Perhaps the only one of its kind, the nearly-forgotten site once held mortal (and rigged) gladiatorial games between tigers and imperial war elephants.

Giant pagoda houses the car that drove Thích Quảng Đức to his death by self-immolation.

The lavish temple of the Cao Dai religion that includes Buddha, Mohammed, Joan of Arc, and Victor Hugo.

Twice a day a speeding train passes only inches from the homes of this residential neighborhood.

One-of-a-kind stupa in Laos.

A Soviet-era health spa complete with radioactive bathing and shock therapy.

This hand-painted advertisement is a literal sign of encouragement, however unintentional.

Aruba’s first chapel.

The remnants of an abandoned, 19th-century gold mill along Aruba's rugged northeastern coast.

These stairs were built to accommodate royals mounted on elephants.

A 17th-century mosque that was used for war more than worship.

On the Pakistan-India border the militaries perform an elaborate theater of aggression each and every night.

This retro, UFO-like structure is a remnant of the Soviet-era circus.

Time capsule of a museum, in which the Soviet Union remains alive and kicking.

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.

The 10th-tallest pyramid in the world, this former sports arena is now home to a massive Bass Pro Shops store.

This 11th-century Cistercian abbey was once seized by Henry VIII.

This abandoned Brutalist tower looming over the M6 Motorway once featured a restaurant.

Proof of ancient aliens, or simply a creative way for farm laborers to clear their fields?

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

Where Stoddart and Connolly suffered in the infamous Bug Pit.

The ruins of an ancient Zoroastrian Tower of Silence believed to be the earliest example of the traditional funerary practice.

These "50 Fortresses" have been unearthed in the ancient oasis of Khwarezm.