An imposing Omani fortress surrounded by date palm trees.

A sinkhole and now a swimming hole, too, full of dazzling turquoise water.

This mysterious anthropomorphic statuette is on display at the National Museum of Oman.

This bazaar is one of the oldest in the Arabian world.

Lonely minaret stump of a destroyed city.

This mysterious complex of abandoned yurts and fading murals was meant to be a center of science and spirituality in Kyrgyzstan.

This retro, UFO-like structure is a remnant of the Soviet-era circus.

The monastery survived the Communist revolution in Mongolia as a religious museum.

A beloved tribute to the Fab Four and the freedoms they inspired.

A nondescript dirt lot hides an intriguing center of shamanic healing.

A huge communist-era propaganda monument and mural that offers stunning views of the Mongolian capital.

An institution dedicated to curiosity, logic, riddles, and Mongolia's long history of puzzles.

The oldest Buddhist monastery in Mongolia has survived centuries of invasions, political shifts, and religious purges.

Enormous statue of the Emperor of the Mongols.

This massive piece of aviation history calls this residential neighborhood home.

An abandoned Soviet-era mining town in the mountains of South Kazakhstan.

Next to a newer mosque in Khujand’s main square lies the city’s oldest mosque, whose interiors are spectacularly intricate.

A bustling bazaar with an elaborate facade in Central Asia’s underrated capital.

This dark, damp, perilous tunnel is the only passage from north to south Tajikistan.

A building facade covered with the statues of 11 giants of Tajik literature.

The world's second-tallest flagpole stands proud despite dropping rank.

Controversially restored in the 1970s, this giant 15th-century mosque is shrouded in legend.

The Avenue of Mausolea is a series of grand palatial tombs.

Where Stoddart and Connolly suffered in the infamous Bug Pit.