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

The most metal church of all time was built in record time because of an international, pious pissing contest.

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.

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

Turkish adventurer antiques in the heart of the Grand Bazaar.

Five sultans and their families rest in eternal splendor, teeming with overlooked beauty and drama.

A marvel of Byzantine engineering under the streets of Istanbul.

A fountain standing as a testament to a doomed alliance.

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

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

The home-turned-museum of Barış Manço, the mustachioed Turkish Elvis for children.

Over the centuries, this island paradise has done it all, from providing monks with ecclesiastical respite to sheltering an exiled Leon Trotsky.