23 Incredible Photos of Cities Then and Now

Recently I browsed through some contrasting photos of famous cities in the past and present. Through these photos, I gained an in-depth understanding of human dynamics and the environment we now adapt to.

These cities have developed through trade and commerce; there are also some cities that have been rebuilt after wars and natural disasters; the development of cities between the past and the present is incredible. Let’s take a look!

1. Dubai

The Persian Gulf is a bay extending from the northwest of the Arabian Sea into the Asian continent. In the distant past, Dubai in the United Arab Emirates was located here. At that time, Dubai was called A fishing village and trading port. An international airport was built here in the 1970s and serves as a stopover point, and the area is famous for its oil trade. Today Dubai is the largest and most populous city in the region and a tourist destination.

2. Singapore

Singapore, located in Southeast Asia, is still carrying out land reclamation projects with the goal of increasing the available land area. Since the 1960s, Singapore has increased its total land area by about 23% (about 130 square kilometres) through reclamation, and this will continue until at least 2030.

3. Seoul

It is known that people have lived in the Seoul area of ??South Korea for thousands of years. Once, it was a walled city with a circular building surrounding it to protect the people who lived within it. Trade with the West only began in the early 1990s. Today, Seoul, South Korea is a world economic and financial center and home to some of the world's Fortune 500 companies.

4. Tokyo

Tokyo, the capital of Japan, had to completely rebuild large areas and its population after World War II. Today, Tokyo is now the most populous city in the world.

5. Sydney

Archaeological excavations have revealed evidence that Australian Aboriginals have lived in this waterside city for more than 30,000 years. The colonized city was in the midst of the Great Depression, which affected many people around the world. Sydney's famous Harbor Bridge provides employment opportunities for many people. Today, Sydney ranks as one of the most expensive cities in the world.

6. Fortaleza

Fortaleza, a coastal area from Rio de Janeiro, the most famous city in Brazil, has more than 20 kilometers of beaches and is one of the most popular places in Brazil and overseas. A popular destination for tourists. Today, it is Brazil's fifth largest city with a population of over 2.3 million people.

7. Athens

Athens! This has been a densely populated area for about seven thousand years. Athens was built in a coastal basin surrounded by hills and four mountain ranges, now covering an area of ??over 400 square kilometers (250 square miles).

8. Berlin

It is said that Berlin in northeastern Germany is the most heavily bombed city in history. During World War II, large areas were destroyed. The city then spent about 50 years divided by a wall that separated its residents. This is the famous Berlin Wall. Berlin, the capital of Germany today, is now one of the most prosperous European cities.

9. Paris

Early Paris was the favored home of many craftsmen and intellectuals, and it remained so for centuries. Its most famous Eiffel Tower is one of the most recognized and visited buildings in the world and is on many people's bucket list.

10. London

London, the capital of the United Kingdom, is a city with thousands of years of history.

One of the most unique neighborhoods is undoubtedly Covent Garden, which was built in the 17th and 18th centuries and is still well preserved. Locals and trendy tourists flock here in their spare time. Even if you're a regular, Covent Garden never fails to amaze you.

11. New York

New York, the most densely populated city in the United States. In the 1932 photo, you can see the Empire State Building, which was built in 1930, along with other buildings from the early days. Fifty years later, in 1988, the modern skyscraper became a New York icon. By 2013, the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center were gone. It can be seen that it is not an exaggeration to say that the development of New York in the United States leads the world.

12. Los Angeles

What many people don’t know is that from 1821 to 1847, Los Angeles was actually part of Mexico. The Hollywood Hills later merged with the city. Only a few skyscrapers can be seen in downtown Los Angeles, the rest are mainly low-rise buildings.

13. San Francisco

In 1906, a 7.9-magnitude earthquake occurred in San Francisco, USA, destroying most of the city. The St. Francis Hotel, located on the right side of Union Square, survived the earthquake with only minor damage. The original building on the left side of this picture was not successfully preserved.

14. Hong Kong

Hong Kong was a colony of the British Empire from the 1840s to the 1890s, except for the Japanese occupation during World War II. In the black and white image on the left, you can see the British influence, not only in the style of the cars and British double-decker buses, but also in the branding on the street signs. Hong Kong's sovereignty returned to China in July 1997.

15. Istanbul

Istanbul, Turkey, is a transcontinental city. It is separated by the waters of the Bosporus and covers the land areas of Europe and Asia. At the time the black and white photo was taken, around the turn of the 20th century, Istanbul would have been the capital of Turkey. Now it is a popular tourist destination for its historical architecture.

16. Rome

The Colosseum in the center of Rome, Italy, is the largest amphitheater ever built and is still standing nearly 2,000 years after its construction in 70-80 AD. Don't fall. In its heyday, it is thought to have accommodated spectators of up to 80,000 people. Over the years it has been damaged by earthquakes and stone thieves, but it remains an important stop in Rome.

17. Toronto

Canada's multicultural Toronto has faced major reconstruction several times. Toronto was devastated by fire in 1904 and then suffered further damage from a hurricane in the 1950s. Today, the city has grown to include several modern high-rise buildings for commercial and residential purposes.

18. Madrid

Madrid, the capital of Spain, is a historical and heritage city. A cinema built in 1923, located in the center of Madrid. It is still a fully functional cinema and still shows movies every day. It is the famous Cine Dore cinema.

19. Dublin

The prosperity of Ireland's capital "Dublin" has fluctuated since the seventh and eighth centuries. The infamous Guinness Brewery was built here, dating back to 1759. The Irish War of Independence in 1916 and later the Troubles in Northern Ireland saw Dublin go through some tough times, but over the past few decades the city has expanded and grown rapidly.

20. Casablanca

Casablanca is the largest city in Morocco and one of the largest cities on the African continent.

Parts of its urban area were demolished and rebuilt several times. Morocco gained independence in the 1950s and is now a major city and world economic and financial center.

21. Milan

Milan, Italy is home to this impressive Gothic cathedral, built between 1386 and 1577 and one of the largest churches in the world. one. Now known as one of Europe's major fashion capitals, Milan is a mixture of modernity and antiquity, covering an area of ??1,900 square kilometers (730 square miles).

22. Moscow

Moscow, Russia, has always been a mystery to many people around the world, despite being one of the largest megacities in the world. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s, Moscow's economy, population and urban expansion have grown.

23. Havana

Cuba’s “Havana” was once a playground for the rich and famous. From the 1920s to the 1950s, American movie stars and Mafia gangsters flew here to gamble at the casinos and party at the clubs. Today, Havana is often described as three cities in one, Old Havana, Vedado, the central business district, and the suburbs.

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