A gorgeous garden oasis with winding paths, stone bridges, and a troubling history.

A 90-year-old underground water reservoir offers a more industrial kind of tranquility.

A taste of Middle Earth, in the middle of the Bayou City.

A sculpture made of 10 Cadillacs as a monument to the “Golden Age” of the American automobile.

An otherwise ordinary park with a dark past.

A 17th-century mosque that was used for war more than worship.

These stairs were built to accommodate royals mounted on elephants.

One of Ayutthaya’s most iconic locations is a mysterious, hauntingly surreal miracle.

In this breathtaking canyon, crocodiles bask on boulders and glide through the murky waters.

The former house of an anthropologist couple displays Lacandón Maya artifacts in a homey atmosphere.

This colossal ancient jaguar sculpture was used as a vessel for the hearts torn from sacrificial victims.

This ancient jade mask depicting the Zapotec bat god was found in the ruins of the pyramids of Monte Alban.

Come face to face with the ferocious visage of the serpent-headed mother goddess of the Aztecs.

A mere stone's throw from Islamabad exists a spectacular display of three millennia of humanity's progress.

Bangkok celebrated its shifting monarchy with a militaristic homage to democracy.

A collection of venomous snakes and reptiles for the whole family to enjoy.

A shrine built to combat the bad karma of a commercial venture.

In Coyoacán, a pair of coyotes crown a public fountain in reference to the ancient Aztec name of the borough.

This series of waterfalls tumble into a radiantly blue river.

The enigmatic and seldom visited ruins of a Mayan city-state.

The striking jade death mask of an ancient Maya king is displayed in a replica tomb in Mexico City.

The most complete statue of this Aztec god sits a top a throne carved with images of hallucinogenic plants.

This incredible college library is a visual masterpiece of mosaic art. It also looks kind of like a giant boombox.

An elaborate Mayan city shrouded in alien conspiracy revealed the tomb of Pacal the Great.