Rushda R's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Palermo, Italy

The Martorana

This mosaic-lined medieval church was built by the world's first admiral and still holds mass in ancient Greek.
Florence, Italy

Santa Maria Novella Pharmacy

The oldest operating pharmacy in the world features 800-year-old recipes.
Marrakesh, Morocco

Jardin Majorelle

It took 40 years to build this Eden-like garden in Marrakech, later restored by Yves Saint-Laurent.
Almaty, Kazakhstan

Big Almaty Lake

A brilliant turquoise lake in the mountains.
Almaty, Kazakhstan

The Last Wild Apple Forests

Granny Smiths and Fujis can both be traced back to Kazakhstan, where apples still grow wild.
Al Farafrah, Egypt

White Desert

An alien landscape of chalk-rock in the Egyptian desert.
Qesm Siwah, Egypt

Siwa Oasis

Source for a sizable portion of Egypt's freshwater supply is more than an optical illusion.
Saint Petersburg, Russia

Rasputin Museum at Yusupov Palace

Palace where the nearly un-killable Rasputin was murdered.
Cricova, Moldova

Wine Cellars of Cricova

Seventy-five miles of limestone caves host more than a million bottles of wine beneath a sleepy Moldovan town.
Koshu, Japan

Daizenji 'Grape Temple'

A monk-run winery inside a Buddhist temple celebrates Japan's crown grape varietal.
Tokyo, Japan

Vampire Café

A taste of the macabre Tokyo's ritzy shopping district.
Mexico City, Mexico

La Casa Azul

Frida Kahlo's childhood home, now a museum of her life and works.
Srinagar, India

Arq-e-Gulab

An old curiosity shop holds on to a centuries-old tradition of manually-distilled rose water.
Fars Province, Iran

The Ruins of Persepolis

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

Shah-i-Zinda Necropolis

The Avenue of Mausolea is a series of grand palatial tombs.
Balshoon, Syria

Dead City of Serjilla

A 1,500-year-old ghost settlement is slowly fading away.
CĂłrdoba, Spain

Cross of the Captive

A curious carving hides on a marble column in the Mosque-Cathedral of CĂłrdoba.
Chefchaouen, Morocco

Chefchaouen

Founded as a refugee camp, now a popular tourist spot.
Heraklion, Greece

Knossos

A minotaur, a labyrinth, and a dubious restoration pull in visitors from around the world.