The building's fluid, wavelike walls are a true feat of architectural ingenuity.

A dreamy mausoleum honors Persia's most famous poet.

Mirrors and glass shards cover every inch of this arrestingly beautiful mosque.

Named after a legendary garden called Eram in southern Arabia, built by order of Shaddad, an Arab king who wanted to compete with Paradise.

A spectacular rainbow of stained glass makes the "Pink Mosque" one of the most beautiful in Iran.

17th century mosque for Shah Abbas' harem.

The cathedral stands in New Jufa, Isfahan's Armenian quarter that was established in 1606.

A historic trade hub teeming with gorgeous architecture, colorful goods, and vibrant designs.

An ancient fortified mound raised over the millennia from settlements built one on top of the other.

A giant bisected onion dome remembers the Iraqis who died in the Iran-Iraq War.

Kuwait City's uniquely designed water towers look straight out of a retro sci-fi cityscape.

Wander among the ghostly ruins of an island where civilization flourished for thousands of years.

For centuries, Jeddah’s old town was a major trading port and a point of entry for Hajj pilgrims traveling by sea.

Remains of an abandoned coral city.

Crumbling pyramids and temple ruins stand within the shadow of this sacred butte.

These Nubian pyramids are strange and unique, even by pyramid standards.

Every Friday, Sufi dervishes whirl around the tomb in a trance-like state as part of a sacred ritual called dhikr.

This mountaintop mariner’s church is packed with model ships and nautical art while hosting an annual maritime festivity for the townsfolk below.

One of the oldest and largest wooden churches in France was very evidently constructed by shipbuilders.

An art-filled botanical garden and former dyeworks hiding in plain sight.

His "Lionheart" is entombed separately from the rest of his body.