Centuries of history turned to rubble in minutes: How Nepal earthquake destroyed many of the country's iconic landmarks

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These shocking photographs reveal the terrible toll the Nepal earthquake has had on some of the country's most beautiful and historic landmarks.

The monuments of Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, are recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage site because of their unique architecture.

But several of the most recognisable buildings in the city, including towers and temples, now lie in rubble after a 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit the country yesterday morning.

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Destruction: The Dharahara Tower, which was first built in 1832, has been almost completely obliterated by Nepal's earthquake

Historic: The now-destroyed tower was a UNESCO World Heritage Site until its destruction this weekend

Before: The Kathmandu Durbar Square, at the heart of Nepal's capital, is full of temples and historic houses with their distinctive roofs

After: The square is now piled with rubble after tall temples were brought down by the force of the earthquake

More than 2,500 people died in the quake as buildings collapsed raining down debris on the streets below, while enormous avalanches on Mount Everest left climbers dead.

One of the most prominent landmarks to be destroyed by the earthquake was the Dharahara Tower, also known at the Bhimsen Tower, which has almost totally collapsed after more than 180 years of standing in Kathmandu.

The 200ft tower was built in 1832 by prime minister Bhimsen Thapa as a gift to the queen, who was also his niece.

It had to be rebuilt after a previous earthquake in 1934, but the latest disaster has left the tower as nothing more than a stump, killing scores of people who were trapped inside at the time.

Destination: Another view of the Kathmandu Durbar Square shows how it was a thriving hub for the city

Reconstruction: Policemen were sent in to the square after it was badly affected by the quake

Venerable: The Durbar High School in the square is a neo-classical building which was shabby but grand before the earthquake

Debris: The school is now surrounded by bricks shaken from the building in the quake

Heritage: The Bhaktapur Durbar Square, pictured before the quake, is another one of the three main public spaces in the Kathmandu area

Piles: The square in Bhaktapur has rubble heaped up after its ancient temples were damaged

Kathmandu's three 'Durbar Squares', the courtyards outside the city's old royal palaces, were devastated by the earthquake, with historic temples razed to the ground by the shocks.

In the largest, known as the Kathmandu Durbar Square, rubble was piled up today after a large stepped temple was obliterated in the quake.

Images of the Durbar Squares in Patan and Bhaktapur, on the outskirts of Kathmandu, were also devastated by the shocks.

The streets of Bhaktapur were impassable because of the rubble which lay several feet deep, with fragments of religious sculptures among the stonework on the ground.

In Patan, a temple had its tower broken in half, while the square was strewn with bricks.

Centre: The Patan Durbar Square, pictured before the disaster, is the third major hub of the historic royal family which has been devastated

Shock: Religious sculptures were lying on the ground in Patan after the temples they were once part of collapsed

Decapitated: A statue of the Hindu deity Garud was knocked off its pedestal at Patan Durbar Square

Crooked: The stupa of a temple was almost completely ripped off by the force of the quake

Holy: The Syambhunaath Stupa, known as the monkey temple, is pictured left before and right after the quake

Witness: A monk surveys the aftermath of the quake, which left the main building untouched

The Syambhunaath Stupa, known as the 'monkey temple' which stands on a hill above the capital, also suffered severe damage.

While the complex's main golden tower was thankfully untouched, many other temple buildings were totally destroyed.

The Buddhist site dates back 1,500 years, and is considered one of the holiest places in the world for residents of neighbouring Tibet.

The 7.8 magnitude quake struck just before midday yesterday, sending tremors through the Kathmandu Valley and the nearby city of Pokhara.

Busy: The packed streets of Kathmandu pictured as they were before the disaster

Damage: A huge crack opened in the middle of the highway after the earthquake

The majority of fatalities were reported in Nepal, with deaths also being confirmed in India, Tibet, Bangladesh and the Nepal-China border.

About an hour after the initial quake, a magnitude 6.6 aftershock hit and smaller aftershocks could be felt through the region for hours.

Rescuers are still battling to save the lives of those trapped in the rubble, while climbers on Everest are waiting to be rescued by helicopter.