What was once supposed to be the symbol of a shining Afghan future is now a bombed-out ruin.

Splashes of blue in an otherwise monotonous lunar landscape.

Once an impressive link to Afghanistan’s Buddhist past, now a sad reminder of intolerance towards other cultures.

A ruined castle stands atop a hill surrounded by dragon lore.

This temple to the sturm and drang of Richard Wagner contains a dragon's cave and reptile zoo full of living "dragons."

Thousands of tourists and residents in Cologne affix "love padlocks" on the Hohenzollernbrücke Bridge to symbolize their affections.

This massive steel pyramid can be entered by a set of jagged steps that let visitors stand in its heart.

The Bauhaus-style former industrial complex is considered the world's most beautiful coal mine.

The largest mosque in Germany.

An industrial relic is now one of Europe's most staggering art spaces.

This "floating railway" is one of the world's oldest monorail systems.

This former steel and coal plant is now a neon-lit industrial fantasia.

Twisted buildings adorn the banks of the Rhine river.

This futuristic German television spire is actually the world's largest digital clock.

This highrise residential building looks mundane, but hides a water tower and WWII bunker.

Over the centuries, this island paradise has done it all, from providing monks with ecclesiastical respite to sheltering an exiled Leon Trotsky.

One of the newest mosques in a city filled with thousands.

Taking the subway here means doing so over a bridge located in the middle of an estuary.

Ancient serpentine sacrifice holder that has stood the test of time.

This remarkably well-preserved Egyptian plinth is pretty well traveled for a giant piece of stone.

A fountain standing as a testament to a doomed alliance.