Ottoman-era houses lovingly preserved.

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

Turkish adventurer antiques in the heart of the Grand Bazaar.

Naturally protected city carved from a rock face.

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

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

The ancient latrines of the Greeks, in all their public glory.

A charming beach town in Turkey captures all the colors of the rainbow.

A pocket of jungle amidst urban expansion in Panama.

A mysterious dark-skinned Christ statue has been this town's religious center for centuries.

A century-old bathhouse that provides the luxury of warm water to rural Guatemalans.

Believe it or not, the now-ubiquitous California avocado originated in Guatemala.

Experiencing Guatemala's sensory-exploding church is a blunt reminder of European influence.

The world's largest sticker ball weighs in at a mighty 231 pounds.

This "zoo" is a cross between a junkyard and a sculpture garden, featuring animals you won't see anywhere else.

The Denver airport is guarded by a 32-foot-tall sculpture of a demonic horse.

A hobby born from insomnia has turned into a hangar full of objects that have been be-buttoned by the Button King.

An old train trestle re-imagined as an Egyptian obelisk.

This titanic steel chain linking two buildings was installed without permission but instantly beloved.

This psychedelic tromp l'oeil seems to be beckoning drivers to crash into a wall.

The world's largest fire hydrant is supposedly tornado-proof.

What better place to take a seat?

A stockpile of childhood lunch pails turned collectibles.

Coca Cola may be "the real thing" but its inventor, buried at this Georgia gravesite, called it a "valuable brain tonic."