A marvel of Byzantine engineering under the streets of Istanbul.

The legendary luxury train passage is commemorated with a charming museum inside its former eastern terminus.

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.

Over the centuries, this island paradise has done it all, from providing monks with ecclesiastical respite to sheltering an exiled Leon Trotsky.

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

The first skyscraper to include a Ferris wheel built into the facade.

A literally moving statue of stacked metal giants just continually trying (and failing) to find love.

A Turkish monastery tucked into a cliff wall.

Unusual building appears to be haphazardly built from randomly piled bricks.

The charmingly disheveled clock tower of Tbilisi's puppet theater.

A gleaming white and undulating tower marks the border between Georgia and Turkey.

Azerbaijani ghost town, decaying after a war left it an armed forces buffer zone.

This striking icon of the disputed Republic of Artsakh caused a stir at a Eurovision Song Contest.

Mausoleum and Holy Seat of Antiochus I of Commagene.

A sacred lake with thousands of sacred carp and a biblical history.

This hunter-gatherer architecture is believed to be the oldest religious complex known.

The most visited pilgrimage site in Armenia once held a saint in a pit for 13 years.

The ancient abodes are a testament to human ingenuity amid harsh climates.

Standing proud atop a Turkish bluff, this Ottoman palace has retained its grandeur despite being abandoned for centuries.

This ancient city—home to nine civilizations—is soon to be buried under 200 feet of water.

An ancient church on a tiny island covered in stone bible stories has controversially been turned into a museum.

A bloody history is captured in this former prison turned museum.

The sacred shrine of the Yazidis.