This remnant of an ancient Persian city is considered to be the world's largest single-span brick vault arch.

A 2200 year old vessel may have been able to keep a charge.

An ancient sanctuary that has long been a holy site for the Chaldean Christian Church.

The surviving pieces of an ancient aqueduct that may have fed into the lost Hanging Gardens of Babylon.

Giant reed houses made in the marshes of Southern Iraq.

Ancient rock-cut tomb? Definitely. That of a great Median king? Unlikely.

A shrine on the shores of the Tigris.

This beautiful arched gate is all that remains of the fortress the ancient mountaintop town of Amadiya once was.

An ancient fortified mound raised over the millennia from settlements built one on top of the other.

The sacred shrine of the Yazidis.

9th century Abbasid mosque, damaged in modern warfare.

Celebrated as a center of civilization, the remains of the ancient city have been nearly destroyed by greed, egoism, and war.

This cascade of mineral-rich hot springs and waterfalls is an oasis in the Jordanian desert.

An oasis of shade and color amidst the bustle of the old city.

The world's oldest map of the holy land gives us a fragmented glimpse of the layout of biblical nations.

Egyptian treasure trove of fossils documenting the whale's transition from land mammal to sea creature.

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

A section of the long chain that blocked enemy ships from entering Constantinople.

Quite possibly the oldest love poem known to humankind.

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

Five sultans and their families rest in eternal splendor, teeming with overlooked beauty and drama.

Turkish adventurer antiques in the heart of the Grand Bazaar.

Legend says if you stick your thumb in the hole and it gets wet your wish will be granted.

A marvel of Byzantine engineering under the streets of Istanbul.