Places Sputnicktatorship Wants to Go

This elevator was built in 1907 to connect two neighborhoods separated by a steep, rocky cliff.

A little-known caravanserai hidden among farmhouses in the Turkish countryside.

Taking the subway here means doing so over a bridge located in the middle of an estuary.

Balanced on four stone pillars, this historic tower was the site of a tragic political assassination.

This church houses the tomb—but not the remains—of St. Nicholas, the likely progenitor to Santa Claus.

An underground network of massive stone arches and their skylit vaults support ruins of portico structures above.

This arch granting triumphal entrance into Antalya was designed to honor the emperor's visit.

Remnants of successive wars and Muslim colonialism in the 11th century.

One of the most exquisite Lycian hilltop citadels in Turkey.

According to local legends, the shallow sandbar that allows visitors to walk across Orhaniye Bay has a tragic backstory.

This ancient abandoned church in a remote part of Turkey is in danger of falling over.

Quite possibly the oldest love poem known to humankind.

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

Climb a set of vertiginous stone steps to the top of this impressive ancient edifice.

These ruins once flourished as the capital of the Lydian kingdom, often credited with the invention of metal coinage.

This mysterious cliffside carving of an ancient Hittite deity has baffled scholars for centuries.

A section of the long chain that blocked enemy ships from entering Constantinople.

The eclectic home of a leading Turkish architect is a gorgeous piece of eye candy.

This half-forgotten fortress was constructed by the Ottoman conqueror of Constantinople.

The only residents of this abandoned housing development full of identical castles are stray cats and dogs.

This former Imperial summer home was the venue for a royal slap that once echoed 'round the world.

This ancient subterranean megalopolis is known for the hot oil traps that were installed above each of its entrances.

At this ancient settlement at the foot of Mount Babadağ, honeycomb tombs are carved into a round cliff.

This ancient city—home to nine civilizations—is soon to be buried under 200 feet of water.