This 3,000-year-old “opium black fortress” towers over the ancient town named after it.

An Ottoman-era mosque looking over the Black Sea.

This 16th-century covered market is still open everyday.

One of the earliest Ataturk monuments commemorates the victory of the Turkish War of Independence.

A hilltop fortress full of tombs, including one for legendary hero Seyyid Battal Gazi.

Hundreds of medieval Islamic gravestones decorate the mountainous landscape in the largest cemetery in Turkey.

A massive collection of petroglyphs dating back some 40,000 years.

This mysterious but iconic tapered tower appears in many Azeri fairytales and legends.

Foreign invaders almost left this lovely Caucasus palace alone—almost.

Resonant stone, that has been played since prehistoric times.

A quirky house created entirely out of glass bottles combines a collector's spirit with an artist's flair.

Home to nearly a third of the world's mud volcanoes, Azerbaijan is home to a messy, bubbling, and sometimes explosive landscape.

A shrine of fire worship built on top of a natural flame.

This ancient subterranean megalopolis is known for the hot oil traps that were installed above each of its entrances.

A giant replica of an Assyrian cuneiform tablet stands in the middle of a busy intersection near the city center of Kayseri.

The eclectic home of a leading Turkish architect is a gorgeous piece of eye candy.

These abundant, over-the-top monuments are so widely scattered that they define the entire compact capital cityscape, often leading to jokes about whether there are more statues than residents.

In the hometown of the Catholic saint and Nobel Peace Prize winner, a memorial dedicated to her legacy.

It's unclear what caused the fire that led to this opulent hotel's demise.

This fortress dates back to the 6th century and is also the site of a controversial abandoned restoration project.

Decorated with a staggering 1,380 ladybugs, the installation has turned what was once a grim, forgotten nickel mine into a landmark and a statement.

In the heart of Tirana, this underground nuclear bunker has been transformed into a museum.

What happens when you cross a mayor and a painter?

Hundreds of thousands of concrete bunkers crowd Albania long after the fall of Communism.