In Kazakhstan, a colorful cathedral with many lives once survived the most powerful earthquake in the region.

On the shores of Kyrgyzstan's Issyk-Kul Lake, a family cooks a feast that tells the sad tale of a people's exile.

Dedicated to a Bolshevik revolutionary, this museum is a true time capsule of the Soviet era.

The origin of this sinisterly shaped forest is rooted in mystery.

Built entirely of interlocking pieces, construction of this Chinese Muslim house of worship required zero nails.

This retro, UFO-like structure is a remnant of the Soviet-era circus.

Time capsule of a museum, in which the Soviet Union remains alive and kicking.

An outstanding piece of retro Sci-Fi architecture built into a sacred mountain.

Extremely isolated Silk Road caravanserai in the middle of nowhere.

The ruins of an ancient Zoroastrian Tower of Silence believed to be the earliest example of the traditional funerary practice.

One of the most ethnically diverse spots on the planet.

18m long sarcophagus of a constantly growing dead prophet.

Former island in the Aral Sea used to be a top-secret Russian bio-weapons facility.

Ancient barriers wrap around what was once an important stop along the Silk Road.

Light still pours into the ruins of this ancient Islamic observatory.

The Avenue of Mausolea is a series of grand palatial tombs.

Once a bustling fishing port, this semi-ghost town is now more than 90 miles away from the shore.

Stelae-eyed stones greet visitors to a corner of Kirov Park.

A sober museum housed in the original administrative building of one of Stalin's largest gulags.

This sprawling market is a one-stop shop for traditional Kazakh foods, from mare’s milk to sheep’s head.

A collection of Lenin busts and other Soviet Era statues sit idly behind the Semipalatinsk Hotel.

Local lore says this 700-year-old tree has sacred and medicinal properties.

The lovely lake that was naturally dammed, then naturally destroyed, then unnaturally saved.

An abandoned Soviet-era mining town in the mountains of South Kazakhstan.