At least 2,500 people have died as a result of devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Syria today.

The impact of the disasters on the countries’ physical landscapes has been laid bare in a series of pictures.

Vital infrastructure, people’s homes and landmarks with huge cultural significance were all destroyed in a matter of minutes by the initial 7.8-magnitude quake.

Even further damage has been inflicted by a series of strong aftershocks, with officials saying the number of buildings levelled by the shaking is in the thousands.

A castle that has stood at the centre of Gaziantep, Turkey’s sixth-largest city, for around 18 centuries was largely turned into a ruin.

Meanwhile a mosque in Malatya, which has been rebuilt three times after being hit by three different earthquakes over 180 years, was again reduced to rubble.

While Turkey and Syria were worst-hit, the earthquakes could be felt as far south as Egypt.

Before and after pictures demonstrate the shocking extent of the loss across Turkey – and the work that lies ahead, in order to rebuild.

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