A preposterously luxurious hotel with gold-plated iPads, Rolls Royce chauffeurs, and a staff that trains by watching "Downton Abbey."

Climb a steep hill in 90 seconds on the second-oldest urban subway in the world.

Legend says if you stick your thumb in the hole and it gets wet your wish will be granted.

Seven early Christians were sealed into a cave where legend has it they slept unharmed for centuries.

The ancient latrines of the Greeks, in all their public glory.

Ancient serpentine sacrifice holder that has stood the test of time.

A charming beach town in Turkey captures all the colors of the rainbow.

Over the centuries, this island paradise has done it all, from providing monks with ecclesiastical respite to sheltering an exiled Leon Trotsky.

A fountain standing as a testament to a doomed alliance.

Large miniature theme park with 100-plus models.

A Turkish monastery tucked into a cliff wall.

Step back in time and witness the fall of Constantinople.

1513 Turkish world map, full of European state secrets and snarky commentary.

This remarkably well-preserved Egyptian plinth is pretty well traveled for a giant piece of stone.

Ottoman-era houses lovingly preserved.

Five sultans and their families rest in eternal splendor, teeming with overlooked beauty and drama.

This famous city eluded concrete detection until the early 2000's.

A marvel of Byzantine engineering under the streets of Istanbul.

Roman ruins top white travertine terraces formed by ancient hot springs.

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

After starting as a whimsical tourist attraction that eventually found its way to ruin, these renovated canals offer a lush and exotic locale on the Pacific Coast.

One of the largest underground systems runs under Canada's largest urban center.

One of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World holds the world's tallest metal staircase.

A 98-room castle in the middle of Toronto that bankrupted a 19th century electricity multimillionaire.