This picturesque monastery at the base of a cliff is a peaceful oasis open to all visitors.

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

A high point in Vancouver kitsch.

Have tea in a cemetery with a dazzling view of Istanbul.

The only residents of this abandoned housing development full of identical castles are stray cats and dogs.

The ancient abodes are a testament to human ingenuity amid harsh climates.

The ornate miniature mansions were built for Istanbul's feathered residents.

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

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

Part modern art project, part traditional chapel, this see-through church is only substantial from the right angle.

This enormous sinkhole hides a secret world created from divine wrath.

Invisible bridge parts the waters, invoking biblical images and preserving the ominous feel of an ancient moat.

Explore 400,000 years of humans' "battle against darkness" in this offbeat but thorough lamp museum.

This former Masonic lodge has been transformed into part museum, part bar, all awesome.

Quite possibly the oldest love poem known to humankind.

An expansive complex of subterranean tunnels is all that remains of one of Europe's most formidable medieval fortresses.

A lovely biographical museum in the artist's home of 24 years.

A jazz band formed by African water animals in the heart of Flemish Brabant.

A fantastical bed and breakfast with magically unique rooms.

Hiding the longest subterranean river known in the world.

A magical and peaceful ruined Cistercian abbey in what is now southern Belgium.

The eclectic home of a leading Turkish architect is a gorgeous piece of eye candy.

A sixth-century Byzantine cistern hidden below a modern carpet store.

An Art Nouveau gem hides beneath the layers of city grime obscuring this once-magnificent building.