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

The vertical-axis windmills of ancient Persia have been grinding flour for 1,000 years and counting.

One of the largest and oldest caravansaries in Persia.

17th century mosque for Shah Abbas' harem.

A graveyard of old and rare planes that once were the glory of Persian aviation.

Iran's colorful terraces are a rare geological masterpiece.

This beautiful system of tunnels built into natural rock serves as a centuries old plumbing system.

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

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

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

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

A giant bisected onion dome remembers the Iraqis who died in the Iran-Iraq War.

An ancient fortified mound raised over the millennia from settlements built one on top of the other.

Celebrated as a center of civilization, the remains of the ancient city have been nearly destroyed by greed, egoism, and war.

Standing proud atop a Turkish bluff, this Ottoman palace has retained its grandeur despite being abandoned for centuries.

Large miniature theme park with 100-plus models.

A little-known caravanserai hidden among farmhouses in the Turkish countryside.

The only residents of this abandoned housing development full of identical castles are stray cats and dogs.

An ancient church on a tiny island covered in stone bible stories has controversially been turned into a museum.

This shuttered power plant is now Turkey's first industrial archaeology museum.

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.

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.