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

Long before air conditioning, Persian architects found an ingenious way to cool off.

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

Marked by the hand of the explorer Henry Morton Stanley.

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 dreamy mausoleum honors Persia's most famous poet.

The hottest, driest, and most scenic desert on Earth.

These little castles each held thousands of pigeons.

17th century mosque for Shah Abbas' harem.

Modern-day cave dwellers carve elaborate homes out of volcanic debris.

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

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

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

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

Legacy of the earthquake that nearly wiped Lisbon off the face of the Earth.

The ancient necropolis houses the immense rock-cut tombs of four Persian kings.