The building is a gigantic piece of art inspired by the shape of a desert rose.

Qatar's oldest market can trace its origins back more than a century.

This seemingly random 30-foot statue of an oryx in Qatar's capital was a mascot for the 2006 Asian Games.

This fountain pays homage to Qatar's history of pearling, the primary industry before oil.

This Soviet statue is based on a piece of propaganda that's been elevated to national myth.

Beatlemania is still going strong... at least in Kazakhstan.

This sprawling market is a one-stop shop for traditional Kazakh foods, from mare’s milk to sheep’s head.

In Kazakhstan, a colorful cathedral with many lives once survived the most powerful earthquake in the region.

Granny Smiths and Fujis can both be traced back to Kazakhstan, where apples still grow wild.

The lovely lake that was naturally dammed, then naturally destroyed, then unnaturally saved.

A brilliant turquoise lake in the mountains.

Submerged trees jut ghost-like out of an idyllic turquoise mountain lake.

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

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

Sitting right on the border between East and West Jerusalem this modern art museum is in itself a symbol of Israel's hoped-for unity.

One of only two towns in Israel populated by Circassians, a sect of Sunni Muslims who are also devoted to Israeli military service.

This "Jewish Sistine Chapel" was designed to reinvigorate Judaism's artistic legacy but was almost lost to misguided restoration.

This synagogue is covered in beautiful mosaics that explore the history of the Jewish people.

A sprawling ancient Jewish cemetery with over 30 rock-hewn burial caves.

A 2,000-year-old wine press hidden in an overlooked park in Tel Aviv.

The bronze uniforms commemorate the vital role of women during World War II.

Bronze sculpture celebrating the relationship between Churchill and Roosevelt.

An alleyway plaque is all that remains of the independent Texas' envoy that forgot to pay their rent for over a century.