The Giza pyramid complex. The Leaning Tower of Pisa. The Western Wall. These historic sites and others all over the world are usually teeming with tourists, vendors, and guides. But as they close and empty due to COVID-19, the tourists have been replaced by other figures. Municipal workers from sanitation and utility departments, as well as volunteers, can be seen sanitizing these public places. Usually clad in masks, gloves, and protective suits, their job is often to pressure wash these famous spots or spray them with disinfectant.

Sanitation workers are vulnerable even in the best of times, and now they’re even more vital to maintaining a livable public environment. Alongside healthcare workers, they’re certainly “essential personnel,” at the very front lines of facing the pandemic.

Atlas Obscura has collected some images of those giving a helpful hand at historic sites that, thanks to their efforts, will one day welcome tourists again.

Piazza dei Miracoli, Pisa, Italy, March 17, 2020.
Piazza dei Miracoli, Pisa, Italy, March 17, 2020. Laura Lezza/Getty Images
The Western Wall, Jerusalem, March 31, 2020.
The Western Wall, Jerusalem, March 31, 2020. EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP via Getty Images
Hawa Mahal, Jaipur, India. March 25, 2020.
Hawa Mahal, Jaipur, India. March 25, 2020. Vishal Bhatnagar/NurPhoto/Getty Images
National Library of Greece, Athens, April 1, 2020.
National Library of Greece, Athens, April 1, 2020. Ayhan Mehmet/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
Taman Sari Water Castle complex, Yogyakarta, Indonesia, March 31, 2020.
Taman Sari Water Castle complex, Yogyakarta, Indonesia, March 31, 2020. Feature China/Barcroft Media via Getty Images
Blue Mosque, Istanbul, Turkey, March 21, 2020.
Blue Mosque, Istanbul, Turkey, March 21, 2020. Chris McGrath/Getty Images