The only Roman honorific column in Istanbul.

The legendary luxury train passage is commemorated with a charming museum inside its former eastern terminus.

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

Turkish adventurer antiques in the heart of the Grand Bazaar.

Ancient serpentine sacrifice holder that has stood the test of time.

A sixth-century Byzantine cistern hidden below a modern carpet store.

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

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

A fountain standing as a testament to a doomed alliance.

A small etching on the white marble parapet was written in runic script by a Viking mercenary.

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

Legend says if you stick your thumb in the hole and it gets wet, your wish will be granted.

This crucial gathering spot along the "hippie trail" still displays old notes between traveling beatniks and backpackers.

A marvel of Byzantine engineering under the streets of Istanbul.

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

1513 Turkish world map, full of European state secrets and snarky commentary.

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

A mosque with distinctive modern features.

A former factory serves as a shrine to the industry that sustained Santorini for decades.

This black sand beach was crafted from volcanic explosions including the historic Minoan eruption.

A quirky bookstore hidden beneath a sea of whitewashed Greek villas.

A stunning church overlooking the water that you will have all to yourself.

A Bronze age settlement on the Greek island of Santorini might have been the inspiration for Plato's Atlantis.

This abandoned Greek island was the last active leper colony in Europe.