Places uselessfactoid Wants to Go

Nicknamed Kazakhstan's Grand Canyon, this natural wonder lies east of Almaty near the Chinese border.

This unique wooden mosque resembling a Chinese pagoda was said to be built without the use of nails.

This Soviet statue is based on a piece of propaganda that's been elevated to national myth.

In Kazakhstan, a colorful cathedral with many lives once survived the most powerful earthquake in the region.

This sprawling market is a one-stop shop for traditional Kazakh foods, from mare’s milk to sheep’s head.

A brilliant turquoise lake in the mountains.

This Soviet-era athletic and recreation facility is the highest ice skating rink in the world.

This was once the largest city in Kazakhstan, and a major stop on the Silk Road.

An abandoned Soviet-era mining town in the mountains of South Kazakhstan.

The remains of a monument in the remote Kazakhstani desert dedicated to the only men to die in outer space, the crew of the Soyuz 11 rocket.

These morbid carvings remind churchgoers of the inevitability of death.

A relic of Victorian grandeur hides beneath a busy South London road.

The most visited pilgrimage site in Armenia once held a saint in a pit for 13 years.

Standing proud atop a Turkish bluff, this Ottoman palace has retained its grandeur despite being abandoned for centuries.

An ancient church on a tiny island covered in stone bible stories has controversially been turned into a museum.

The ancient abodes are a testament to human ingenuity amid harsh climates.

A beautiful 19th-century Armenian mansion is preserved above an unassuming cafe.

This hidden gem is bathed in beautiful natural light.

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

Live a night as a Byzantine King, with a minibar and private jacuzzi.

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

In this historic region, homes and churches are carved into ancient volcanic rock formations.

The largest Neolithic ruins in the world hide a notably clean prehistoric metropolis.

The best-preserved ancient theater in the world.