Step back in time and witness the fall of Constantinople.

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

Turkish adventurer antiques in the heart of the Grand Bazaar.

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.

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."

This artificial archipelago was supposed to resemble a map of the world.

This bazaar is one of the oldest in the Arabian world.

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

A sinkhole and now a swimming hole, too, full of dazzling turquoise water.

Budapest's Communist-era statues, banished to the suburbs.

From Austrians to Nazis to Soviets, this historic Budapest fortress has a history as complex as the city itself.

A museum based on the collection of a Victorian family. Housed in a remaining Victorian villa.

The world's shortest funicular ferries beachgoers a whopping 128 feet from clifftop to shore.