Places jeachan Wants to Go

The ceiling of this cavern is dripping with multicolored marble stalactites.

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

A memorial to the atrocities of the People's Socialist Republic of Albania.

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

Byzantine emperors ruled, lived, and died in this 13th-century palace-turned-museum.

One of the newest mosques in a city filled with thousands.

A surprising and unconventional mosque hidden in the subsoil of Istanbul.

A section of the long chain that blocked enemy ships from entering Constantinople.

Climb a set of vertiginous stone steps to the top of this impressive ancient edifice.

The eclectic home of a leading Turkish architect is a gorgeous piece of eye candy.

This former Imperial summer home was the venue for a royal slap that once echoed 'round the world.

Ancient serpentine sacrifice holder that has stood the test of time.

No one is sure if the world's fourth-largest diamond had been found in a rubbish heap or was pawned by Napoleon's mom.

This column celebrates Rome's victory over the Goths, and may be the oldest Roman monument in Istanbul.

A fountain standing as a testament to a doomed alliance.

Large miniature theme park with 100-plus models.

This half-forgotten fortress was constructed by the Ottoman conqueror of Constantinople.

A sixth-century Byzantine cistern hidden below a modern carpet store.

A gorgeous, Gaudí-esque stairway constructed in the city of Istanbul by a prominent Jewish family.

Legend says if you stick your thumb in the hole and it gets wet, your wish will be granted.

Turkish adventurer antiques in the heart of the Grand Bazaar.

When the Soviets destroyed the historic Armenian monastery they somehow left its bell tower intact.

A cluster of historic bathhouses built on the famed hot springs that gave the Georgian capital its name.

This equestrian statue of Constantine the Great has been the subject of criticism for centuries.