This 13th-century monastery chiseled into the side of a mountain is equipped with a bridge that can be lifted to protect against raids.

Where you'll find anything but nothing.

The origin of this sinisterly shaped forest is rooted in mystery.

These oldest of these "embroidered stones" were carved 4,000 years ago in a high mountain valley.

According to myth, there's a bloody explanation for the beautiful bright red color of this rock formation set amidst alpine vegetation.

This mysterious complex of abandoned yurts and fading murals was meant to be a center of science and spirituality in Kyrgyzstan.

A stunning blue-green lake located in the Terskey Alatau mountain range.

Lonely minaret stump of a destroyed city.

Built entirely of interlocking pieces, construction of this Chinese Muslim house of worship required zero nails.

This retro, UFO-like structure is a remnant of the Soviet-era circus.

On the shores of Kyrgyzstan's Issyk-Kul Lake, a family cooks a feast that tells the sad tale of a people's exile.

An outstanding piece of retro Sci-Fi architecture built into a sacred mountain.

The heartbeat of modern Uzbekistan’s thriving market culture.

The rocks are a time capsule of a 407-million-year-old Earth.

Witness traditional silk production in the Uzbek city that's been a hub of sericulture for over a thousand years.

Touching displays of wishes for peace from the Cold War era.

Giant cauldrons overflow with Uzbekistan's favorite rice dish at this cavernous dining hall.