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

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

The controversial final resting place of the equally controversial first president of Turkmenistan.

A huge monument to a bizarre book written by Turkmenistan’s longstanding dictator.

Sumptous memorial to a controversial independence.

A dictator's gold statue once rotated to face the sun on a 75-meter high marble tower.

This harsh mountain path was built as a strange attempt to improve the health of Turkmen citizens.

If you want to get married in the White Marble City of Ashgabat, you should do it in this surreal disco ball building.

This famed Silk Road oasis was one of the largest cities in the world before it was destroyed by a Mongol horde.

A fiery crater has been burning in the Karakum Desert since 1971.

The world's second-tallest flagpole stands proud despite dropping rank.

A huge communist-era propaganda monument and mural that offers stunning views of the Mongolian capital.

The oldest Buddhist monastery in Mongolia has survived centuries of invasions, political shifts, and religious purges.

Enormous statue of the Emperor of the Mongols.

This Soviet statue is based on a piece of propaganda that's been elevated to national myth.

In Kazakhstan, a colorful cathedral with many lives once survived the most powerful earthquake in the region.

An ancient fortification lives on in this Chinese city.

A life-sized imperial army, buried in battle formation, has stood underground for over 2,000 years—built not for war, but for eternity.

This French ghost town from World War II has been left as a memorial to German atrocities during World War II.

This sign designates the road that leads to the infamous Area 51.

This crumbling Death Valley mining complex was known for its use of giant, 20-mule team wagons.

The intricate stonework of Machu Picchu serves as a testament to Incan engineers.

If you visit Santa's village, you can get your passport stamped to show you crossed into the Arctic Circle.

Roughly 17 million letters to Santa have found their way to this Arctic Circle post office.