Lonely minaret stump of a destroyed city.

Extremely isolated Silk Road caravanserai in the middle of nowhere.

The controversial final resting place of the equally controversial first president of Turkmenistan.

Sumptous memorial to a controversial independence.

A huge monument to a bizarre book written by Turkmenistan’s longstanding dictator.

A dictator's gold statue once rotated to face the sun on a 75-meter high marble tower.

This famed Silk Road oasis was one of the largest cities in the world before it was destroyed by a Mongol horde.

If you want to get married in the White Marble City of Ashgabat, you should do it in this surreal disco ball building.

A fiery crater has been burning in the Karakum Desert since 1971.

Giant cauldrons overflow with Uzbekistan's favorite rice dish at this cavernous dining hall.

This "tower of death" has acted as an observatory, a religious hub, and an executioner's lair.

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.

When a supermarket opened up shop within a medieval building it became protected by UNESCO on a technicality.

Perched above the bustling town of Kerak is a sprawling, ruinous castle that has witnessed nearly a millennia of Levantine history.

This cascade of mineral-rich hot springs and waterfalls is an oasis in the Jordanian desert.

Known as the "Valley of the Moon," this Jordanian wadi is one of the most amazing desertscapes on Earth.

This exceptionally well-preserved ancient marvel also houses a small museum dedicated to Jordanian folk tradition.

The world's oldest map of the holy land gives us a fragmented glimpse of the layout of biblical nations.

Gladiators battle and chariots race daily in the ruins of a once-great Roman city.

A more chill but no less fascinating version of the famous ancient archeological site.

An ancient capital city that dates back 3,000 years old and harbors many surprises.

Spanning over 10,000 square miles, this ancient salt pan is one of the largest on the planet.