In this African village, the walls of the chief's compound are painted with beautiful traditional designs.

These ancient giraffes are the largest known animal petroglyphs in the world.

One of Western Africa's oldest mosques, this Timbuktu icon has stood for nearly 700 years.

Ancient Manuscripts showcase the civilization of West Africans during the Middle Ages.

The most important and best preserved remnant of West Africa's powerful Songhai Empire.

The central mosque of this Mali town is entirely built from mud.

A small etching on the white marble parapet was written in runic script by a Viking mercenary.

While not Turkey's deepest underground city, this subterranean redoubt is the largest.

The deepest underground city in Turkey was designed to protect 20,000 people behind massive stone doors.

This hunter-gatherer architecture is believed to be the oldest religious complex known.

A Lycian city of the dead carved into the hillside of Southern Turkey, complete with startlingly human touches.

These tombs were built into the side of a mountain so that ancient angels could reach the dead.

A marvel of Byzantine engineering under the streets of Istanbul.

In this historic region, homes and churches are carved into ancient volcanic rock formations.

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

A 1,500-year-old, 3-story subterranean city where ancient Persians took refuge in times of war.

Ancient structures used to make and preserve ice in the deserts of Persia.

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

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

Iran's colorful terraces are a rare geological masterpiece.

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

This cave located in the badlands of Somaliland contains some of the oldest cave art in Africa.

Museum of Fijian history, including its former tradition of cannibalism.

This historical theme park celebrates all things noodle.