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Interior of the mosque.
Istanbul, Turkey

Yeralti Camii (Underground Mosque)

A surprising and unconventional mosque hidden in the subsoil of Istanbul.
<em>Maud </em> pulls into Bergen Port in Norway.
exploration

After a Century in the Ice, Maud Has Returned Home to Norway

The polar exploration ship survived freezing, sinking, and seizure by creditors.
Cara Giaimo August 17, 2018
Tippu Tip's house.
Zanzibar, Tanzania

Tippu Tip's House

This slowly crumbling mansion was home to one of East Africa's richest and most powerful slave traders.
Steps leading up to Peden's Cave.
Failford, Scotland

Peden's Cave

A historic cave in Scotland once served as a hiding place for a famous Covenanter.
Two vendors at the Bukhara bazaar sell melons.
food

Tracing the Overlooked Legacy of the Silk Road's Fruits and Nuts

A new archaeobotanical study is helping shift the historical record.
Paula Mejia August 16, 2018
112-foot Adiyogi at the Isha Yoga Center.
Booluvampatti, India

The Adiyogi Shiva Statue

The world's largest bust sculpture celebrates the Hindu deity, Shiva.
The clock face.
Devon, England

'My Dear Mother' Clock

Instead of numerals, the unusual clock face spells out a memorial to a lost loved one.
Kneippen, Sweden

Villa Villekulla

Visit the home of Sweden's beloved fictional character, Pippi Longstocking.
Tim Curtis on the door of the lock.
boats

The Ups and Downs of Being a Canal Lockmaster

Keeping a 170-year-old tradition alive on the mighty Muskingum.
Dylan Taylor-Lehman August 15, 2018
Joliet, Illinois

Joliet Correctional Center

A historic and oft-filmed prison stands in a Chicago suburb.
Braden Castle Ruins
Bradenton, Florida

Braden Castle Ruins

These crumbling foundations are all that remain of the once-stately 1840s manor that gave the town of Bradenton its name.
Sarcophagus on top level of Mausoleum of Theoderic.
Ravenna, Italy

Mausoleum of Theoderic

The roof of this ancient mausoleum is made from a single Istrian stone weighing a massive 230 tons.
From left: Workers lower the 5.3-kiloton bomb used in the Salmon test into the ground; The second bomb was set off in the cavity gouged out by the first test two years earlier.
nuclear

In the 1960s, the U.S. Government Set Off a Pair of Nukes Under Mississippi

It’s a nearly forgotten chapter of Cold War history that seems hard to fathom today—even for those who were there.
Matt Smith August 15, 2018
Sideways' grave at Georgia Tech.
Atlanta, Georgia

The Sideways Grave of Sideways the Dog

A slanted tomb honors the faithful, furry companion of the Georgia Tech student body.
Bruges, Belgium

Smedenpoort Skull

The bronzed skull of a beheaded traitor was affixed to the city gate in the 17th century.
Wall of Great Tajik Writers.
Dushanbe, Tajikistan

Wall of Great Tajik Writers

A building facade covered with the statues of 11 giants of Tajik literature.
Walnut Grove, California

Locke Historic District

The only standing town in the United States that early Chinese Americans built for themselves.
A Target bag rests on the surface of Walden Pond. Part of S.B. Walker's 2017 photo series, "Walden."
lakes

What Is Walden Pond?

Its cultural meaning may be calcified—but off the page, it's changing fast.
Cara Giaimo August 10, 2018