A fountain standing as a testament to a doomed alliance.

Have tea in a cemetery with a dazzling view of Istanbul.

Large miniature theme park with 100-plus models.

Ottoman-era houses lovingly preserved.

This half-forgotten fortress was constructed by the Ottoman conqueror of Constantinople.

Climb a steep hill in 90 seconds on the second-oldest urban subway in the world.

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

The deepest underground city in Turkey was designed to protect 20,000 people behind massive stone doors.

An Art Nouveau gem hides beneath the layers of city grime obscuring this once-magnificent building.

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

An abused and forgotten metropolis, abandoned for centuries.

A deadly ancient portal to the underworld.

A gorgeous, Gaudí-esque stairway constructed in the city of Istanbul by a prominent Jewish family.

Legend says if you stick your thumb in the hole and it gets wet, your wish will be granted.

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

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

This hunter-gatherer architecture is believed to be the oldest religious complex known.

A small etching on the white marble parapet was written in runic script by a Viking mercenary.

A meow-velous tribute to a beloved street cat, made famous on the internet.

These tombs were built into the side of a mountain so that ancient angels could reach the dead.

Roman ruins top white travertine terraces formed by ancient hot springs.

A marvel of Byzantine engineering under the streets of Istanbul.

In this historic region, homes and churches are carved into ancient volcanic rock formations.

This otherwise ordinary close on the Royal Mile constituted the end of the world for Edinburgh’s poorest residents.