The most metal church of all time was built in record time because of an international, pious pissing contest.

Naturally protected city carved from a rock face.

A Turkish ghost town abandoned in a population exchange with Greece.

The deepest underground city in Turkey was designed to protect 20,000 people behind massive stone doors.

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

Turkish adventurer antiques in the heart of the Grand Bazaar.

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

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

This famous city eluded concrete detection until the early 2000's.

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

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

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

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

The ornate miniature mansions were built for Istanbul's feathered residents.

These tombs were built into the side of a mountain so that ancient angels could reach the dead.

In this historic region, homes and churches are carved into ancient volcanic rock formations.

This "witch's market" is filled with Amazonian herbs, remedies, and the occasional libido-strengthening tincture.

Over 70,000 prisoners were “transported” to a brutal life of forced labor in this French penal colony.

Europe’s only spaceport is in South America.

An abandoned colonial French prison notorious for its hellish conditions.

3D war panorama in Damascus built with help from North Korea.

The Syrian headquarters of alleged hashish-smoking assassins.

Ruins of the Crusaders' headquarters.

A three-centuries-old crypt in the foothills of an old plantation.