A marvel of Byzantine engineering under the streets of Istanbul.

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

Sacred Buddhist home of some spiritual monkeys.

One of the largest Buddhist stupas in the world keeps an eye out in every direction.

Hindu temple of the dead home to hundreds of long-tailed macaques.

This tiny lake temple dedicated to a water goddess seems to float on the surface.

Buried in the Laos jungle is a sanctuary for bears that would have otherwise been milked to death by poachers.

This tiered waterfall is so pretty it may cause visitors to cry tears of their own.

More than 200 statues filled with cryptic symbols give this park spot an aura of horror vacui fantasy.

A natural arch offers panoramic views of Yangshuo's karst hills.

The once highest point in China blends symbolic design with a kick of adrenaline.

An out-of-place slice of France, smack in the middle of Shanghai.

The most famous location in China was home to whole dynasties worth of imperial rulers.

Highly spherical boulders on the shores of New Zealand.

After the devastating 2011 earthquake, historic Christchurch begins to recover, starting with the pop-up Re:START mall.

A perfect turquoise lake colored with glacier dust.

One of the world's steepest streets seems to have houses sliding down it.

This strange geological landscape erupts with sudden bursts of water.

This deadly little sliver of beach has seen hundreds of whales beach themselves over the years.

Nature took her revenge on the "Wickedest City in the World."

High atop a Mexican rainforest mountain, this ancient pyramid once drew pilgrims countries away.