Places James Gage Wants to Go

A bathhouse from the second Islamic Caliphate decorated with frescoes of constellations, pleasure gardens, and naked ladies.

The maze-like transportation hub contains abandoned areas, derelict stores, and a resident bat colony.

A 2,000-year-old wine press hidden in an overlooked park in Tel Aviv.

A more chill but no less fascinating version of the famous ancient archeological site.

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

An ancient quarry rediscovered by a dog and claimed by biblical kings, a German cult, and the Freemasons.

Biblical beasts and endangered animal preservation come together in this Israeli zoo.

A historic chapel filled with colorful murals and a colorful past.

Mysterious lost empire of the Silk Road.

Ruins of the Crusaders' headquarters.

This ancient mountain monastery welcomes all manner of faith in an effort to keep Christians in Syria.

A monumental underground karstic wonderland is also the water source for over a million citizens of Beirut.

The bluer than blue waters in these natural Israeli caves are reached via the world's steepest cable car.

The mosaic floor of a 4th-century synagogue features a pagan zodiac wheel alongside traditional images of a Torah ark and menorahs.

Gladiators battle and chariots race daily in the ruins of a once-great Roman city.

These numerous Israeli caves were dug out over hundreds years for reasons ranging from hideouts to burial sites.

This family tattoo parlor has been inking religious pilgrims in the Middle East for 700 years.

Hideout of thieves, monks, and goat-footed gods.

Perched on a spindly rock spire in a Greek archipelago, this lighthouse would make a perfect wizard's tower.

The oldest olive tree in Greece has been bearing fruit for at least 2,000 years.

Seven early Christians were sealed into a cave where legend has it they slept unharmed for centuries.

Source for a sizable portion of Egypt's freshwater supply is more than an optical illusion.

A sacred lake with thousands of sacred carp and a biblical history.

The alleged house of the Virgin Mary is tucked away in a park and nature preserve on Mt. Koressos in Turkey and is holy to both Catholics and Muslims alike.