Light still pours into the ruins of this ancient Islamic observatory.

An 18-meter-long sarcophagus of a constantly growing dead prophet.

The Avenue of Mausolea is a series of grand palatial tombs.

Controversially restored in the 1970s, this giant 15th-century mosque is shrouded in legend.

The foundation of this ancient stupa dates back to the 1st-century.

Rock-cut chamber at top of an outcroup, reached by a mountain stairway of forty steps.

The abandoned palace stands as a wounded but proud beacon of Afghan hope.

What was once supposed to be the symbol of a shining Afghan future is now a bombed-out ruin.

Once an impressive link to Afghanistan’s Buddhist past, now a sad reminder of intolerance towards other cultures.

Over 80 miniature sculptures around Uzhhorod old town that depict Transcarpathian history and culture.

A sobering museum dedicated to landmines and the personnel working to remove them from Afghanistan.

The remains of an ancient city-state along the Silk Road.

Right beyond the Uzbekistan-Tajikistan border lies the oldest human settlement in Central Asia.

Where the father of Persian poetry is laid to rest.

This dark, damp, perilous tunnel is the only passage from north to south Tajikistan.

The largest Lenin statue in Central Asia was moved to an empty field rather than being destroyed.

A bustling bazaar with an elaborate facade in Central Asia’s underrated capital.

Next to a newer mosque in Khujand’s main square lies the city’s oldest mosque, whose interiors are spectacularly intricate.

Once a luxurious flagship of the Soviet Union, this Brutalist structure remains a landmark of Tashkent’s communist past.

Prowl through this sprawling bazaar under a massive Soviet-era dome for delicious eats.

An underground world of gorgeous, palatial metro stations designed as a nuclear shelter complex.

Witness traditional silk production in the Uzbek city that's been a hub of sericulture for over a thousand years.

Final palace complex of the last of 29 Kokand rulers.

One of only a few red brick buildings in Nice.