Southern Ocean waters and glacial forces transform the Antarctic ice into these stunning bridges and caves.

This abandoned Antarctic research station is a Soviet ghost frozen in time.

Russian Orthodox church built on an Antarctic island.

The best place to send your postcards home from Antarctica.

An abandoned whaling station on an active volcano offers hot springs in Antarctica, surrounded by ruined giants of industry.

Natural time capsule containing an alien ecosystem.

Hot springs monkey spa in the middle of Hell's Valley.

On Japan's Tashirojima Island, cats are king.

A magical place that lets you play in and explore the world of Studio Ghibli.

An exquisite tunnel of cascading flowers.

The sound of swaying stalks in this stunning grove has been named a governmentally recognized sound.

200-foot-high minaret and only remnant of Afghanistan's lost city of the Turquoise Mountain.

This monument honors the life of a long-suffering lion whose story captivated the world.

What was once supposed to be the symbol of a shining Afghan future is now a bombed-out ruin.

Despite a history of destruction, this former citadel survives to document Afghanistan's oft overlooked history.

Rock-cut chamber at top of an outcroup, reached by a mountain stairway of forty steps.

Once an impressive link to Afghanistan’s Buddhist past, now a sad reminder of intolerance towards other cultures.

Splashes of blue in an otherwise monotonous lunar landscape.

This magnificent blue mosque in Afghanistan is surrounded by thousands of white doves.

A massive collection of petroglyphs dating back some 40,000 years.

The village's cobblestone streets are lined with shops displaying exquisite copper craftsmanship.

This mysterious but iconic tapered tower appears in many Azeri fairytales and legends.

Foreign invaders almost left this lovely Caucasus palace alone—almost.

What might be the largest completely Jewish town in the world outside of Israel now faces dwindling numbers and empty streets.