This Tang Dynasty behemoth is the biggest Buddha in the world.

A New Zealand communications tower stands as the tallest structure in the Southern Hemisphere.

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

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

A marvel of Byzantine engineering under the streets of Istanbul.

This remarkably well-preserved Egyptian plinth is pretty well traveled for a giant piece of stone.

Central America's deepest lake is actually a volcanic caldera, surrounded by three volcanoes.

This African beach is home to thousands of rare mainland penguins that are known for their annoying voice.

Largest cave system in Africa.

This "dead marsh" sits among the largest sand dunes in the world, a forest frozen in time.

Ancient artists in the middle of nowhere.

Tracks of ceratosaurus and Coelophysis rhodesiensis tracks can be found fossilized in the sandstone near Mt. Etjo.

The hottest place on the planet.

Ethiopia's "smoking mountain" is in one of the hottest regions on the planet and is home to two lava lakes.

An Ethiopian "Jerusalem" featuring a church hewn out of a single rock.

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

Ozymandias’ time-keeping temple.

A "miracle" that seems to produce more holy fistfights than holy revelations.

The massive cave church of Cairo's Zabbaleen community is one of the largest Christian churches in the Middle East.

Slum Settlement Filled With Mountains of Garbage.

An ancient capital city that dates back 3,000 years and harbors many surprises.

The largest prehistoric ruins south of the Sahara, once a powerful center of international trade.

Unexplained bald patches in the landscape grow and recede over time, as though they are somehow alive.

Held in a fort that once stood for colonization of the area, this museum now tells the history of its indigenous people.