HBO's Game of Thrones leaves death and destruction in its wake — and not just in the fictional 'verse. As Mashable reports, an iconic location from the first season has literally collapsed into the sea. The majestic limestone arch that served as a backdrop for Daenerys's wedding to Khal Drogo in the series' early episodes is no longer.
The arch, called the Azure Window or the Dwejra Window, stood on the island of Gozo in Malta, where it was a popular tourist attraction. (And, you know, not a bad setting for a Dothraki wedding.) Its Wikipedia page has already been updated to state that the bridge no longer exists as of March 8, 2017. Reportedly, a heavy storm ultimately led to the landmark's demise.
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According to the Times of Malta, authorities were aware that the arch was under duress. In December 2016, the government mandated a €1500 fine for trespassing on the iconic landmark. (A quick YouTube search for the window will bring you plenty of videos of various adrenaline junkies leaping off the arch, which was 92 feet tall. In one video from November 2016, you can see a few dislodged rocks fall off the cliff as the risk-taker leaps into the water.)
"Reports commissioned over the years indicated that this landmark would be hard hit by unavoidable natural corrosion. That sad day arrived," Malta's Prime Minister Joseph Muscat wrote on Twitter.
This is what the site looks like today.
The site from where one could admire it-Tieqa tad-Dwejra. Heartbreaking. pic.twitter.com/S4XV6MyKRu
— Joseph Muscat (@JosephMuscat_JM) March 8, 2017
Muscat is using the arch's demise to promote environmental conservation.
In a statement on Twitter, the Prime Minister wrote, "#Malta government will launch a national and international consultation initiative on the future of #AzureWindow site at Dwejra #Gozo."
For Game of Thrones, this means little to nothing — it's not likely they're going to need to shoot pickups anytime soon at the arch — but for the world, it's a significant loss. This arch, the location for many a moonlit Instagram, is lost to the sea. If we don't take preventative measures, we could lose more landmarks. All men must die, but not all beautiful landmarks must collapse.