While searching the internet, I came across a fantastic "Before and After" post made by Diply on Facebook. This post showed pictures of famous towns. They have the before photo which is the top half and the now photo which is the bottom half. This was such a unique thing to look at because so many of the towns have changed so drastically in such a short period of time. It is amazing! Below you will find eleven different towns and a few facts to accompany each town.

1. Abu Dhabi, UAE

Abu Dhabi was transformed into the city that it is today by the discovery of oil. One awesome fact about this town is that if you ever want to see a new addition of a Ferrari, Lamborghini, Rolls-Royce or Maserati your best bet is to go to this town. Abu Dhabi is known for their newly released luxury cars.

2. Istanbul, Turkey

Istanbul is a city in Turkey that borders between Asia and Europe. The palace like structure that appears in the top right corner of both pictures is called the Sultan Ahmed Mosque, better known as the Blue Mosque. This Mosque was opened in 1616 and is still open to the people today. It is a gorgeous building. To take a virtual tour of this place click on the link: Blue Mosque.

3. Berlin, Germany

The 1945 image of Berlin was taken after the Battle for Berlin during World War Two. This was after a long battle between Hitler and Stalin with the hopes to crush Germany and capture the city. As of today Berlin is one of the greenest cities in Germany with 2,500 spaces to sit, relax and enjoy the scenery. Out of the entire world, Berlin is the only city with three active opera houses the Berliner Staatsoper, Deutsche Oper Berlin and Komische Oper Berlin.

4. Sydney, Australia

One of the best things to have been built in the last 83 years in Sydney was the Harbourfront Opera house. The opera house is located to the left of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. The design of the building was chooses in an international design competition. It was designed by Jørn Utzon.

5. Long Beach, California

Ships Ahoy! Long Beach, California is the 36th largest city in the United States.

"The Port of Long Beach is the United States' second busiest container port and one of the world's largest shipping ports."

6. Los Angeles, California

A fantastic blurb about Los Angeles is as follows:

Sept. 4, 1781 is the city’s official birthdate, when 44 village settlers from the Mexican provinces of Sonora and Sinaloa made their home in what is now Downtown Los Angeles. Two of the 44 settlers were Spaniards, while the others were Indians, Blacks and Mestizos of mixed ancestry. The Spanish named the new settlement El Pueblo de Nuestra Senora la Reina de Los Angeles, or The Town of Our Lady the Queen of the Angels. After the territory changed hands from Spain to Mexico, the town was officially declared a city in 1835. Los Angeles became part of the U.S. in January 1847.- Discover Los Angeles

7. Shenzhen, China

This city was a farming and fishing city until 1980. Now it is considered to be one of the largest and richest cities in China. Shenzhen connects Hong Kong to the rest of China's mainland.

8. The Marina Bay In Singapore

The bay is home to one of the most expensive stand alone resorts ever built. The resort is pictured just below the word 'Now' in the image. The cost to build and complete the structure and surrounding resort necessities was $8 billion. The building has a sky walk, elevated pool, casino, shopping mall, grand theater, and art and science museum.

9. Tokyo, Japan

The 1945 image of Japan was taken after the United States dropped 2,000 tons of bombs on the city during World War Two. Today Tokyo is a thriving city, home to the world's largest fish market and home to more than 37 million people.

10. Rio, Brazil

The coolest part about these two pictures is the statue of Christ the Redeemer. Construction began on the statue in 1922 and ended a year after the top picture was taken.

Rio De Janeiro is known for its Copacabana and Ipanema beaches, in other words the ideal perfect vacation for anyone living in Minnesota during the month of December. It makes a lot of sense as to why the Summer Olympics are being held here.

11. Dubai, UAE

I saved this picture for last because it is so amazing looking! The pace at which this city was constructed is amazing! I found a fantastic website that brags about this amazing city! It is known for large, tall and big things. Take a look at the list below:

The tallest building, man made structure and free standing structure – Burj Khalifa
The world’s only 7-star hotel – Burj Al Arab, Dubai
The second-largest yacht in the world (Dubai, owned by the sheikh).
The largest mall in the world – Dubai Mall
The largest water cannon show in the world – Dubai Mall
The longest indoor ski slope in the world – Ski Dubai, Mall of the Emirates
The largest artificial islands in the world – Palm Islands (The Palm Jumeirah, The Palm Jebel Ali and The Palm Deira) in Dubai
The world’s biggest natural flower garden – Dubai Miracle Garden
World’s largest shoe store – Women listen up! – The Shoe district (Dubai Mall)
The largest gold ring in the world (The Gold Souq in Dubai)

Click on any of the links attached to the pictures and paragraphs to learn more about these fabulous cities!!