Max Cortesi's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Max Cortesi's activity rankings
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Places visited in Thailand
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Places added to Thailand
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Places edited in Saudi Arabia
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Places visited in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
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Places added to Portugal
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Places edited in Sri Lanka
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Places visited in Sri Lanka
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Places added to Italy
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Places edited in Armenia
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Dushanbe, Tajikistan

Dushanbe Flagpole

The world's second-tallest flagpole stands proud despite dropping rank.
Film City, Qatar

Film City

A creepy, deserted mock Arabian village can be found in the middle of the Qatari desert.
At-Bashi District, Kyrgyzstan

Tash Rabat

Extremely isolated Silk Road caravanserai in the middle of nowhere.
Barskoon, Kyrgyzstan

Monument to Yuri Gagarin

A boulder carved into the shape of the cosmonaut's head.
Kyrgyzstan

Burana Tower

Lonely minaret stump of a destroyed city.
Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan

National Museum of Kyrgyzstan

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

Abandoned Petroleum Distribution Center

Traces of the thriving lake trade that once linked the Soviet Union with Mongolia.
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Shop #47 at Mwenge Woodcarvers Market

An exquisite and eclectic selection of African masks stands out within a massive woodcarving marketplace.
Bulgan, Mongolia

Flaming Cliffs

Dinosaur eggs were first discovered at these fiery red cliffs.
Paju, South Korea

Dorasan Station

South Korea's largely symbolic, barely used gateway to the North.
Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Mongolian Military Museum

Thousands of artifacts tell Mongolia's military history, from the Bronze Age to the present.
Iran

Kharānaq

The tower in this 1,000-year-old mud-brick village seems to vibrate for no apparent reason.
Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Centre of Shaman Eternal Heavenly Sophistication

A nondescript dirt lot hides an intriguing center of shamanic healing.
Wrocław, Poland

Neon Side Gallery

A collection of old neon signs from all over Poland line a secluded courtyard.
Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan

Bishkek Circus

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

Museum of Energy

This shuttered power plant is now Turkey's first industrial archaeology museum.
Istanbul, Turkey

Vlora Hanı

An Art Nouveau gem hides beneath the layers of city grime obscuring this once-magnificent building.
Istanbul, Turkey

Ottoman Bird Palaces

The ornate miniature mansions were built for Istanbul's feathered residents.
Istanbul, Turkey

The Museum of Innocence

This museum was invented in a novel before being made real by the author.
Jaffna, Sri Lanka

Old Kachcheri

These abandoned ruins in the middle of Jaffna have withstood centuries of tumultuous power struggles.
Jerusalem, Israel

Armenian Quarter of Jerusalem

The only quarter of the Old City not dedicated to a major world religion.
London, England

Cabmen’s Shelter in Russell Square

Originally built for London’s cab drivers, this bright green hut now serves anyone a hot drink or meal.
Alqosh, Iraq

Rabban Hormizd Monastery

An ancient sanctuary that has long been a holy site for the Chaldean Christian Church.
Nižná Slaná, Slovakia

Huta Etelka

An abandoned 19th-century iron factory perched along the outskirts of an idyllic village.