Pictures: World’s Iconic Buildings Go Dark for “Earth Hour”

The bright green lights that typically illuminate the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur—the tallest twin buildings in the world—were turned off on Saturday for Earth Hour, an annual event aimed at raising awareness about energy consumption.

Dozens of other iconic landmarks around the world, including the Parthenon in Greece, the Golden Gate Bridge in California and Australia's Sydney Harbor Bridge, participated in the event, sponsored by WWF.

The first Earth Hour took place in Sydney eight years ago to raise money for the Great Barrier Reef.

This year was expected to be the biggest event yet, with participants in an estimated 7,000 cities around the world switching off their lights for a full hour, according to WWF.

In this combination photo composed of two photographs, the Parthenon temple atop the Acropolis hill is seen before and after turning the lights were switched off to mark the annual Earth Hour in Athens, on Saturday March 29, 2014.

PHOTOGRAPH BY KOSTAS TSIRONIS, ASSOCIATED PRESS

Acropolis

Dating to 447 B.C., the Parthenon in Athens is one of the most famous surviving buildings of ancient Greece. The city of Athens turned off its buildings' lights for Earth Hour and asked locals to follow suit.

The Sydney Harbour Bridge is seen plunged into darkness for the Earth Hour environmental campaign, among the first landmarks around the world to dim their lights for the event, on March 29, 2014.

PHOTOGRAPH BY WILLIAM WEST/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

Sydney

Sydney Harbor Bridge is the largest steel arch bridge in the world, connecting its city's north and south harbors. Thousands of houses and businesses in Sydney were dark on Saturday.

A composite picture shows the Eiffel Tower illuminated (L) and with the lights turned off (R) for the Earth Hour in Paris, France, 29 Mars 2014.

PHOTOGRAPH BY ETIENNE LAURENT, EPA

Eiffel Tower

Built as an archway for the 1889 World's Fair in 1889, the Eiffel Tower got some help from Spiderman in turning its lights off on Saturday

A combination picture shows Times Square before (top) and during Earth Hour in New York March 29, 2014.

PHOTOGRAPH BY EDUARDO MUNOZ, REUTERS

The Big Apple

Times Square is Sydney Harbor Bridge is the largest steel arch bridge in the world, connecting its city's north and south harbors. Thousands of houses and businesses in Sydney were dark on Saturday. the busiest commercial intersection in New York City and the world's most visited tourist attraction. For the first time ever, the city called in a specialist to turn off its New Year's Eve ball, which typically remains on throughout the year.

This combination of pictures shows the monument to Belarus humanist Francysk Skaryna and the National library (R) submerging into darkness for the Earth Hour environmental campaign in central Minsk on March 29, 2014.

PHOTOGRAPH BY SERGEI GAPON/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

Minsk, Belarus

In the Belarusian capital of Minsk, the monument to humanist Francysk Skaryna is normally lit by the bright purple lights from the National Library. Big department stores and universities also shut their lights in Minsk on Saturday.

The combination picture shows the Brandenburg Gate before and during the 'Earth Hour' in Berlin, Germany, 29 March 2014.

PHOTOGRAPH BY SOEREN STACHE, PICTURE-ALLIANCE/DPA VIA ASSOCIATED PRESS

Brandenburg Gate

The Brandenburg Gate was built in 1791 as an entryway to Berlin. It survived World War II but endured extensive damage. The Earth Hour motto in Germany this year: "You don't need to be a superhero to take action on climate change."

A composite picture of Alhambra palace before (top) and after (bottom) its lighting was turned off during the celebration of Earth Hour in Granada city, Andalusia region, southern Spain, 29 March 2014.

PHOTOGRAPH BY JESUS OCHANDO, EPA

The Alhambra

The Alhambra, a fortress-turned-palace that dates to 1258, watches over the city of Granada in southern Spain.

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