Byzantine emperors ruled, lived, and died in this 13th-century palace-turned-museum.

The only Roman honorific column in Istanbul.

The legendary luxury train passage is commemorated with a charming museum inside its former eastern terminus.

A marvel of Byzantine engineering under the streets of Istanbul.

This remarkably well-preserved Egyptian plinth is pretty well traveled for a giant piece of stone.

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

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.

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

A sixth-century Byzantine cistern hidden below a modern carpet store.

A tiny park in the middle of some big power politics.

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

A fountain standing as a testament to a doomed alliance.

1513 Turkish world map, full of European state secrets and snarky commentary.

Europe's first floating restaurant is home to a hilarious legend.

Where royalty waits in the height of luxury.

A unique collection of gilded age mechanical pianos.

A collection of biblical memorabilia.

Debatably clever, or just plain honest hotel advertised as "The Worst Hotel in the World."

This vast collection of smoking pipes from across the world spans centuries.

The facade of this bank has changed little over the centuries, including its unique welcome sign.

A public urinal so pretty, it was declared a national monument.

This museum housed in a former brothel explores the past and present of sex work in Amsterdam.

Some 80,000 Delft Blue tiles line the inside of this Amsterdam walkway.

In 1988, jazz legend Chet Baker fell to his death from a window of this hotel facing Amsterdam Centraal.