European ruins in an unknown location. Photographer refuses to disclose locations of the images she takes. (Pati Makoska/Caters News Agency)

Europe is dotted with majestic buildings with intricate architecture and interiors that recall a time of grandeur. Many of these buildings still attract tourists from all over, but some have been abandoned, exposed to the elements and left to crumble in ruins.

Pati Makoska, a history teacher from Warsaw, Poland, decided to capture the beauty in decay with her photographs of these ruins, documenting the buildings' intricately painted ceilings, Renaissance architecture and grand halls. Preserving the mystery shrouding these abandoned buildings, Makoskanever discloses where the images were taken, according to Caters News Agency.

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"I first photographed ruins a medieval castle in Muszyna in Poland a few years ago," Makoska told Caters. "Later, while living in the UK and Iceland, I found other [magical] and forgotten places."

The photographer said that tracking down such wonders takes a lot of time, as she has to study old maps and historical books, and consult with locals about the locations of the buildings. But Makoska continues to discover and photograph ruins because of the stories they can tell.

"We forget that everything passes; our youth is fleeting, like these places that were once beautiful," she said."Places like these tell forgotten stories: love, disaster, war, as well as ordinary life."

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