Nepal's World Heritage sites, one year after devastating earthquake

When the 7.8 magnitude earthquake shook Nepal on April 25, 2015, it also struck at the world'scultural heritage. The Kathmandu Valley alone is home to seven UNESCOHeritage Sites, each one a cluster of irreplaceable temples,monuments and palaces dating back more than a century and a half.

Here, a craftsman sits behind one of these, carefully reproducing a piece of thecopper roof that was destroyed. His son keeps him company.

This is what that roof looked like in the days immediately after the disaster. It's at the top ofa palace in Durbar Square in the city of Patan, and dates backto the 17thcentury.

The search for casualties was the top priorityright after the earthquake,but hundreds of volunteers also tried to recover as many pieces of theancient structures as possible.

Some were saved back then, many others were lost. Fragments of carvedwooden beams, stone and metal ornaments were destroyed or looted.

Royal city of Patan a centre of fine art and heritage

Today in Patan, the third largest city in Nepal,these carvings have been collected and catalogued.

Carved Buddhas join other Buddhist and Hindu deities.

In Patan alone, they fill severalwarehouses.

Seventy craftspeople, trained at repairing and reproducing the old buildings,work in the garden of the old imperial palace here.

In many cases, they have to imagine the intricate patterns because there isno record of each element, or the original designs, carved into them.

Architect Rohit Ranjitkar is in charge of the Patan reconstruction. "This isthe identity of our Nepalese culture," he says. This is also our economy. Ifthese monuments are all gone, why would people come to see moderncement and concrete houses?"

Of course, it's not just little pieces that need to be recreated. Theearthquake caused massive damage.

Entire towers need to be rebuilt.

Places of worship need to be reconstructed.

It's Nepal's mix of Buddhist and Hindu religions and religious sites that makethe sites so unique.

The sites aren't just being preserved as museums for future generations.

They are used daily.Nepalisstill come to pray at their hilltop MonkeyTemple, even amid the rubble.

Reconstruction here has barely begun.

Other sites in Kathmandu also sit precariously, waiting for governmentcontracts so repairs can begin.

UNESCO estimates the work will take at least 4 years to finish, likely more,and costapproximately $200-million US.

All photos by Saa Petricic. See more of Saa'sphotos on Instagram.