Before-and-after satellite images show how the coronavirus has emptied global landmarks, from Mecca's Grand Mosque to Tiananmen Square
Maxar Technologies/Reuters
The coronavirus epidemic has prompted many people to avoid busy places and halt their travel plans.
Popular tourist landmarks like the Piazza del Duomo in Milan and holy sites in Saudi Arabia and Iran have emptied out, as can be seen in new satellite photos from the space-technology company Maxar.
Take a look at some before-and-after aerial images, taken around the world, to see just how much the epidemic appears to have affected the landmarks.
Tourist landmarks around the world are being emptied out as people avoid busy places and halt travel plans over fears of catching the novel coronavirus.
The Grand Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, on February 14 and February 27.
A series of before-and-after satellite images are now illustrating just how much foot traffic has fallen in many popular sites, including Milan's Piazza del Duomo and Saudi Arabia's Grand Mosque.
The aerial pictures, taken by the space-technology firm Maxar, were taken either a year apart or, in some instances, just days apart.
More than 98,000 people have been infected, with cases confirmed in more than 80 countries.
Scroll down to see the photos:
The major city of Wuhan, China — thought to be the origin of the outbreak — has been worst affected by the virus. This picture of a toll plaza in the city in October shows cars lining up.
Maxar Technologies/Reuters
The outbreak has put the daily lives of millions of people on pause. In late February, the same toll plaza in Wuhan was looking deserted.
Maxar Technologies/Reuters
As multiple international airlines started canceling their flights to China, the Wuhan airport was especially affected. Here is what it looked like last October ...
Maxar Technologies/Reuters
... compared with what it looked like on February 25 — mostly empty.
Maxar Technologies/Reuters
Another airport affected by the epidemic is the Imam Khomeini International Airport in Tehran, Iran — one of the worst-hit countries outside China. Here's the airport on January 11.
Maxar Technologies/Reuters
The airport looked significantly emptier a month and a half later, as the country urges Iranians to limit their travel in an effort to stop the virus from spreading further.
Maxar Technologies/Reuters
Source: BBC
Back in China, one of its most iconic historical landmarks, Beijing's Tiananmen Square, is usually always filled with people. This picture was taken in February last year.
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Almost exactly a year later, the square and its surrounding roads looked much more deserted.
Maxar Technologies/Reuters
Another landmark heavily affected by coronavirus fears is the Grand Mosque, or Masjid al-Haram, in Mecca — one of the centers of Muslims' annual pilgrimage. This photo shows a large crowd surrounding the mosque's Kaaba on February 14.
Maxar Technologies/Reuters
This photo — taken just 18 days later — shows the area with much smaller crowds. Saudi authorities closed down the Kaaba and the Great Mosque in Mecca on February 27.
Maxar Technologies/Reuters
Saudi authorities also restricted tourist visas for those traveling to Mecca on pilgrimage on February 27. They reopened the mosque Friday.
Another holy site in Iran — the Hazrat Masumeh Shrine in the city of Qom — is undergoing a similar transformation. This picture of the holy site, popular among tourists and pilgrims, was taken in September.
Maxar Technologies/Reuters
Here it is looking far less crowded on March 1. Though the authorities have not shut down the site, ministers have asked people not to travel to Qom.
Maxar Technologies/Reuters
Source: BBC
Theme parks have also borne the brunt of the virus. The top-left corner of this photo, taken February 1, shows crowds gathering near Tokyo Disneyland's Space Mountain ride.
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This photo, taken exactly one month later, shows those crowds gone. The theme park closed over coronavirus fears on February 28.
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Authorities say the Tokyo Disneyland will be closed until at least March 15.
Source: Fortune
Sites in Italy are also seeing massive downturns in foot traffic. This photo, taken January 22, shows Milan's Piazza del Duomo, which sees more than 5 million visitors a year.
Maxar Technologies/Reuters
Source: Culture Trip
The famous tourist site looked significantly void of people this week, as can be seen in this aerial photo.
Maxar Technologies/Reuters
Italy is the worst-affected country in Europe, with more than 3,800 coronavirus cases recorded as of Friday. Authorities have locked down multiple towns and canceled major public events.
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