Ten years ago, the 11th century minaret of the Umayyad Mosque stood in splendor above the city of Damascus, Syria. Today, the wreckage of the mosque offers a stark reminder of the cultural loss the world has experienced over the last ten years, as iconic spiritual sites have been destroyed as a result of war, short-sighted economic expansion and natural disasters.
Fortunately the human spirit can never be fully extinguished; and many communities have come together to rebuild some of these holy sites and re-envision sacred spaces for the future.
These ten religious sites are just some of many destroyed or greatly altered since 2005, and they act as a reminder of the important ancient heritage of our world religions -- and a rallying call to preserve others for the future.









