Middle East’s ancient monuments are the most endangered on Earth

Middle East’s ancient monuments are the most endangered on Earth

Due to hotter summers, the stones at some of Egypt's most famous sights are cracking and changing color

At one time, it was the largest city in the world, thought to be home to the hanging gardens of Babylon, one of the seven wonders of the world, as well as the legendary Tower of Babel.

But today, the ancient city of Babylon in what is now southern Iraq is falling apart. The city originally founded around 4,300 years ago is a mix of modern and ancient. Now, reconstructed plaster facades, built to replicate the historical originals, are falling off walls and some buildings, once popular with tourists, have become too dangerous to enter.

"Years of groundwater seeping up and then very, very dry summers are causing buildings to collapse," explained Eleanor Robson, professor of Ancient Middle Eastern History at University College London (UCL), who's been visiting Iraq's heritage sites several times a year for the past decade. "I spent a day last May walking around with Ammar al-Taee and his team [from the World Monuments Fund in Iraq] and it was so distressing," she continued. "They're just watching the place collapsing before their eyes."

The ancient Iraqi city, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since