Taking the subway here means doing so over a bridge located in the middle of an estuary.

One of the newest mosques in a city filled with thousands.

Ancient serpentine sacrifice holder that has stood the test of time.

No one is sure if the world's fourth-largest diamond had been found in a rubbish heap or was pawned by Napoleon's mom.

A fountain standing as a testament to a doomed alliance.

This column celebrates Rome's victory over the Goths, and may be the oldest Roman monument in Istanbul.

An Art Nouveau gem hides beneath the layers of city grime obscuring this once-magnificent building.

A gorgeous, Gaudí-esque stairway constructed in the city of Istanbul by a prominent Jewish family.

This remarkably well-preserved Egyptian plinth is pretty well traveled for a giant piece of stone.

A small etching on the white marble parapet was written in runic script by a Viking mercenary.

A meow-velous tribute to a beloved street cat, made famous on the internet.

A marvel of Byzantine engineering under the streets of Istanbul.

Lonely minaret stump of a destroyed city.

According to myth, there's a bloody explanation for the beautiful bright red color of this rock formation set amidst alpine vegetation.

Built entirely of interlocking pieces, construction of this Chinese Muslim house of worship required zero nails.

This retro, UFO-like structure is a remnant of the Soviet-era circus.

This mysterious complex of abandoned yurts and fading murals was meant to be a center of science and spirituality in Kyrgyzstan.

This Soviet statue is based on a piece of propaganda that's been elevated to national myth.

Beatlemania is still going strong... at least in Kazakhstan.

In Kazakhstan, a colorful cathedral with many lives once survived the most powerful earthquake in the region.

This sprawling market is a one-stop shop for traditional Kazakh foods, from mare’s milk to sheep’s head.

Submerged trees jut ghost-like out of an idyllic turquoise mountain lake.

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

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