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

A small etching on the white marble parapet was written in runic script by a Viking mercenary.

This column celebrates Rome's victory over the Goths, and may be the oldest Roman monument in Istanbul.

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

No one is sure if the world's fourth-largest diamond had been found in a rubbish heap or was pawned by Napoleon's mom.

A section of the long chain that blocked enemy ships from entering Constantinople.

A mysterious ancient cemetery with Roman sarcophagi and Lycian inscriptions.

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

This church houses the tomb—but not the remains—of St. Nicholas, the likely progenitor to Santa Claus.

Hidden just under the waters around this Turkish island are the ruins of a once great city.

A building so large that it has its own weather.

A mountain of conch shells created by centuries of fishermen.

This huge pile of volcanic boulders hides a stunning network of secret grottoes.

Island wonderland for communist autocrats.

This heart-shaped island looks substantially less lovely after a recent bulldozing project.

One of the best-preserved Roman amphitheaters is still used today, but for less brutal events.

When a supermarket opened up shop within a medieval building it became protected by UNESCO on a technicality.

A musical instrument played by the sea.

A chain of 16 wondrous lakes formed as a result of the gradual dissolution of soluble layers of bedrock.

This historic timepiece is thought to be the only public clock in the world that keeps lunar time.

Inat Kuća, or "House of Spite," is more than just an oddly named restaurant.

Oriental bazaar in the heart of Sarajevo.

The place where World War I began.

This feat of Brutalist architecture is also known as the Three Sisters.