These pillars are one of the few remnants from the mysterious lost empire of Makuria.

Spanish architects used seized Muslim gravestones to rebuild parts of the fortress.

A charming 17th-century alley is lined with secondhand bookstores and antiquarian shops.

This restored 17th century synagogue is one of the few remaining structures in Morocco’s ruined Jewish quarters.

The designated Jewish quarter in Fez dates back to the 15th century.

This 16th-century Moroccan fortress-turned-armory museum offers prime views of the historic quarter in Fes.

Crumbling necropolis set high above Fez.

The courtyard of this small Marinid madrasa is a dazzling example of intricate Islamic architecture.

The oldest known university in the world is in Fez, Morocco.

Traditional 11th-century outdoor tannery.

The other side is actually green.

Thousands of narrow alleyways in an ancient medieval city make up what's believed to be the world's largest car-free urban zone.

An awe-inspiring mosque in Morocco with one of the tallest minarets in the world.

This cave located in the badlands of Somaliland contains some of the oldest cave art in Africa.

Hundreds of caves filled with thousands of centuries-old statues and murals.

A MiG-17 fighter jet sits atop this memorial to the indiscriminate bombardment of Hargeisa.

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

A small but hugely whimsical theater where marionettes play out the "The Battle of Stalingrad."

A seemingly simple canyon that was the backdrop to a number of famous movies.

Vietnam's largest Buddha statue depicts a female sage.

These temples are among the oldest free-standing stone buildings in the world.

Deliberately hidden for centuries, the magnificent Saadian Tombs were eventually uncovered in 1917.

The largest salt lake in the Sahara is mysteriously alluring.

The original movie set for the home of 'Star Wars' hero Luke Skywalker.