Places Edited by seanjobst

This column celebrates Rome's victory over the Goths, and may be the oldest Roman monument in Istanbul.

L. Frank Baum wrote part of the "Wizard of Oz" series in this wooden Victorian beach resort.

The Cycladic architecture makes this Athens neighborhood feel like an island paradise hidden in the shadow of the Acropolis.

This natural hill rose another 130 feet from the debris and rubble added after World War II.

A tiny park in the middle of some big power politics.

A lush indoor jungle fills this bustling Madrid transportation hub.

This crumbling medieval basilica once attracted pilgrims by the thousands to collect a miraculous dust that formed above the saint's tomb.

A hidden church in a hidden courtyard tells the story of the Miracle of Amsterdam.

Amsterdam's former hotspot for public executions and dissections.

A towering monument in Spain has proven to be more labor-intensive than initially planned.

The stunning interior of this Gothic church is covered in ornate gold details.

Elaborately carved to showcase the glorious wealth that the age of exploration brought to the Portuguese empire.

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

The oldest restaurant in the world is this old-world Spanish eatery, still known for its suckling pig.

This architecturally eclectic early-20th century mosque was built as a place of worship for the Islamic followers of a Jewish messiah.

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

Madrid's romantically ornate crystal palace has been offering shelter to plants and art for over a century.

These ancient ritual mounds are our best window into the culture of the ancient Mississippians.

An Albanian monument to the Communism that nearly crushed the country is now a crumbling wreck.

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

The language and heritage of a nearly forgotten culture can still be explored in this Southern enclave.

An extraordinarily ornate museum in San Diego holds wondrous anthropological treasures.

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

The alleged house of the Virgin Mary is tucked away in a park and nature preserve on Mt. Koressos in Turkey and is holy to both Catholics and Muslims alike.