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

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.

Home to what was once considered the largest gate in central Asia.

Once a luxurious flagship of the Soviet Union, this Brutalist structure remains a landmark of Tashkent’s communist past.

An underground world of gorgeous, palatial metro stations designed as a nuclear shelter complex.

Prowl through this sprawling bazaar under a massive Soviet-era dome for delicious eats.

Oldest Protestant church in the Middle East, designed to resemble a synagogue.

The only quarter of the Old City not dedicated to a major world religion.

The Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in the ruins of this ancient monastic community.

As the Dead Sea continues to deplete, massive sinkholes open along its banks.

The tallest waterfall in the Judean Desert is named for its connection to a biblical figure.

This daunting 1st century fortress was purportedly the site of one of the most dramatic revolts of the Jewish-Roman wars.

An ancient underground cultic temple where sunlight penetrates on the summer solstice.

Built by a king and rebuilt by an emperor, this aqueduct transported water for 1,200 years to this ancient Mediterranean hub.

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 marvel of Byzantine engineering under the streets of Istanbul.

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

Climb a steep hill in 90 seconds on the second-oldest urban subway in the world.

Take respite inside this jaw-dropping church while climbing the volcano where Georgia's Prometheus was once chained.

A cylinder monument with a spectacular vista commemorates a friendship that some say never existed.

This architecturally eclectic fortress witnessed centuries of bloody turmoil, including the massacre of its ruling clan.

This extraordinary, multi-pillared monument depicts the fascinating history of Georgia.