An Albanian monument to the Communism that nearly crushed the country is now a crumbling wreck.

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

This triumphal 16th-century arched gateway leads to the oldest street in Palermo.

This mosaic-lined medieval church was built by the world's first admiral and still holds mass in ancient Greek.

Why a column on the entrance is inscribed with a verse from the Quran is one of Sicily's many mysteries.

A study of Fascist era Art Deco design in Italy.

An abandoned shopping gallery built during Fascist Italy tucked in the center of Palermo.

An entertainment center in a huge transparent tent.

This Soviet-era athletic and recreation facility is the highest ice skating rink in the world.

In Kazakhstan, a colorful cathedral with many lives once survived the most powerful earthquake in the region.

This sprawling market is a one-stop shop for traditional Kazakh foods, from mare’s milk to sheep’s head.

A brilliant turquoise lake in the mountains.

This Soviet statue is based on a piece of propaganda that's been elevated to national myth.

A sober museum housed in the original administrative building of one of Stalin's largest gulags.

Macabre symbols of death and mummies on display set the tone of this Italian purgatory church.

Southern Italy's spinning top village.

The randomness of this wall of lava lamps helps encrypt up to 10 percent of the internet.

A long-buried ancient ruin unearthed right in the middle of the city.

Dramatic sea stacks adorn the coast of this small village on the Adriatic coast.

It's believed that these columns marked the end of the Via Appia.

A pair of slides and a tree-lined stair corridor have been an urban oasis for nearly 40 years.

A psychedelic labyrinth on the San Francisco bay.

Secret North Korean passage discovered below the world's most dangerous border.

A rare festival blending religion, blacksmiths, vagina dentata, sex workers, and the straight-up facts of life.