Standing proud atop a Turkish bluff, this Ottoman palace has retained its grandeur despite being abandoned for centuries.

An ancient church on a tiny island covered in stone bible stories has controversially been turned into a museum.

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

A Turkish monastery tucked into a cliff wall.

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.

The deepest underground city in Turkey was designed to protect 20,000 people behind massive stone doors.

A Turkish ghost town abandoned in a population exchange with Greece.

An abused and forgotten metropolis, abandoned for centuries.

A Lycian city of the dead carved into the hillside of Southern Turkey, complete with startlingly human touches.

This hunter-gatherer architecture is believed to be the oldest religious complex known.

A marvel of Byzantine engineering under the streets of Istanbul.

These tombs were built into the side of a mountain so that ancient angels could reach the dead.

In this historic region, homes and churches are carved into ancient volcanic rock formations.

Roman ruins top white travertine terraces formed by ancient hot springs.

This faded sign to nowhere is a beloved icon in New Zealand.

Watch the seas clash at the place where according to Maori tradition, the spirits depart for their journey to the afterlife.

This spectacular mosque houses the second-largest chandelier in the world.

The fairy tale castle of the "fairy-tale king."

The fire inside this temple has burned for more than 1,500 years.

Hundreds of caves filled with thousands of centuries-old statues and murals.

This ancient monastery complex was transformed from an island to a peninsula when the lake was partially drained.

Be careful not to get trampled at this lively two thousand-year-old market.

The western-most fortress on the Great Wall of China has gone from a strategic stronghold to a kitschy tourist carnival.