nickle's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Istanbul, Turkey

Obelisk of Theodosius

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

City of Manazan

Naturally protected city carved from a rock face.
Kayaköy, Turkey

Abandoned Village of Kayakoy

A Turkish ghost town abandoned in a population exchange with Greece.
Istanbul, Turkey

Viking Runes at Hagia Sophia

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

Tombs of the Sultans

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

Ani Ghost City

An abused and forgotten metropolis, abandoned for centuries.
Istanbul, Turkey

Ottoman Bird Palaces

The ornate miniature mansions were built for Istanbul's feathered residents.
Çanakkale, Turkey

Troy

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

Gobekli Tepe

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

Myra Necropolis

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

Lycian Rock Tombs

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

Pamukkale Water Terraces

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

Basilica Cisterns of Istanbul

A marvel of Byzantine engineering under the streets of Istanbul.
Aksaray, Turkey

Cappadocia

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

Ishkashim Border Market

A strip of neutral ground where the people of Tajikistan and Afghanistan come together to trade.
Bagram, Afghanistan

Site of Alexandria on the Caucasus

The West's first incursion into the Afghan world lies buried beneath a military base.
Kandahar, Afghanistan

Chilzina and the Forty Steps of Kandahar

Rock-cut chamber at top of an outcroup, reached by a mountain stairway of forty steps.
Herat, Afghanistan

Herat National Museum

Despite a history of destruction, this former citadel survives to document Afghanistan's oft overlooked history.
Aybak, Afghanistan

Stupa of Takht-e Rostam

Highly unusual subterranean stupa and adjacent cave monastery.
Yakawlang, Afghanistan

Band-e Amir Lakes

Splashes of blue in an otherwise monotonous lunar landscape.
Mazari Sharif, Afghanistan

Afghanistan's Blue Mosque

This magnificent blue mosque in Afghanistan is surrounded by thousands of white doves.
Chennai, India

Ramanujan Museum

One-room museum dedicated to India's most enigmatic mathematician.
Mumbai, India

Mumbai's Parsi Fire Temples

The place of worship for Zoroastrians, Mumbai's Parsi fire temples use fire and ash for purification.
Tegar, India

Zamskhang Palace Ruins

This abandoned palace and the stupas around it conceal beautiful Buddhist frescoes, statues, and silk paintings.