The ruins of this gorgeous clifftop castle look like something from a fantasy novel.

The initials "GW" mark where one of Scotland's most important Protestant martyrs was burned at the stake.

Despite being tiny and rural this Georgian airport looks like a sci-fi boondoggle.

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

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

A marvel of Byzantine engineering under the streets of Istanbul.

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

Have tea in a cemetery with a dazzling view of Istanbul.

A fountain standing as a testament to a doomed alliance.

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

One of the newest mosques in a city filled with thousands.

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

An Art Nouveau gem hides beneath the layers of city grime obscuring this once-magnificent building.

Turkish adventurer antiques in the heart of the Grand Bazaar.

One of the largest wooden constructions in Europe was meant to be a casino, but soon became an orphanage.

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

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

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

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

This extraordinary, multi-pillared monument depicts the fascinating history of Georgia.

Tower with a double-helix spiral, adorned with letters of the Georgian alphabet.

A literally moving statue of stacked metal giants just continually trying (and failing) to find love.

The first skyscraper to include a Ferris wheel built into the facade.