This elegant carving of the Buddha guards a small Buddhist temple within a cave.

A historic trade hub teeming with gorgeous architecture, colorful goods, and vibrant designs.

Monks turned this mountain into a temple by digging grottoes, tunnels, and a huge pagoda-like hall.

Designed to serve primarily the Maharaja, this is an interesting variation on the traditional stepped well.

The ruins of a medieval monastery built on a perilous slope.

The tallest minaret in Yemen is 150 feet high and entirely made of mud.

An exquisite example of Uyghur Islamic architecture.

A gorgeous stone viaduct crosses over a bucolic valley.

One of Yemen’s oldest and most beautiful mosques was named for the incredible, historical queen buried inside it.

A patchwork of ruins from various civilizations in one of the world's oldest continually inhabited cities.

A haunting place that is now home to thousands of birds.

A surprisingly large and sturdy ruin on the outskirts of a remote village.

A beloved tribute to the Fab Four and the freedoms they inspired.

This colonial fort is an intriguing example of Renaissance military architecture.

One of the biggest markets in Asia, under one of the continent's largest domes.

A superb spot to appreciate the traditional boats of the Indian Ocean.

This extremely remote border crossing was closed to prevent smuggling and looting.

An outstanding piece of retro Sci-Fi architecture built into a sacred mountain.

History, geography, and shamanism meet in this eye-catching monument to the greatness of three empires.

The remains of an ancient city-state along the Silk Road.

Dedicated to a Bolshevik revolutionary, this museum is a true time capsule of the Soviet era.

Built entirely of interlocking pieces, construction of this Chinese Muslim house of worship required zero nails.

This village was once a thriving Soviet uranium mining center, but is now semi-abandoned and desolate.

This mysterious complex of abandoned yurts and fading murals was meant to be a center of science and spirituality in Kyrgyzstan.