A mysterious, hidden cluster of Buddha sculptures carved into the rocks.

A mesmerizing reservoir nestled at the heart of a pre-Islamic Yemeni village.

An abandoned fishing village in pre-oil Qatar.

This beautiful arched gate is all that remains of the fortress the ancient mountaintop town of Amadiya once was.

These strange piles of magnetized volcanic ash travel across the desert about 50 feet per year.

The enormous diamond-shaped building packs a trove of academic and literary treasures into one futuristic space.

Natives of this mud-brick desert village use an ancient irrigation system to grow sweet, seedless grapes.

The shallow, salty inlet was a safe haven for 19th-century pirates.

The ancient necropolis houses the immense rock-cut tombs of four Persian kings.

This mix of Islamic art, vintage vehicles, weaponry, architecture, and history is an ode to eclecticism. 

These beautiful historic watchtowers were used for both scanning the desert for enemy invaders and observing the celestial world.

The largest and, arguably, most scenic fortress in Bhutan.

Strange, gentle beasts resembling goat-cow hybrids roam within this patch of forest.

This sacred, circular cave is lined with pools so clear and still that it's hard to tell where the water begins.

Stretching almost 2,000 feet, this painting is one of the longest pieces of Buddhist artwork in the world.

These sacred totem houses connect the Fatakulu people with the spirits of their ancestors.

This ancient structure is widely thought to be the oldest intact pyramid in the world.

Robot jockeys ride their humped mounts to victory as part of a 21st-century twist on an ancient desert sport.

This small uninhabited island offers Galapagos-like biodiversity.

People have been scribbling on this massive chunk of granite for more than 1,500 years.

This Javanese-Hindu temple from the 15th century is unmissable for anyone with even a passing interest in erotic art.

An ancient fortified mound raised over the millennia from settlements built one on top of the other.

Villagers have recycled bomber fuel tanks from the Vietnam War and turned them into very, very strong boats.

The sacred shrine of the Yazidis.