mojavenc's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Pompeii, Italy

Thermopolia of Pompeii

Ancient snack bar of the Roman Empire re-opened.
Pompeii, Italy

Plaster Citizens of Pompeii

The last moments of the ill-fated Pompeiians, frozen forever in plaster.
Pompeii, Italy

The Brothels of Pompeii

Erotic art covers the walls of the largest ancient pleasure palace.
Pompeii, Italy

Stone Phalluses of Pompeii

The walls and streets of the ancient city are peppered with penises.
Naples, Italy

Via dei Presepi

Every day is like Christmas on this street where the traditional Neapolitan nativity scene comes to life.
Naples, Italy

San Gennaro Mural

San Gennaro, the patron saint of Naples, greets pedestrians between these narrow city streets.
Naples, Italy

Porta Nolana

This medieval city gate is now a blend of the past and the modern world.
Palermo, Italy

The Martorana

This mosaic-lined medieval church was built by the world's first admiral and still holds mass in ancient Greek.
Palermo, Italy

Porta Nuova

This triumphal 16th-century arched gateway leads to the oldest street in Palermo.
Palermo, Italy

Cappella Palatina

Every inch of this chapel is covered in craftsmanship from across the world.
Palermo, Italy

Arabic Inscription of Palermo Cathedral

Why a column on the entrance is inscribed with a verse from the Quran is one of Sicily's many mysteries.
Syracuse, Italy

Ear of Dionysius

Italian cave with exceptional acoustics and an unsavory history.
Caltanissetta, Italy

Caltanissetta Radio Transmitter

The tallest structure in Italy is a remote radio transmitter in Sicily.
Palermo, Italy

La Zisa

This Arabesque Italian castle was built with a primitive, if ingenious, air-conditioning system.
Catania, Italy

Elephant Fountain

A mysterious ancient elephant said to possess magic powers is now the symbol of a Sicilian city.
Ix-Xagħra, Malta

Ġgantija Temples

These temples are among the oldest free-standing stone buildings in the world.
Mdina, Malta

Casa Gourgion

This unique building in the main square stands out among the city's typically Baroque architecture.
Paola, Malta

Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum

This subterranean necropolis holds three floors of antler-dug grave caves.
Seville, Spain

Tomb of Christopher Columbus

The final resting place of the great navigator, or maybe his brother.
Las Vegas, Nevada

Desert National Wildlife Refuge

Improbably, the largest wildlife refuge in the conterminous 48 states sits just northwest of Las Vegas, Nevada.
Borrego Springs, California

Galleta Meadows Estate

Along a California highway is a kind of Jurassic Park made of metal.
San Diego, California

Abandoned Freeway Stub on State Route 163

The freeway that never was.
San Diego, California

Balboa Park Botanical Building and Lily Pond

Built for an exposition in 1915, these horticultural displays have stood the test of time.
San Diego, California

Hotel del Coronado

L. Frank Baum wrote part of the "Wizard of Oz" series in this wooden Victorian beach resort.