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36 Eerie Photos Of Empty Places Around The World During Social Distancing

Cities across the globe look nearly empty as citizens practice self-quarantining during the coronavirus pandemic.
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Lifestyle Reporter, HuffPost

Governments around the globe have established strict stay-at-home orders during the coronavirus pandemic, leaving some of the most widely photographed spots on Earth more or less empty.

While it’s jarring to witness, say, Hollywood’s Walk of Fame or Mecca’s Grand Mosque nearly empty, it’s also impressive; seeing these locations virtually deserted is proof that we’re all making an honest attempt to flatten the curve by staying home. 

Below are 36 photos of places across the world that are nearly empty due to our social distancing efforts. 

Beijing
Kevin Frayer via Getty Images
A woman wears a protective mask as she takes a photo on a nearly empty section of the Great Wall on March 27, 2020, near Badaling in Beijing, China.
New York City
Alexi Rosenfeld via Getty Images
An empty 7th Avenue in Times Square on April 19, 2020, in New York City.
London
Barry Lewis via Getty Images
Abbey Road zebra crossing on April 16, 2020, in London.
Cairo
KHALED DESOUKI via Getty Images
A picture on April 18, 2020, shows the Great Pyramids lit in blue with the message "Stay Home" outside the Egyptian capital of Cairo.
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
MOHD RASFAN via Getty Images
An empty staircase leading to the Batu Caves temple in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on March 30, 2020.
Llandudno, Wales
Christopher Furlong via Getty Images
Mountain goats roam the streets of Llandudno, Wales, on March 31, 2020. The goats normally live on the rocky Great Orme but are occasional visitors to the seaside town; a local councillor told the BBC that the herd was drawn by the lack of people due to social distancing.
Los Angeles
David McNew via Getty Images
The dinosaur atop the Ripley's Believe It or Not! Odditorium wears a mask to encourage people to take safety measures as coronavirus infections spread on April 19, 2020.
Mecca, Saudi Arabia
BANDAR ALDANDANI via Getty Images
An aerial view shows an empty white-tiled area surrounding the Kaaba in Mecca's Grand Mosque on March 6, 2020.
Pattaya, Thailand
MLADEN ANTONOV via Getty Images
The empty Legend Siam theme park in Pattaya on March 8, 2020. The park, which attracts up to 20,000 mainly Chinese customers a day in the high season, is temporarily closed.
Vatican City
Antonio Masiello via Getty Images
A view of empty chairs at St. Peter's Square before the live broadcast of Pope Francis' Sunday Angelus prayer on March 8, 2020, in Vatican City, Vatican.
Sydney
Jenny Evans via Getty Images
A before-and-after composite image shows Bondi Beach with a large gathering of beachgoers on March 20, 2020 (top) and again on March 22, 2020, after the beach was closed to the public.
Tunis, Tunisia
Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
Cats on a nearly empty street in the Medina neighborhood of Tunis, Tunisia.
Rome
Pacific Press via Getty Images
A view of the Colosseum in the evening in Rome.
Moscow
Valery Sharifulin via Getty Images
A pigeon sits in the Iberian Gate in a deserted Red Square on April 2, 2020.
Bangkok
Lauren DeCicca via Getty Images
A view of empty streets, shuttered bars, and closed restaurants on Khaosan Road on April 15, 2020 in Bangkok. April 13-15 marks Songkran, Thailand's Buddhist new year celebration, when Thai people typically travel to the provinces to be with family or take part in large-scale water fights and parties throughout Bangkok.
Ballachulish, Scotland
Jane Barlow - PA Images via Getty Images
Empty chairlifts at the Glencoe Ski Centre in Ballachulish, Scotland.
Jerusalem
Guy Prives via Getty Images
A man prays at the nearly empty Western Wall in the old city on April 6, 2020, in Jerusalem.
Jumeirah Beach, Dubai
KARIM SAHIB via Getty Images
Empty sunbeds at Jumeirah Beach Residence in Dubai on March 12, 2020.
Paris
Barcroft Media via Getty Images
The Arc de Triomphe is almost deserted during lockdown on April 12, 2020.
Belo Horizonte, Brazil
DOUGLAS MAGNO via Getty Images
Aerial view of Guanabara Park during the coronavirus outbreak in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, on April 5, 2020.
Washington, D.C.
Drew Angerer via Getty Images
An empty Vietnam Veterans Memorial on April 14, 2020, in Washington, D.C.
Anaheim, California
MediaNews Group/Orange County Register via Getty Images via Getty Images
A lock hangs on the center gate between the turnstiles at the entrance to Disneyland in Anaheim, California, on March 16, 2020.
Tehran, Iran
Xinhua News Agency via Getty Images
A photo on March 20, 2020, shows an empty street in Tehran, Iran.
Washington, D.C.
DANIEL SLIM via Getty Images
The empty Metro Center station on April 15, 2020, in Washington, D.C.
New Delhi
Getty Images via Getty Images
A closed Jama Masjid (Grand Mosque) as India remains under lockdown on April 20, 2020, in New Delhi.
London
Barry Lewis via Getty Images
Looking east along Oxford Street from Marble Arch on April 16, 2020, in London.
Los Angeles
Mario Tama via Getty Images
Contrasting images of morning rush hour on the 110 freeway a week before stay-at-home orders were issued in Los Angeles, and a photo of the freeway after the orders went into effect.
Mexico City
ALFREDO ESTRELLA via Getty Images
A view of the almost-empty parking lot of a closed shopping center in the Santa Fe neighborhood of Mexico City on April 4, 2020.
Venice, Italy
Pietro D'Aprano via Getty Images
Parked gondolas in a strangely desolate and silent Venice, Italy, on April 19, 2020.
Baltimore
Rob Carr via Getty Images
A lone passenger sleeps in an otherwise empty Amtrak car as the train pulls into Penn Station on April 9, 2020, in Baltimore.
New York City
Noam Galai via Getty Images
A view inside Grand Central Terminal during the coronavirus pandemic on April 19, 2020 in New York City.
Venice Beach, California
Mario Tama via Getty Images
Venice Skate Park, partially filled with sand to deter people from skating there, on April 17, 2020.
Washington, D.C.
Xinhua News Agency via Getty Images
A March 31, 2020 photo shows a vacant metro station during rush hour in Washington D.C.
Normandy, France
LOU BENOIST via Getty Images
The center of Etretat, Normandy, on April 20, 2020, on the 35th day of a strict lockdown in France.
Istanbul
Burak Kara via Getty Images
Roads and squares are empty in the Eminonu District of Istanbul on April 19, 2020.
Tokyo
Barcroft Media via Getty Images
An empty street with no lights on in Tokyo's Shinjuku neighborhood on April 19.

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