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

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

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

A sacred lake with thousands of sacred carp and a biblical history.

This museum was invented in a novel before being made real by the author.

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

Roman ruins, natural methane fires and a lovely beach.

A Turkish monastery tucked into a cliff wall.

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

Hidden just under the waters around this Turkish island are the ruins of a once great city.

A Lycian city of the dead carved into the hillside of Southern Turkey, complete with startlingly human touches.

A marvel of Byzantine engineering under the streets of Istanbul.

This mysterious but iconic tapered tower appears in many Azeri fairytales and legends.

The most famous location in China was home to whole dynasties worth of imperial rulers.

This probably wasn't what Mao had in mind.

These excavated burials from the Tarim Basin are wrapped in mystery.

A blooming house of worship for the masses.

This sprawling market is a one-stop shop for traditional Kazakh foods, from mare’s milk to sheep’s head.

This Soviet statue is based on a piece of propaganda that's been elevated to national myth.

In Kazakhstan, a colorful cathedral with many lives once survived the most powerful earthquake in the region.

An entertainment center in a huge transparent tent.

Nicknamed Kazakhstan's Grand Canyon, this natural wonder lies east of Almaty near the Chinese border.

A brilliant turquoise lake in the mountains.

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