This museum was invented in a novel before being made real by the author.

A gorgeous, Gaudí-esque stairway constructed in the city of Istanbul by a prominent Jewish family.

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

A charming beach town in Turkey captures all the colors of the rainbow.

Step back in time and witness the fall of Constantinople.

This Turkish cave boasts some rather bizarre associations with the King of Mount Olympus.

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

Turkish adventurer antiques in the heart of the Grand Bazaar.

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

A marvel of Byzantine engineering under the streets of Istanbul.

In this historic region, homes and churches are carved into ancient volcanic rock formations.

Housed in an old British jail, this spot serves up Georgian, Russian, and Ukrainian specialities with a side of Turkish history.

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

According to local legends, the shallow sandbar that allows visitors to walk across Orhaniye Bay has a tragic backstory.

This historic hotel preserves many treasures from its heyday hosting passengers on the Orient Express.

This shuttered power plant is now Turkey's first industrial archaeology museum.

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