Places Sputnicktatorship Wants to Go

The enormous diamond-shaped building packs a trove of academic and literary treasures into one futuristic space.

This fountain pays homage to Qatar's history of pearling, the primary industry before oil.

This unique museum doesn't shy away from highlighting Qatar's role in the history of slavery.

A superb spot to appreciate the traditional boats of the Indian Ocean.

An abandoned fishing village in pre-oil Qatar.

A staggering number of rock carvings in an abandoned quarry.

A 19th century pearling and fishing village abandoned before Qatar's economic boom.

Qatar's oldest market can trace its origins back more than a century.

The shallow, salty inlet was a safe haven for 19th-century pirates.

Home of the infamous Rug Man of Doha.

These beautiful historic watchtowers were used for both scanning the desert for enemy invaders and observing the celestial world.

The building is a gigantic piece of art inspired by the shape of a desert rose.

A mesmerizing wonderland of salt-encrusted tree branches and pencil roots.

Climb down into the largest sinkhole in Qatar.

A section of the desert with an array of unusual sandstone and limestone formations.

Where artisans use centuries-old techniques to build traditional Arabian ships.

A powerful cyclone once made one of the world's largest sinkholes completely fill with water.

This beautifully restored fortification kept the city safe for centuries.

This giant underground cave chamber can only be accessed through a small opening at the top.

This remote British Imperial telegraph relay outpost drove men insane.

Traditional architecture and ancient irrigation systems are on display in this gorgeous mountain village.

These gnarly desert trees produce the prized aromatic resin traded along the ancient incense trail.

This lonely tomb is all that remains of a once-bustling ancient trade hub visited by Marco Polo.

Some claim these desert ruins are from the legendary "Atlantis of the Sands."