Over the centuries, this island paradise has done it all, from providing monks with ecclesiastical respite to sheltering an exiled Leon Trotsky.

A charming beach town in Turkey captures all the colors of the rainbow.

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

Climb a steep hill in 90 seconds on the second-oldest urban subway in the world.

This museum was invented in a novel before being made real by the author.

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

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

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

A meow-velous tribute to a beloved street cat, made famous on the internet.

This famous city eluded concrete detection until the early 2000's.

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

Roman ruins top white travertine terraces formed by ancient hot springs.

A marvel of Byzantine engineering under the streets of Istanbul.

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

A faithful reproduction of Al-Jazari's enormous water clock.

A dictator's gold statue once rotated to face the sun on a 75-meter high marble tower.

Sumptous memorial to a controversial independence.

A huge monument to a bizarre book written by Turkmenistan’s longstanding dictator.

Few people have ever heard of, let alone visited, one of Turkmenistan’s most impressive natural attractions.

If you want to get married in the White Marble City of Ashgabat, you should do it in this surreal disco ball building.

This famed Silk Road oasis was one of the largest cities in the world before it was destroyed by a Mongol horde.

A fiery crater has been burning in the Karakum Desert since 1971.

One of the most ethnically diverse spots on the planet.

This "tower of death" has acted as an observatory, a religious hub, and an executioner's lair.