For some of us, nothing is scarier than the idea that everything in this world is temporary. And that we too, much like these abandoned spaces that were once bursting with life, will eventually share the same fate. From the dilapidated staircase of an old asylum to the overgrown ivy creeping along an empty classroom wall—these unnerving yet poignant photographs reveal our anxiety and fear of our own mortality. Perhaps that’s the reason why abandoned places continue to be a popular theme for photographers and urban explorers. Scroll down, and take in the beauty and monstrosity of these uninhabited locations around the world.