In the middle of the square is the Monument to the People's Heroes and the Mausoleum of Mao Zedong. Walking to the west of the square, visitors will see the Great Hall of the People - this is where major conferences are held and today is the Chinese National Assembly building. To the east of Tiananmen Square is the National Museum of China.

Although Tiananmen Square is usually crowded with tourists, it is extremely deserted during the pandemic.

Colosseum

The Colosseum was conceived by Emperor Vespasian, begun under Titus in the early 80s, and completed under Domitian. Situated on marshy land between the Esquiline and Caelian hills, it is the largest structure built during the Roman Empire and one of the finest surviving examples of Roman architecture. The Colosseum is also a major tourist attraction in Rome. Every year on Easter Friday, the Pope makes a torch-bearing procession to the Colosseum.

Grand Central Station in New York

Manhattan's Grand Central Station (meticulously restored in the 1990s) is a grand train station in the tradition of the nation's railroad heyday. Built for the New York Central Railroad between 1903 and 1913, Grand Central is the world's largest train station and a major New York tourist attraction. Approximately 750,000 passengers travel to and from their trains each day and admire the architectural beauty of Grand Central. It is also a place for shopping and dining, making it an ideal entertainment destination.

Rosemary