nickfranssen's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Places visited in Yekaterinburg, Russia
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Places edited in Tajikistan
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Places visited in Afar Zone 2, Ethiopia
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Places visited in Iran
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Places edited in Kazan, Russia
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Places visited in Semey, Kazakhstan
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Places visited in Kazakhstan
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Places visited in Tajikistan
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Places visited in Khujand, Tajikistan
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Masuleh, Iran

Masuleh

In this tiny Iranian town playing on the roof isn't just encouraged, it's the only place to go.
Zanjān, Iran

Salt Men of Iran

Salt cured mummies continue to turn up in this Iranian mine.
Qom, Iran

Fatemeh Maasoume Shrine

One of the holiest Shi'i shrines in Iran honors the life and death of a learned noblewoman who became a saint.
Nushabad, Iran

Nushabad Underground City

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

Troglodyte Village of Kandovan

Modern-day cave dwellers carve elaborate homes out of volcanic debris.
East Azerbaijan Province, Iran

Lake Urmia

This lake in northwest Iran has started turning from green to red more frequently than scientists are comfortable with.
Roudbar Alamout, Iran

Alamut Castle

This ruined fortress was the stronghold for a persecuted medieval leader and his infamous Assassins.
Orost, Iran

Badab-e Surt

Iran's colorful terraces are a rare geological masterpiece.
Iran

Khalid Nabi Cemetery

Iranian tombstones shaped like male and female sexual organs.
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan

Arch of Neutrality

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

Independence Monument of Turkmenistan

Sumptous memorial to a controversial independence.
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan

Wedding Palace

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

The Gates of Hell

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

Köw Ata Underground Lake

This cavernous swimming spot doubles as a home to the largest known colony of bats in Central Asia.
Iran

Radkan Tower

A sophisticated astronomical tower built by one of the greatest Persian scholars of the Islamic Golden Age.
Muynak District, Uzbekistan

Moynaq

Once a bustling fishing port, this semi-ghost town is now more than 90 miles away from the shore.
Nukus, Uzbekistan

Chilpik Tower of Silence

The ruins of an ancient Zoroastrian Tower of Silence believed to be the earliest example of the traditional funerary practice.
Beruni, Uzbekistan

Elliq-Qala

These "50 Fortresses" have been unearthed in the ancient oasis of Khwarezm.
Xiva, Uzbekistan

Walls of Itchan Kala

Ancient barriers wrap around what was once an important stop along the Silk Road.
Bukhara, Uzbekistan

Kalyan Minaret

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

Tomb of Daniel at Samarkand

18m long sarcophagus of a constantly growing dead prophet.
Samarkand, Uzbekistan

Shah-i-Zinda Necropolis

The Avenue of Mausolea is a series of grand palatial tombs.
Samarkand, Uzbekistan

Ulugh Beg Observatory

Light still pours into the ruins of this ancient Islamic observatory.
Nohijai Pançakent, Tajikistan

Ancient Panjakent

The remains of an ancient city-state along the Silk Road.