The most peaceful "country" in the Middle East.

Egyptian treasure trove of fossils documenting the whale's transition from land mammal to sea creature.

The massive cave church of Cairo's Zabbaleen community is one of the largest Christian churches in the Middle East.

An endless sea of white conical domes.

A grand example of 19th century Burmese teak architecture, and the most significant of Mandalay's historic buildings.

An abandoned settlement originally established by British colonialists in the Andaman archipelago.

Myanmar's Mount Olympus atop a 2,500-foot volcanic plug.

These serpents are considered holy and pampered accordingly.

Bizarre dirt trail winds a narrow path above the tree line.

A precariously perched golden rock defies gravity and brings pilgrims from across Myanmar.

The world's largest reclining Buddha, the Giant Buddha of Mudon.

An enormous dragon scales the walls of this 17-story temple.

On stormy days debris from this unfinished and abandoned skyscraper rains down on the Bangkok streets.

A modern temple with an ancient philosophy.

Bizarre Hindu and Buddhist sculpture park.

Stunning wetlands ablaze with pink lotus flowers.

An abused and forgotten metropolis, abandoned for centuries.

The palace of the King of Kings, burned by Alexander the Great.

A bloody history is captured in this former prison turned museum.

Putrefaction plateaus in Iran, where the dead were sent for decontamination before going to their final resting place.

17th century mosque for Shah Abbas' harem.

Naturally protected city carved from a rock face.

An extraordinary "City of Caves" carved from solid stone.

A fifth-century temple improbably built into the side of a cliff.