The main building of the Shuri Castle, Japan, its completely destroyed on a fire (c) EPA-EPE

A major fire devastated Japan’s historic Shuri Castle on the island of Okinawa on October 31, destroying large parts of the World Heritage Site’s complex.

The ancient castle is a symbol of Okinawa’s cultural heritage from the time of Ryukyu Kingdom that spanned about 450 years from 1429 until 1879. It burned down in 1945 during the Battle of Okinawa near the end of World War II and was largely restore in 1992 as a National Park.