We’re used to seeing modern photos of the world’s ancient wonders, from the towering Giza Pyramids to the ruins of Pompeii and the Great Wall of China. But what did they look like 50, or even 100 years ago?

Click through the gallery to see stunning now and then images of the planet’s most famous landmarks and the secrets they keep...

Rising from the Giza Plateau, Egypt's Sphinx sculpture is one of the world's most jaw-dropping landmarks. It's enormous, at about 240-feet (73m) long and 66-feet (20m) high, and it's thought to have been built under King Khafre, who ruled some 4,500 years ago. The legendary monument was actually buried right up to the shoulders for centuries, and it wasn't entirely excavated until the 1930s. It's still partially entombed in sand in this 1882 photo, which shows British troops swarming the monument after the Battle of Tel-El-Kebir.

This more modern snap shows the great landmark freed from its sandy confines, with the Giza pyramids soaring in the background. In recent years, archaeologists have continued digging (both literally and figuratively) and have revealed fascinating snippets about the workers who likely built it. The discovery of a huge store of cattle bones, for example, suggests that a thousands-strong work force feasted on high-quality meats as they toiled away.

If this photo wasn't black and white, you'd probably think it was a modern-day shot. That's because the colossal Pyramids of Giza – built around 4,500 years ago – have changed little over the past centuries. They didn't always look like this, though. According to the Smithsonian, the limestone was originally worked and smoothed with a sandstone brick, leaving a polished white finish that glinted in the sun. This picture captures the much more familiar, weather-beaten structures sometime in the late 1800s or early 1900s.

Today the pyramids look much the same as they did around a century ago, right down to the folks riding camels in the foreground. But our understanding of these monuments is constantly changing. For example, archaeologists have discovered curious contraptions that go some way to explaining how the giant landmarks were built. More findings also suggest that the pyramids were held together with a concoction of limestone chippings and mortar, much like modern concrete.

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Taken from a slightly closer angle more than 100 years later, this photograph shows that the Parthenon has changed little over the last century. The columns remain, as does the ruined portico, both rising up amid scattered boulders. Now fragments of the ancient Greek temple are housed (sometimes controversially) in museums around the world, from Paris to Vienna. Among the most impressive are the Elgin Marbles, a series of intricate friezes and sculptures at the British Museum.

Hewn from mighty bluffs of red sandstone, the Treasury (or Al-Khazneh) is the greatest wonder left behind in the ancient city of Petra. The city is thought to have thrived from around 400 BC and experts believe that the elaborate Treasury served as a royal mausoleum. Europeans tracked down the incredible ruins in the early 1800s and the site gradually established itself as a tourist destination. This close-up shot taken circa 1900 shows off the Treasury's stunning columns and carvings.

The gorgeous salmon and burnt-orange colours of the Treasury are on full display in this modern-day shot, but apart from that the two snaps differ very little. Nevertheless, the ancient structure, which typically receives over one million visitors per year, has felt the impacts of tourism. According to studies, the precious sandstone here, including that of the Treasury's façade, is wearing away due to tourist activities including walking and sitting. The site has been protected under UNESCO since 1985.

This mammoth stone circle has been baffling experts for time immemorial. The impossibly perched henge is thought to date back some 4,500 years, yet its exact purpose and usage still remains a mystery. Its stones are carefully arranged to line up with the movements of the sun, so it could have served as some kind of Neolithic calendar or, more likely, a place of worship and/or a burial site. Over the last century, the site has been carefully restored and studied further. This photo from 1901 captures a landmark dig and restoration project overseen by renowned British engineer William Gowland. 

This image shows Stonehenge more than 100 years later. Gowland's wooden frames and equipment are long gone, but experts are still trying to understand the fascinating monument. The most recent excavations have turned up relics including deer antlers, pottery and burial sites. New evidence has also linked Stonehenge to a site called Waun Mawn in Pembrokeshire and archaeologists now believe that the monument was erected in Wales, before being transported to its current site on the Salisbury Plain.

More mysterious stone circles still baffling experts

The carved human figures, or moai, scattered across Chile's Easter Island really have to be seen to be believed. The tallest among them soars to well over 30 feet (9m) and although it's not known exactly when these colossal busts were built, there's no doubt they've watched over the island for centuries. Extensive restoration projects were carried out in the mid-20th century – here archaeologists work on a towering moai circa 1969.

Pictured here about half a century later is Ahu Ko Te Riku, a moai in the Tahai complex, looking over the South Pacific Ocean with its striking restored coral eyes. Modern-day archaeologists are still trying to work out the reason why these brooding statues were erected. The most recent studies have linked their locations to the presence of fresh water sources.

You can barely turn a corner in Rome without coming face to face with some glorious ancient wonder. Among them is the Arch of Constantine, which enjoys pride of place right next to the fabled Colosseum. The triumphal arch is decorated with elaborate reliefs and friezes, and was built in AD 315 to celebrate Constantine's victory over Maxentius at the Battle of Milvian Bridge. It's long been earmarked by tourists as a photo spot: this shot shows a trio of smiling visitors posing before the monument circa 1930.

The Romans revered the hot springs that bubble in the ancient city of Bath. Convinced of the water's healing properties, they built an extravagant bathhouse and a temple devoted to goddess Sulis Minerva. But after Roman rule ended in Britain, the baths fell into disuse and disrepair. The site was rediscovered in the 1880s and large parts of the Great Bath were uncovered and eventually opened to the public in 1897. Tourists look across the ruins of the Great Bath in this photo taken in the late 19th century.

Pictured here more than a century later, the Great Bath is glittering once again. It's no longer possible to bathe in the waters, but modern visitors to the site can still immerse themselves in ancient Roman history. Typically tourists wander around the Great Bath and drink in the Temple Courtyard, where the Romans would have worshipped goddess Sulis Minerva. The Thermae Bath Spa, which is fed by those famous hot springs, is right on the doorstep too.

In this present-day night shot, Pula Arena is juxtaposed with its more modern surroundings. The harbour is crammed with sleek sail boats and lights glitter on the water at dusk. Today history buffs can explore the amphitheatre and it also typically hosts concerts, dance shows and festivals in place of bloody gladiatorial battles.

Excavations and restoration projects began at the site in the late 19th century and into the 20th century, and Baalbek's ancient structures underwent repairs over time. This recent shot shows the Temple of Bacchus looking remarkably more pristine than it did in the 1880s. It also came under UNESCO's protection in 1984.

Just under a century later, travellers are still flocking to this fascinating Mexican site. This modern photo shows tourists gathering at the foot of the towering structure and also climbing the steps that lead up to its summit. The entire site is ripe for archaeological discoveries too. Secret tunnels and a chamber were found under its sister landmark, the Pyramid of the Moon, in the last decade.

You might be familiar with images of Chichén Itzá – an ancient Maya city known for landmarks like the grand, stepped pyramid of El Castillo. But this photograph, taken circa 1859–1860, shows the famous archaeological site in a rather different state. The city was once home to tens of thousands of people, flourishing around AD 600, when it was a political and commercial heartland of Maya civilisation. Yet it began to decline before the Spanish conquest. It's pictured here ruined and covered with vegetation in the mid-19th century.

Through the early 20th century, extensive work was carried out at the site: vegetation was cleared, ancient relics were excavated and striking monuments were restored. This photo shows a section of the site in the modern day, no longer swallowed by trees and shrubs. In 2022, Chichén Viejo, a new jungle-clad fragment of the site, was opened to the public. Unlike in the past, the vegetation hasn't been cleared. Modern archaeologists have realised that the overgrowth acts like a protective 'skin' for the ruins and should be left as is.

The temple's sleek platforms and pillars look markedly more intact and pristine in this modern shot than they did in the early 20th century. The site underwent major excavations and reconstruction work from the 1960s onwards and the results were magnificent. Statues have also been excavated, and modern-day tourists can explore the complex and learn about the fascinating life of this female pharaoh.

The figures, buried close to the mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang (founder of the Qin dynasty), are thought to date to the 3rd century BC and were likely created to protect the late emperor in the afterlife. This current-day photograph shows the site after further excavations, which revealed even more terracotta effigies. Work at the site is ongoing with archaeologists suspecting that yet more soldier-filled pits will be uncovered.

A similar view of Pompeii's Forum is captured here in the present day. Still the ruins are painstakingly preserved and you can spot tourists milling about the ancient remnants. Archaeological work continues to uncover more about Pompeii's residents too. From ongoing excavations, experts have been able to reveal everything from their political ideals to their lunch choices.

Take a look at more amazing lost cities rediscovered

Another ancient site once veiled by greenery, Tikal, in northern Guatemala, was an ancient Maya city and a ceremonial hub. It bloomed from about 300 BC and was eventually populated with great plazas and pyramids, many of which have been preserved for posterity. This is an early photograph of the site, snapped around 1882. The breathtaking ruins are choked by vegetation and the floor is littered with trees. The photo was taken by British explorer Alfred Maudslay, who was involved in mapping and excavating the site during the 1880s.

Now the ruins, part of Tikal National Park, usually draw tourists from all over the globe and a museum, opened in the 1960s, sheds further light on the ancient settlement. Best of all, it seems that there's much more of this fascinating site to discover. In fact, studies using LiDAR technology have suggested that Tikal is four times larger than experts originally thought.

America's ancient landmarks are often forgotten, but sites across the States offer intriguing insights into the country's earliest settlers. Among them is Mesa Verde National Park and its Cliff Palace, an incredible 150-room dwelling built up by Ancestral Pueblo people from around AD 1190 to 1260. It's pictured here in the 1930s, and you can see tourists wandering about the walls and kivas.

Little has changed over the past decades and this could be the same image, just in vibrant colour. It's typically possible to explore the Cliff Palace on a ranger-led tour, peeking into ancient rooms and climbing steep ladders. In 2021, the park was also certified as an International Dark Sky Park – the 100th such site in the world.

Fast-forward to the modern day and the ancient wonder is a bustling tourist hub: once-quiet roads hum with traffic and tourists can be seen peering out from its bold archways. Despite the landmark's age, we're still discovering its secrets. Tiny details like little red numbers painted above those archways offer hints about its history: in this instance, the numbers suggest that Roman spectators followed an ordered seating plan. A new, retractable floor is also set to be installed at the Colosseum, allowing tourists to stand right where gladiators once clashed.

The scale of China's Great Wall is immense: it stretches out for around 13,171 miles (21,197km) according to the most recent estimates and is punctured by hulking watch towers. While the wall's roots go as far back as the 7th century BC, the best-preserved sections (one of which is pictured here) date to the Ming Dynasty (from the 14th to the 17th centuries). The most touristed segment, at Badaling, was also restored in the 1950s, the same decade that this photo was captured.

Fast-forward almost three quarters of a century and the wall typically attracts millions of visitors each year. In recent years, the wall's 'wildest' parts have been given some attention too. The Jiankou section is one of the structure's most famously remote and perilous fragments, spilling over soaring mountains in a spool of rubble and ruin. However, high-tech renovation efforts occurred in 2019 and beyond, in an effort to make the area safer for visitors and to preserve it for posterity.

Bennelong Point is a promontory on the eastern side of Sydney’s Circular Quay. It was named after Bennelong, a local aboriginal who worked as a liaison between the first British settlers and the local population. Over the years it has served as a fort, a tram shed and, in modern times, as the site of the city’s iconic Opera House. This photo was taken in 1873, with the turret of Macquarie Fort clearly visible. The Fort was built between 1817-1821 and demolished in 1901 to make way for a tram depot which opened in 1902.

In the 1950s the New South Wales government decided that Sydney needed to build an opera house in order to take its place among the great cultural capitals of the world. Bennelong Point, with its spectacular harbourside location was chosen as the site. An international design competition was held and the breathtakingly original design by Danish architect Jørn Utzon was chosen. It finally opened on 20 October 1973, 10 years late and 1,300% over budget, and instantly became a symbol of Sydney and of Australia itself.

This stunning tidal island, topped by a mystical, gravity-defying abbey, is one of the most breathtaking sights in France and understandably one of its most popular attractions. The Gothic-style Benedictine abbey was built between the 11th and 16th centuries and had to overcome all manner of issues during its construction. Here we see a group of fishermen trawling the shallow waters around the island towards the end of the 19th century.

Very little changed on Mont Saint-Michel over the centuries until a permanent walkway connecting the island with the mainland was opened in 2014 (pictured). The 2,500-foot (762m) long bridge can be used by both pedestrians and shuttle buses and replaced a 135-year-old causeway that was subject to the vagaries of the tides. Visitors can still approach the island across the mud flats by foot, just like pilgrims always have, but engaging the services of a knowledgeable guide is highly recommended.

It took an awfully long time to build Cologne’s stunning Gothic cathedral. The foundation stone was laid in 1248 but it wasn’t until 1880, 632 years later, that it was finally opened. Intermittent wars and a constant lack of funds were the main culprits, but during the Reformation the project was practically abandoned altogether. Thankfully a pair of architects, Ernst Friedrich Zwirner and Richard Voigtel, took up the mantle and this soaring symphony in stone was finally complete.

Close to 150 years later the cathedral still dominates the skyline of Cologne. It is regarded as one of the most beautiful examples of Gothic and Neo-Gothic architecture in the world and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996. It continues to enthral and awe visitors, especially when seen approaching the city by train. The cathedral attracts more than 20,000 visitors each day and it is open all year round.

The Roman aqueduct of Segovia was built during the reign of Emperor Trajan, sometime around AD 50. With its two tiers of arches it is regarded as one of the most impressive feats of Roman civil engineering in Spain and was used to carry water 10 miles (16km) from the Frio River to the city. Here we see the aqueduct in 1885, still in use and dominating Azoguejo Square.

Today the aqueduct still carries water and still dominates the city’s Azoguejo Square. Its remarkable preservation was noted by UNESCO when they designated it a World Heritage Site in 1985. Just over 2,388 feet (728m) long, featuring 165 arches, the aqueduct was made without mortar using 24,000 Guadarrama granite blocks that glow golden when illuminated at night.

The first European to witness the majesty of Niagara Falls was French priest, Father Louis Hennepin, in 1678. He was so impressed he wrote a book about his experience, alerting the wider world to one of nature’s greatest spectacles. Periodically, the falls ‘freeze’ in winter, not enough to stop the flow of water completely, but enough to create artistic natural ice sculptures along the outer part of the falls, like seen here in 1885.

The falls are broken into two principal parts, separated by Goat Island, with the common consensus that the larger, Canadian division is the more impressive. It incorporates the 188-foot (57m) high Horseshoe Falls, featuring a breathtaking 2,200-foot (670m) long curving crest line that gives it its name. Here we see just a handful of the 12 million tourists who visit the Canadian side of the falls each year.

Set in geothermal Rotorua, the living Māori village of Whakarewarewa is one of New Zealand’s oldest and most iconic attractions. The Tūhourangi Ngāti Wāhiao people have been welcoming visitors into their Māori pā (fortified village) for over 130 years. Visitors entered through an intricately carved waharoa (entranceway), seen here in 1910, chiselled from a 16.4-foot (5m) piece of felled kauri timber by master carver Tene Waitere more than a century ago.

Waharoa were traditionally used by Māori in fortified pā to restrict and manage the flow of visitors. Their intricate carvings and monumental size – often 13 feet (4m) in height – were designed to impress and convey the mana (authority and prestige) of the iwi. The geothermal atmosphere of Rotorua eventually took its toll on the waharoa in Whakarewarewa, and a high-resolution digital copy was made in 2013 so future generations can appreciate it in all its original glory.

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