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

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

A marvel of Byzantine engineering under the streets of Istanbul.

The last remaining predreadnought battleship in the world has been a museum for nearly a century.

This museum is dedicated to the cultural history of tobacco and salt, once monopolized in Japan.

An enormous pair of straw sandals woven in the traditional way—to keep demons at bay.

Mythical beasts symbolizing the city of Tokyo guard a historic bridge.

Home to the world's oldest wooden building.

Narrow passes cut out of mountains surround the medieval capital of Japan.

This 14th-century temple is also known as the "Temple of the Golden Pavilion" for its gorgeous gilded reliquary hall.

Weighing nearly 7 tons, this massive sculpture was carved out of 500-year-old wood and decorated with thousands of jewels.

This ancient shrine has been rebuilt every 20 years since the eighth century.

A small island with no monkeys but plenty of military ruins.

After being lost for decades, this striking mural depicting the atomic bomb covers the wall of a busy Tokyo metro station.

This adorable birdlike police box is designed based on a play on words.

This giant bronze Buddha, the third largest in Japan, is the last in an ill-fated series of statues.

Devoted Buddhists can earn enlightenment in the next life by crawling through this symbolic nostril.

The iconic castle that withstood a magnitude 6.2 earthquake has become a symbol of resilience.

This little replica of Lady Liberty provides a bit of NYC in a Japanese city.

This sawtooth mountain range still bears the strangely lovely marks of its history as a medieval quarry.

Peace Park and the Atomic Bomb Dome.

Thirty architectural gems from the 19th- and early 20th-century Tokyo were restored and relocated to this space.

A rare festival blending religion, blacksmiths, vagina dentata, sex workers, and the straight-up facts of life.

This pair of small sea rocks has been "wed" using rope and ancient Shinto tradition.