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

Final palace complex of the last of 29 Kokand rulers.

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

Ancient barriers wrap around what was once an important stop along the Silk Road.

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

The Avenue of Mausolea is a series of grand palatial tombs.

In Kazakhstan, a colorful cathedral with many lives once survived the most powerful earthquake in the region.

One of the most horrible legacies of the Cold War is a site where the Soviet Union tested nuclear bombs on civilians.

Mysterious spherical rocks in the semi-desert of western Kazakhstan.

Nicknamed Kazakhstan's Grand Canyon, this natural wonder lies east of Almaty near the Chinese border.

This unique wooden mosque resembling a Chinese pagoda was said to be built without the use of nails.

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

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

The lovely lake that was naturally dammed, then naturally destroyed, then unnaturally saved.

A brilliant turquoise lake in the mountains.

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

Rusting ships sit in a desert where a sea used to be.

Granny Smiths and Fujis can both be traced back to Kazakhstan, where apples still grow wild.

Submerged trees jut ghost-like out of an idyllic turquoise mountain lake.

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

These oldest of these "embroidered stones" were carved 4,000 years ago in a high mountain valley.

According to myth, there's a bloody explanation for the beautiful bright red color of this rock formation set amidst alpine vegetation.

This village was once a thriving Soviet uranium mining center, but is now semi-abandoned and desolate.

A stunning blue-green lake located in the Terskey Alatau mountain range.