"The country that ate itself."

Nelson Mandela lived here with his family from 1946 until his arrest in 1962.

This granite mountain is the largest rock in Africa and the second-largest monolith in the world.

Not only does this shop sell mokorotlo, the traditional hat of Lesotho, the building is shaped like one.

Just outside Lesotho's capital city, a rock formation takes the shape of a powerful predator.

An awe-inspiring mosque in Morocco with one of the tallest minarets in the world.

It took 40 years to build this Eden-like garden in Marrakech, later restored by Yves Saint-Laurent.

Fortune tellers, snake charmers, poets, and storytellers all gather on this historic square in Morocco.

One of the two original gateways into the Kasbah, this gateway is a nesting site for storks.

Deliberately hidden for centuries, the magnificent Saadian Tombs were eventually uncovered in 1917.

Designed as a labyrinth, this subterranean prison was crafted without bars or doors.

The ruins of an early-18th-century complex that could once house up to 12,000 horses.

Traditional 11th-century outdoor tannery.

The courtyard of this small Marinid madrasa is a dazzling example of intricate Islamic architecture.

The other side is actually green.

Thousands of narrow alleyways in an ancient medieval city make up what's believed to be the world's largest car-free urban zone.

This archaeological site boasts temple ruins that date back 5,000 years to the Dilmun culture, and may have been described in the tale of Gilgamesh's search for immortality.

This beautifully historic Bahrain fortress might not be the most popular attraction around, but that might make it all the better.

This centuries-old tree tells an unusual tale of vegetation and fertility in the desert.

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

On any given day this sprawling market houses literally tons of government-regulated gold, gems, and precious metals.

A preposterously luxurious hotel with gold-plated iPads, Rolls Royce chauffeurs, and a staff that trains by watching "Downton Abbey."

A unique configuration of blown glass can be found inside this hotel lobby.

Whitewashed mosque contains the world's largest carpet.