Huge stairway leads to this massive gallery.

This medieval manuscript collection has some of the most obscure and ancient texts in the world.

A lively circle of dancers in the Georgian capital commemorates an ancient rite of spring.

This extraordinary, multi-pillared monument depicts the fascinating history of Georgia.

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

The charmingly disheveled clock tower of Tbilisi's puppet theater.

Tower with a double-helix spiral, adorned with letters of the Georgian alphabet.

A literally moving statue of stacked metal giants just continually trying (and failing) to find love.

At this rare mosque in Tbilisi, Sunni and Shia Muslims pray side by side.

With over 10,000 lights, this engineering marvel lights up the city after dark.

A gleaming white and undulating tower marks the border between Georgia and Turkey.

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

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

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

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

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

A surprising and unconventional mosque hidden in the subsoil of Istanbul.

A gorgeous, Gaudí-esque stairway constructed in the city of Istanbul by a prominent Jewish family.

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

This stone figurine was made more than 6,000 years ago and depicts a female deity of the Neolithic Vinča culture.

No one is sure if the world's fourth-largest diamond had been found in a rubbish heap or was pawned by Napoleon's mom.

One of the largest wooden constructions in Europe was meant to be a casino, but soon became an orphanage.

One of the newest mosques in a city filled with thousands.

In the hometown of the Catholic saint and Nobel Peace Prize winner, a memorial dedicated to her legacy.