thetravellingdane's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Istanbul, Turkey

Hagia Sophia Wishing Column

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

Aspendos Theater

The best-preserved ancient theater in the world.
Istanbul, Turkey

Kaiser Wilhelm Fountain

A fountain standing as a testament to a doomed alliance.
Istanbul, Turkey

Viking Runes at Hagia Sophia

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

Piri Reis Map at Topkapi Palace

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

Obelisk of Theodosius

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

Tombs of the Sultans

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

Basilica Cisterns of Istanbul

A marvel of Byzantine engineering under the streets of Istanbul.
Campeche, Mexico

Fort of San José el Alto

Half-hidden by grassy slopes, this striking Spanish colonial fort is now a museum of underwater archaeology.
Palenque, Mexico

Scarlet Macaws of Palenque

After becoming locally extinct, this esteemed avian now flies free in the forests around the ancient ruins.
Palenque, Mexico

Rabbit Skull Relief

The enigmatic skull gazes out over the ruins of a once-great Mayan city.
Monte Albán, Mexico

Monte Albán

These sacred Mesoamerican ruins feature peculiar petroglyphs hidden in the stones.
Mexico City, Mexico

Moctezuma's Treasure

It's believed this golden brick is part of the legendary lost Aztec treasure.
Mexico City, Mexico

Ocelotl Cuauhxicalli

This colossal ancient jaguar sculpture was used as a vessel for the hearts torn from sacrificial victims.
Mexico City, Mexico

Serpents of the Great Temple

These spectacular, symbolic serpents lie within the shadow of the Great Temple.
Mexico City, Mexico

Mask of the Bat God

This ancient jade mask depicting the Zapotec bat god was found in the ruins of the pyramids of Monte Alban.
Mexico City, Mexico

Monolith of Tlaloc

This colossal ancient sculpture of the monstrous Aztec rain god has a literally stormy history.
Mexico City, Mexico

The Sweets Section at Mercado de la Merced

Mexico City's largest market contains a Willy Wonka-esque wonderland.
Mexico City, Mexico

Skull Rack of the Great Temple

A disquieting Aztec sculpture displays hundreds of stone skulls representing the victims of human sacrifice.
Chichen Itza, Mexico

Chichen Itza Chirp

Clap your hands at the base of the pyramid, and the song of a sacred Mayan bird will echo through the air.
El Rosario, Mexico

Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve

The winter home of millions of migrating monarch butterflies.
Palenque, Mexico

Palenque

An elaborate Mayan city shrouded in alien conspiracy revealed the tomb of Pacal the Great.
Chichen Itza, Mexico

El Caracol

No telescopes, no power, no gift shop: The Observatory of Chichen Itza, one of the world's oldest observatories, takes astronomy back to basics.
Chichen Itza, Mexico

Pyramid of Kukulcan at Chich'en Itza

Every equinox this Maya pyramid puts on a spooky ancient light show.