After Christopher Columbus died, his son built a fancy house to rule from.

The oldest colonial fortress in the Americas was once the home and later prison of Christopher Columbus.

Built in 1512, the oldest cathedral in the Americas.

The first official clock in North America, it kept time for the Spanish government of Santo Domingo.

Columbus' failed colony in the New World.

Learn the history of Dominican rum production.

This replica medieval European village in the Dominican Republic was built by a Hollywood set designer.

The first hospital in the New World.

The final resting place of Christopher Columbus - or possibly someone else.

Collection of fossils, plants, and ancient animals encased in amber.

Hundreds of pieces of ancient Taíno art cover the walls of this Caribbean cave system.

Renowned restaurant tucked in a cave once occupied by buccaneers.

This trio of Dominican cave lakes comprise a colorful biosphere of natural life.

Legend says if you stick your thumb in the hole and it gets wet, your wish will be granted.

Five sultans and their families rest in eternal splendor, teeming with overlooked beauty and drama.

1513 Turkish world map, full of European state secrets and snarky commentary.

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.

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

This half-forgotten fortress was constructed by the Ottoman conqueror of Constantinople.

This former Imperial summer home was the venue for a royal slap that once echoed 'round the world.

The home-turned-museum of Barış Manço, the mustachioed Turkish Elvis for children.

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

A fictional Coupe DeVille built by hand and gifted to the Man in Black himself.

Located inside a former bread factory, this museum explores a century of transportation history through innovations that were extraordinary or failures—sometimes both.