Light still pours into the ruins of this ancient Islamic observatory.

This "tower of death" has acted as an observatory, a religious hub, and an executioner's lair.

18m long sarcophagus of a constantly growing dead prophet.

These "50 Fortresses" have been unearthed in the ancient oasis of Khwarezm.

One of the most ethnically diverse spots on the planet.

Looking for a unifying history, Uzbekistan finds its answer in a 14th Century Turco-Mongol conqueror... despite the fact he wasn't Uzbek.

The largest dam in the world and the site of a potential disaster.

Where the father of Persian poetry is laid to rest.

An otherworldly restaurant perched on the edge of a jagged cliff next to a medieval holy city.

Supposedly this Ethiopian chapel holds the Ark of the Covenant, guarded by virgins who cannot leave the building.

The first mosque in Ghana is known as the "Mecca of West Africa."

Fabulous formations, weird and wonderful wildlife.

The central mosque of this Mali town is entirely built from mud.

These homes carved into the mountains seem to defy the laws of nature.

This small group of sand dunes manages to pack in a strange rainbow of colors.

One of the oldest restaurants in the Seychelles.

Russian Orthodox church built on an Antarctic island.

This abandoned Antarctic base sits nearly unchanged since it was forsaken in the 1950s, just waiting for you to visit.

These giant volcano sponges in Antarctica are thought to be the world's oldest living animal, at 15,000 years old.

The bodies of some early polar pioneers are still buried beneath the harsh snows of the Antarctic.

Two massive boulders, rocking back and forth with the ebbing of the sea.

This remote island village was in danger of depopulating completely until a tunnel was built to connect it to the rest of the world .

This isolated structure beckons adventurers with sublime views of the Faroe Islands.

The abandoned village of Skarð aptly illustrates the idiom "Don't put all your eggs in one basket."