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

The remains of an ancient city-state along the Silk Road.

The world's second-tallest flagpole stands proud despite dropping rank.

The largest dam in the world and the site of a potential disaster.

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

Light still pours into the ruins of this ancient Islamic observatory.

This "tower of death" has acted as an observatory, a religious hub, and an executioner's lair.

Siberian ghost town built by gulag prisoners.

This remote lake in Siberia supposedly contains a fearsome sea monster.

A cave covered with bizarre stalactites of cloth.

Extremely isolated Silk Road caravanserai in the middle of nowhere.

A boulder carved into the shape of the cosmonaut's head.

Where the father of Persian poetry is laid to rest.

Time capsule of a museum, in which the Soviet Union remains alive and kicking.

These "50 Fortresses" have been unearthed in the ancient oasis of Khwarezm.

Iconic pyramid from famed British architect Norman Foster designed to represent all of the world's religious faiths.

An entertainment center in a huge transparent tent.

An abandoned Soviet-era mining town in the mountains of South Kazakhstan.

Once a bustling fishing port, this semi-ghost town is now more than 90 miles away from the shore.

World's oldest and largest space launch facility, once a secret missile testing site.

The remains of a monument in the remote Kazakhstani desert dedicated to the only men to die in outer space, the crew of the Soyuz 11 rocket.

Former island in the Aral Sea used to be a top-secret Russian bio-weapons facility.

This Russian diner is staffed entirely by twins.

Museum celebrating the achievements of the Soviet space program.