Long before air conditioning, Persian architects found an ingenious way to cool off.

Putrefaction plateaus in Iran, where the dead were sent for decontamination before going to their final resting place.

The fire inside this temple has burned for more than 1,500 years.

This remote mountain shrine is one of the most sacred Zoroastrian temples remaining in the world.

A historic trade hub teeming with gorgeous architecture, colorful goods, and vibrant designs.

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

A heated statue pays tribute to one of Sweden's great actresses.

It houses the remains of a 17th-century version of the Titanic.

Stockholm's tiniest statue is of a small boy looking at the Moon.

Stockholm's narrowest alley is barely over two feet wide.

One of the world's first dedicated bank buildings in the world is now the oldest one.

The ancient dwellings of the Puebloans, located in the cliffs of majestic mesas.

First founded in 1472, this is the oldest bank in the world. Its history may explain why we call financial institutions "banks."

These medieval skyscrapers dominate the skyline of this small Tuscan town.

This one has sailed five times as far as Sir Francis Drake's famous ship.

On any given day this sprawling market houses literally tons of government-regulated gold, gems, and precious metals.

This unassuming oasis elevated just above the busy streets of Jerusalem offers one of the best views of the Old City.

An ancient tunnel in Jerusalem built to redirect water in the event of a siege is one of history’s great architectural innovations.

Descend 2,030 years into the past in an ancient tunnel built to support Jerusalem's most famous wall.

The only quarter of the Old City not dedicated to a major world religion.

A schooner, nicknamed "The Unsinkable," with a long history of survival in the Indian Ocean.

You can find more than 200 species of tropical plants at this garden owned by a former ambassador.

A British general, a suggestive tree, a map of paradise.

This vestige of Seychelles’s colonial past now resides in a busy intersection and didn’t chime for its first 96 years.