The facade and bell towers of the Old Cathedral of Managua may look impressive, but get closer and you’ll see there’s almost nothing else left of the structure. The 1972 earthquake all but destroyed the church, and it was left in ruin. The Old Cathedral of Managua was originally designed by an architect in Belgium and was actually shipped from Belgium to Managua and reconstructed on site. The cathedral had barely been finished when an earthquake hit in 1931, but the structure survived that first quake. The 1972 earthquake, however, was too much for the church. Although in ruin today, one can envision the beauty and grandeur or the past.