nickfranssen's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
Leaderboard Highlights
nickfranssen's activity rankings
1st
Places visited in Yekaterinburg, Russia
1st
Places edited in Tajikistan
1st
Places visited in Afar Zone 2, Ethiopia
2nd
Places visited in Iran
2nd
Places edited in Kazan, Russia
2nd
Places visited in Semey, Kazakhstan
3rd
Places visited in Kazakhstan
3rd
Places visited in Tajikistan
4th
Places visited in Ethiopia
Loading map...
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.
Khujand, Tajikistan

Tajikistan Lenin Statue

The largest Lenin statue in Central Asia was moved to an empty field rather than being destroyed.
Ayni, Tajikistan

Anzob Tunnel

This dark, damp, perilous tunnel is the only passage from north to south Tajikistan.
Panjakent, Tajikistan

Tomb of Rudaki

Where the father of Persian poetry is laid to rest.
Ishkoshim, Tajikistan

Yamchun Fort

This ancient Silk Road outpost overlooking the Wakhan Valley is miraculously still standing.
Dushanbe, Tajikistan

Dushanbe Flagpole

The world's second-tallest flagpole stands proud despite dropping rank.
At-Bashi District, Kyrgyzstan

Tash Rabat

Extremely isolated Silk Road caravanserai in the middle of nowhere.
Ming-Kush, Kyrgyzstan

Min Kush

This village was once a thriving Soviet uranium mining center, but is now semi-abandoned and desolate.
Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan

Bishkek Circus

This retro, UFO-like structure is a remnant of the Soviet-era circus.
Kyrgyzstan

Burana Tower

Lonely minaret stump of a destroyed city.
Barskoon, Kyrgyzstan

Monument to Yuri Gagarin

A boulder carved into the shape of the cosmonaut's head.
Kyrgyzstan

Aalam Ordo

This mysterious complex of abandoned yurts and fading murals was meant to be a center of science and spirituality in Kyrgyzstan.
Raiymbek District, Kazakhstan

Charyn Canyon

Nicknamed Kazakhstan's Grand Canyon, this natural wonder lies east of Almaty near the Chinese border.
Saty, Kazakhstan

Kaindy Lake

Submerged trees jut ghost-like out of an idyllic turquoise mountain lake.
Breezanddijk, Netherlands

Afsluitdijk

The 20-mile causeway that separates the Netherlands from the sea.
Maastricht, Netherlands

Fort Saint Pieter

This historical Netherlands fortress still bears the marks of its single siege.