This memorial to the victims of the Romanian Revolution of 1989 is often compared to a potato on a skewer.

This communist behemoth is the heaviest building in the world and a legacy of a brutal regime.

This once-derelict building is now one of the most beautiful bookstores in the world.

"Unity, Creativity, Beauty."

A vast Communist-era exhibition space in the Bulgarian capital.

A Bulgarian monument to Russia's role in World War II is constantly being painted in pop culture protest.

A striking symbol of the Bulgarian capital.

Sofia's legislative center is continuously reinventing itself.

"Holy Wisdom" overlooks the city that became its namesake.

Whitewashed mosque contains the world's largest carpet.

The United Arab Emirates's biggest and oldest fort pays homage to a lost era.

An abandoned desert hamlet swallowed up by sand.

Billed as the "largest natural flower garden in the world" this Middle Eastern show field has little competition at 45 million flowers.

A preposterously luxurious hotel with gold-plated iPads, Rolls Royce chauffeurs, and a staff that trains by watching "Downton Abbey."

This futuristic building is yet another architectural wonder in Dubai.

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

The world's largest frame offers spectacular views of the city's past and present.