D.C.'s first central library was born out of a chance encounter with the philanthropist whose name it bears.

There's a 12-foot-tall replica of the Washington Monument hidden under a manhole nearby.

An uber-secure, windowless tower of doom in the center of Manhattan is an NSA spyscraper.

These locks on North America’s oldest canal are named after a porcine rock formation.

The mastermind behind this palatial hotel perished on the Titanic weeks before its grand opening.

Louise Bourgeois' 30-foot-tall steel spider sculpture.

The design of this historic domed church was influenced by Thomas Jefferson and intended as a statement of religious freedom.

The largest salt lake in the Sahara is mysteriously alluring.

The ancient heart of Tunis is an enormous maze of narrow streets and alleyways.

Made famous by 'Star Wars,' these troglodyte homes face an uncertain future.

Buildings from the fictional planet of Tatooine still litter the Tunisian desert.

The largest and best-preserved Roman amphitheater in Africa was designed to seat 35,000 people.

The Swiss artist's bulbous and overgrown shape-shifting sculpture controversially graces the center of Bern.

This enormous monument is one of the most iconic structures in Tokyo, rudely nicknamed "The Golden Turd."

This little replica of Lady Liberty provides a bit of NYC in a Japanese city.

An ordinary pond with fish from out of this world.

After a profound show of devotion for his master, a dog becomes the symbol of loyalty for an entire nation.

Once a black market electronics marketplace, now an otaku shopper's paradise.

This 14th-century temple is also known as the "Temple of the Golden Pavilion" for its gorgeous gilded reliquary hall.

A beautiful bamboo trail tucked in this famous Japanese shrine.

The quintessential Japanese rock garden has existed for more than 500 years.

1,001 carved statues of the Buddhist God of Mercy, each with a unique face.

Narrow passes cut out of mountains surround the medieval capital of Japan.

Legend holds eating just one of these black eggs can add seven years to one's life.