posatomatato's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Almaty, Kazakhstan

Beatles Statue of Almaty

Beatlemania is still going strong... at least in Kazakhstan.
Raiymbek District, Kazakhstan

Charyn Canyon

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

Kaindy Lake

Submerged trees jut ghost-like out of an idyllic turquoise mountain lake.
Almaty, Kazakhstan

Big Almaty Lake

A brilliant turquoise lake in the mountains.
Kyrgyzstan

Burana Tower

Lonely minaret stump of a destroyed city.
Karakol, Kyrgyzstan

Dungan Mosque

Built entirely of interlocking pieces, construction of this Chinese Muslim house of worship required zero nails.
Kyrgyzstan

Jeti-Ögüz Rocks

According to myth, there's a bloody explanation for the beautiful bright red color of this rock formation set amidst alpine vegetation.
Barskoon, Kyrgyzstan

Monument to Yuri Gagarin

A boulder carved into the shape of the cosmonaut's head.
Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan

National Museum of Kyrgyzstan

Time capsule of a museum, in which the Soviet Union remains alive and kicking.
Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan

Bishkek Circus

This retro, UFO-like structure is a remnant of the Soviet-era circus.
Bukhara, Uzbekistan

"The Bug Pit" at Zindon Prison

Where Stoddart and Connolly suffered in the infamous Bug Pit.
Bukhara, Uzbekistan

Kalyan Minaret

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

Shah-i-Zinda Necropolis

The Avenue of Mausolea is a series of grand palatial tombs.
Syracuse, Italy

Ear of Dionysius

Italian cave with exceptional acoustics and an unsavory history.
Tashkent, Uzbekistan

Tashkent Metro Stations

An underground world of gorgeous, palatial metro stations designed as a nuclear shelter complex.
Bhaktapur, Nepal

Bhaktapur Durbar Square

The former stronghold of the Malla Dynasty has remained virtually unchanged since the 17th century.
Kathmandu, Nepal

Boudhanath Stupa

One of the largest Buddhist stupas in the world keeps an eye out in every direction.
Datong, China

Yungang Grottoes

Massive series of 45 caves and over 51,000 sculptures carved from cliffsides in China.
Datong, China

Hanging Temple of Hengshan

A fifth-century temple improbably built into the side of a cliff.
Xian Shi, China

Xi'an City Walls

An ancient fortification lives on in this Chinese city.
Xian Shi, China

Great Mosque of Xi'an

Although resembling a grand Buddhist temple, this structure is actually the largest mosque in China.
Jining, China

The Temple and Cemetery of Confucius

The family compound and final resting place for the philosopher, Confucius, and over 100,000 of his descendants.
Shanghai, China

Oriental Pearl Tower

The once highest point in China blends symbolic design with a kick of adrenaline.
Shanghai, China

Bund Sightseeing Tunnel

This psychedelic tourist trap is a leisurely descent into madness.