This Buddhist temple is home to the graves of the Japanese national legends, the 47 Ronin.

This column celebrates Rome's victory over the Goths, and may be the oldest Roman monument in Istanbul.

This famous city eluded concrete detection until the early 2000's.

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.

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

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

This church houses the tomb—but not the remains—of St. Nicholas, the likely progenitor to Santa Claus.

Roman ruins, natural methane fires and a lovely beach.

In this historic region, homes and churches are carved into ancient volcanic rock formations.

The deepest underground city in Turkey was designed to protect 20,000 people behind massive stone doors.

A surprising and unconventional mosque hidden in the subsoil of Istanbul.

Taking the subway here means doing so over a bridge located in the middle of an estuary.

Climb a steep hill in 90 seconds on the second-oldest urban subway in the world.

Large miniature theme park with 100-plus models.

The ornate miniature mansions were built for Istanbul's feathered residents.

A meow-velous tribute to a beloved street cat, made famous on the internet.

A gorgeous, Gaudí-esque stairway constructed in the city of Istanbul by a prominent Jewish family.

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.

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

This store also houses a museum dedicated to the history of these small, historic community shops.

The early 20th-century home features cutting-edge technology of the day, such as ammonia refrigeration and needle showers.

The taxidermied remains of a once-great parrot.