ei di's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Realmonte, Italy

Scala dei Turchi

"Stairs of the Turks", a chalky white cliff eroded conveniently into stairs, allowing for easy pillaging.
Cefalù, Italy

Aleister Crowley's Abbey of Thelema

Where Aleister Crowley taught magick in "La Chambre Des Cauchemars," his "Chamber of Nightmares."
Cefalù, Italy

Lavatoio Medievale

A medieval wash house where people washed clothes in a river allegedly formed by the tears of a mourning nymph.
Belpasso, Italy

Mount Etna

The world's most active stratovolcano is almost always erupting.
Savoca, Italy

Bar Vitelli

A quiet Sicilian village is home to a cafe that had an important role in "The Godfather."
Nardò, Italy

Monteruga Ghost Town

A fascist-era rural village abandoned since the early 1980s.
Alberobello, Italy

Alberobello

Southern Italy's spinning top village.
Locorotondo, Italy

Trullo di Marziolla

The oldest-known example of a historic architectural style recognized by UNESCO.
Monopoli, Italy

Chiesa di Santa Maria del Suffragio detta del Purgatorio

Macabre symbols of death and mummies on display set the tone of this Italian purgatory church.
Castellana Grotte, Italy

Castellana Caves

The sunlight passing through the opening of this huge cave system creates a magical effect.
Matera, Italy

Centro di Geodesia Spaziale (Center for Space Geodesy)

One of the few places of its kind, this space research center sits deep in the countryside of Matera.
Matera, Italy

Sassi di Matera

People have been living in the cave houses on this Italian hillside since the Neolithic era.
Matera, Italy

Chiesa del Purgatorio

Skulls and skeletons are omnipresent in this church dedicated to souls trapped in purgatory.
Florence, Italy

Babae Wine Window

Drink wine handed out through a window as part of an age-old tradition.
Barcelona, Spain

Casino de la Rabassada

A once grand hotel now sits eerily abandoned in the Catalan countryside outside Barcelona.
Graz, Austria

Burgruine Gösting (Gösting Castle Ruins)

The shell of a medieval fortress offers commanding views of the area it once protected.
Al Bidya, United Arab Emirates

Al Bidya Mosque

The oldest surviving mosque in the UAE has mysterious origins and unusual architecture.
Al Madam, United Arab Emirates

Buried Village of Al Madam

An abandoned desert hamlet swallowed up by sand.
Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Dubai Gold Souk

On any given day this sprawling market houses literally tons of government-regulated gold, gems, and precious metals.
Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Queen Elizabeth 2

This living legend of maritime history is enjoying a second life.
Dubai, United Arab Emirates

The Dubai Frame

The world's largest frame offers spectacular views of the city's past and present.
Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Burj Al Arab

A preposterously luxurious hotel with gold-plated iPads, Rolls Royce chauffeurs, and a staff that trains by watching "Downton Abbey."
Kanchanaburi, Thailand

Death Railway Bridge

This bridge made famous in a novel and on-screen wasn't actually built over the river Kwai.
Phela, Thailand

Phra Nang Cave

A phallic shrine to a princess goddess in Krabi, Thailand.