Erotic art covers the walls of the largest ancient pleasure palace.

Stone Age solar temple is aligned with the sun on each equinox and solstice.

No one is sure if the world's fourth-largest diamond had been found in a rubbish heap or was pawned by Napoleon's mom.

1513 Turkish world map, full of European state secrets and snarky commentary.

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

A marvel of Byzantine engineering under the streets of Istanbul.

This crucial gathering spot along the "hippie trail" still displays old notes between traveling beatniks and backpackers.

A fountain standing as a testament to a doomed alliance.

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

Ancient serpentine sacrifice holder that has stood the test of time.

A tiny park in the middle of some big power politics.

A sixth-century Byzantine cistern hidden below a modern carpet store.

This half-forgotten fortress was constructed by the Ottoman conqueror of Constantinople.

An underground network of massive stone arches and their skylit vaults support ruins of portico structures above.

This crumbling medieval basilica once attracted pilgrims by the thousands to collect a miraculous dust that formed above the saint's tomb.

The ancient latrines of the Greeks, in all their public glory.

Seven early Christians were sealed into a cave where legend has it they slept unharmed for centuries.

Carvings in Turkey's Marble Road may have directed ancient Romans to a hidden brothel.

The alleged house of the Virgin Mary is tucked away in a park and nature preserve on Mt. Koressos in Turkey and is holy to both Catholics and Muslims alike.

A charming beach town in Turkey captures all the colors of the rainbow.

A deadly ancient portal to the underworld.

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

This arch granting triumphal entrance into Antalya was designed to honor the emperor's visit.

The best-preserved ancient theater in the world.