Outstanding, eerie frescoes and decorations fill this 19th-century monastery.

An abandoned saucer-shaped monument in the Bulgarian mountains.

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

A flamboyant five-story building in Bulgaria resembles a crawling snail.

This historic black and white monastery is one of Bulgaria's architectural jewels.

Sofia's legislative center is continuously reinventing itself.

A striking symbol of the Bulgarian capital.

A Bulgarian monument to Russia's role in World War II is constantly being painted in pop culture protest.

This building has two facades of clashing architectural designs.

Underneath this Byzantinian church lies a necropolis filled with ancient tombs and the ruins of previous churches.

A gigantic statue of a Russian soldier watches over the ancient city of Plovdiv, a prominent reminder of the Soviet period in Bulgaria.

This ancient theater, restored in the 20th century, lives on as a venue for dramatic and musical performances.

The sacred shrine of the Yazidis.

"Holy Wisdom" overlooks the city that became its namesake.

The heartbeat of modern Uzbekistan’s thriving market culture.

Giant cauldrons overflow with Uzbekistan's favorite rice dish at this cavernous dining hall.

An 18-meter-long sarcophagus of a constantly growing dead prophet.

These "50 Fortresses" have been unearthed in the ancient oasis of Khwarezm.

This "tower of death" has acted as an observatory, a religious hub, and an executioner's lair.

Ancient barriers wrap around what was once an important stop along the Silk Road.

Light still pours into the ruins of this ancient Islamic observatory.

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

9th century Abbasid mosque, damaged in modern warfare.

A spectacular rainbow of stained glass makes the "Pink Mosque" one of the most beautiful in Iran.