The astonishing 3D murals painted on the sides of buildings by a trompe l'oeil artist







At first glance, it looks as if some natural disaster has shaken away the walls of these buildings to reveal architecture hidden for thousands of years.

And at second and third glance, it looks like that too.

But these spectacular images are not the unexpected result of an earthquake.

The incredibly lifelike scenes are actually huge works of art, painted on the side of perfectly intact buildings.

The paintings, which have fooled many, were created by John Pugh, who specializes in trompe l'oeil - or 'trick of the eye' - art.

He uses his skills to delude the viewer into seeing 3D scenes painted on flat surfaces.

The Californian-born artist said: 'It seems almost universal that people take delight in being visually tricked.'