A ghost village sits atop a mountain within Jordan’s largest biosphere reserve.

A refurbished locomotive from a bygone era in the middle of the Jordanian desert.

A more chill but no less fascinating version of the famous ancient archeological site.

This exceptionally well-preserved ancient marvel also houses a small museum dedicated to Jordanian folk tradition.

The most gigantic, swoony, intimidating trio of fingers in all of antiquity.

One of Antoni Gaudí's most classic buildings is well-known for its "dragon-back" design.

This restored eighth-century palace is a shining example of ancient Umayyad architecture.

A bathhouse from the second Islamic Caliphate decorated with frescoes of constellations, pleasure gardens, and naked ladies.

Gladiators battle and chariots race daily in the ruins of a once-great Roman city.

This flagpole ranks among the world’s tallest and can be seen from three countries.

Striking, enormous gold-plated sculpture of Buddha installed in the 19th century.

An ancient capital city that dates back 3,000 years and harbors many surprises.

This "tower of death" has acted as an observatory, a religious hub, and an executioner's lair.

Ancient barriers wrap around what was once an important stop along the Silk Road.

Once a bustling fishing port, this semi-ghost town is now more than 90 miles away from the shore.

Sumptous memorial to a controversial independence.

A huge monument to a bizarre book written by Turkmenistan’s longstanding dictator.

A dictator's gold statue once rotated to face the sun on a 75-meter high marble tower.

If you want to get married in the White Marble City of Ashgabat, you should do it in this surreal disco ball building.

This harsh mountain path was built as a strange attempt to improve the health of Turkmen citizens.

The controversial final resting place of the equally controversial first president of Turkmenistan.

A memorial to the thousands of Turkmen soldiers and civilians who died in a bloody 1881 battle.

This cavernous swimming spot doubles as a home to the largest known colony of bats in Central Asia.

A beautiful mausoleum is the crown jewel of a preserved ancient city in Central Asia.