25 Before-And-After Photos Of Famous Cities That Are So Mind-Blowing They Feel Like Real-Life Time Travel

It’s amazing, and slightly unbelievable, that the cities we’ve become so used to living in didn’t actually look this way decades ago. There’s nothing quite like holding up an old photograph in the same place it was captured years earlier, hoping to spot something similar, but seeing an entirely new world. Interestingly enough, some cities simply built around their historic buildings, while others completely revamped, introducing shiny new skyscrapers and high-rise blocks. Either way, these transformations have been truly extraordinary. To celebrate them, we’ve compiled this list of 25 before-and-after photos of some of the world’s most famous cities, proving just how much they’ve changed over time.

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#1 Ho Chi Minh 1930s vs. 2016

© Photo: gallica.bnf.fr

#2 Kyiv 1920 vs. 2021

© Photo: Dziesięciolecie Polski Odrodzonej

#3 London 1920 vs. 2014

© Photo: gelio

#4 Kuala Lumpur 1884 vs. 2019

© Photo: G.R. Lambert & Co

#5 Chicago 1937 vs. 2015

© Photo: Chicago Tribune historical photo

#6 Singapore 1969 vs. 2015

© Photo: Urban Redevelopment Authority website

#7 Athens 1862 vs. 2015

© Photo: The Royal Collection Trust

#8 Berlin 1983 vs. 2021

© Photo: Thomas Farr

#9 Istanbul 1912 vs. 2013

© Photo: Underwood & Underwood

#10 Shanghai 1934 vs. 2015

© Photo: eBay.com

#11 Tokyo 1945 vs. 2014

© Photo: japanairraids.org

#12 Sydney 1935 vs. 2020

© Photo: Sam Hood

Measuring at over 2700 feet, you can probably guess that the Burj Khalifa in Dubai tops the list of the world’s tallest buildings. At this point, you might be thinking how a structure so massive is still standing. Well, to keep the skyscraper stable and upright, engineers relied on a type of structural system known as a buttressed core.

#13 Las Vegas 1920 vs. 2010

© Photo: U.S. National Archives and Records Administration

#14 Buenos Aires 1986 vs. 2018

© Photo: Nathan Hughes Hamilton

#15 San Francisco 1906 vs. 2021

© Photo: Geo. R. Lawrence Co.

#16 New York 1920 vs. 2021

© Photo: Mark DeJoy

#17 Seoul 1905 vs. 2016

© Photo: Han Young-Woo

#18 Rio De Janeiro 1889 vs. 2011

© Photo: Marc Ferrez

#19 Los Angeles 1910 vs. 2019

© Photo: Wikimedia Commons

#20 Cairo 1904 vs 2015

© Photo: Eduard Spelterini

#21 Dubai 1966 vs. 2021

© Photo: nrlgroup.ae

#22 Abu Dhabi 1980 vs. 2019

© Photo: Chris Down

#23 Melbourne 1870 vs. 2010

© Photo: C. Nettleton Photo / Melbourne

#24 Shenzhen 1964 vs. 2015

© Photo: Eric Hilaire and Nick Van Mead

#25 Jakarta 1880 vs. 2022

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© Photo: Potret Lawas