Recent Activity

• May 25, 2012 Tawsam updated the Neft Daşları
  

  Baku, Azerbaijan

  Neft Daşları

  Complete town of 5,000 living out at sea on the world's first offshore oil platform

  An industrial settlement 100 miles off the coast of Baku, Azerbaijan, Neft Daşları (Neftyanyye Kamni or Nerftekamni in Russian) is a complete town on the sea. The first oil platform in Azerbaijan,... »

  Natural Wonders, Architectural Oddities | Edited by Nicholas Jackson, wythe and others

• May 25, 2012 Tawsam updated the Ağdam
  

  Agdam, Azerbaijan

  Ağdam

  Azerbaijani ghost town, decaying after a war left it an armed forces buffer zone

  The fall of the Soviet Union left much of Eastern Europe in chaos. From the rubble of the fallen Russian behemoth, an Armenian autonomous nation called the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic arose in the... »

  Ghost Towns, Incredible Ruins | Edited by serflac, atimian and others

• May 25, 2012 Tawsam liked The Gates of Hell
  

  Kyzylgar, Turkmenistan

  The Gates of Hell

  Fiery crater that has been burning for 38 years

  In the hot, expansive Karakum desert in Turkmenistan, near the 350 person village of Derweze, is a hole 328 feet wide that has been on fire. For 38 years it has constantly been active. This hole... »

  Natural Wonders, Fiery Wonders, Geological Oddities, Intriguing Environs, Disaster Areas | Edited by Dylan, Josh and 2 others

• May 25, 2012 Tawsam added Bottle House of Ganja
  

  Ganca, Azerbaijan

  Bottle House of Ganja

  Quirky house, decorated with numerous bottles

  ... »

  Architectural Oddities, Eccentric Homes, Outsider Architecture | Edited by Tawsam

• May 25, 2012 Tawsam added Fire Mountain Yanar Dağ
  

  Fire Mountain Yanar Dağ

  Hillside with a continuously burning natural fire

  In the 13th century, when Marco Polo visited the then-Persian city of Baku, he mentioned numerous mysterious flames that could be found all over the region at various places of the Abşeron... »

  Natural Wonders, Fiery Wonders, Intriguing Environs | Edited by Tawsam

• May 25, 2012 Tawsam added Musical Stone of Gobustan
  

  Qobustan, Azerbaijan

  Musical Stone of Gobustan

  Resonant stone, that has been played since prehistoric times

  The Gobustan National Park is an extremely otherworldly place. More than 400 mud volcanoes are found within the area – the half of all mud volcanoes in the world. Additionally, there are bizarre... »

  Natural Wonders, Geological Oddities, Musical Wonders, Cultures and Civilizations , Wondrous Performances | Edited by Tawsam

• May 24, 2012 Tawsam added Kyrk Gyz Cave
  

  Koytendag, Turkmenistan

  Kyrk Gyz Cave

  A cave covered with bizarre stalactites of cloth

  In the Köytendag Mountains, a dirt trail leads to the remote Kyrk Gyz Cave. Inside the cave is a something which looks familiar but slowly reveals itself to be bizarre. The ceilings of the... »

  Curious Caves, Cultures and Civilizations , Rites and Rituals, Curious Places of Worship | Edited by Tawsam, Rachel and 2 others

• May 24, 2012 Tawsam added Köw Ata Underground Lake
  

  Baherden, Turkmenistan

  Köw Ata Underground Lake

  The city of Bakharden has a most unusual swimming spot that doubles as a home to the largest known colony of bats in Central Asia

  In landlocked countries, finding a place to swim can often be a challenge. This is especially true for places like Turkmenistan, a sun scorched Central Asian country, of which over 80% of the land... »

  Natural Wonders, Watery Wonders, Curious Caves | Edited by Tawsam and Rachel

• May 23, 2012 Tawsam added Shah-i-Zinda Necropolis
  

  Samarqand, Uzbekistan

  Shah-i-Zinda Necropolis

  The Avenue of Mausolea, a series of grand palatial tombs

  ... »

  Memento Mori, Catacombs, Crypts, & Cemeteries | Edited by Tawsam and Mark_Casey

• May 23, 2012 Tawsam added Elliq-Qala
  

  Beruniy, Uzbekistan

  Elliq-Qala

  The 50 fortresses of the ancient oasis of Khorezm

  ... »

  Cultures and Civilizations , Incredible Ruins | Edited by Tawsam and Mark_Casey

• May 23, 2012 Tawsam added Tomb of Daniel at Samarkand
  

  Samarqand, Uzbekistan

  Tomb of Daniel at Samarkand

  18m long sarcophagus of a constantly growing dead prophet

  Five domes adorn the long structure that holds an 18m long sarcophagus, reputedly holding the remains of the Old Testament prophet Daniel, revered by Muslims, Jews and Christians alike – although... »

  Memento Mori, Relics and Reliquaries, Curious Places of Worship | Edited by Tawsam, Mark_Casey and others

• May 23, 2012 Tawsam added Moynaq
  

  Muynoq, Uzbekistan

  Moynaq

  Once a bustling fishing port, this semi-ghost town is now more than 150km away from the shore

  Moynaq is a city, surrounded by the desert of western Uzbekistan. At first glance, this seems to be one of the many Soviet cities that fell into decline after the collapse of the Soviet Union. But... »

  Ghost Towns, Disaster Areas, Cultures and Civilizations , Incredible Ruins | Edited by Tawsam, Mark_Casey and 2 others

• May 23, 2012 Tawsam added "The Bug Pit" at Zindon Prison
  

  Buxoro, Uzbekistan

  "The Bug Pit" at Zindon Prison

  Where Stoddart and Connolly suffered in the infamous Bug Pit

  In 1842, the British soldiers Stoddart and Connolly were executed in front of the Ark Fortress of Bukhara. It was the finale in a year-long torture (in the case of Stoddart it actually lasted four... »

  Museums and Collections, Crime and Punishment, Memento Mori, Dead Explorers | Edited by Tawsam, Mark_Casey and others

• May 23, 2012 Tawsam added Seattle Peace Park
  

  Tashkent, Uzbekistan

  Seattle Peace Park

  Touching displays of wishes for peace from the Cold War era

  In retrospect, one could argue that during the Cold War era, the world was much easier to comprehend than it is today. Today, the borders between friend and enemy are blurred, wars are no longer... »

  Outsider Art, Unusual Monuments | Edited by Tawsam, Mark_Casey and others

• May 22, 2012 Tawsam has been to Schmetterlinghaus: The Imperial Butterfly Park
  

  Vienna, Austria

  Schmetterlinghaus: The Imperial Butterfly Park

  A tropical paradise just a short trip from the opera house, filled with beautiful winged creatures for your enjoyment

  Built around the turn of the last century and part of the Hofburg palace, this "Jugendstil" greenhouse is filled with a lush, tropical landscape, trickling waterfalls, and within its humid walls... »

  Fascinating Fauna, Museums and Collections, Horticultural Marvels | Edited by vienna and Rachel

• May 14, 2012 Tawsam added Beatles Statue of Almaty
  

  Almaty, Kazakhstan

  Beatles Statue of Almaty

  The Beatlemania is still strong... at least in Kazakhstan

  Bronzing items which one finds important, and well worth saving, isn't a rare practice. Attics and closets across the world are filled with bronze baby shoes, bronze hand prints and, less... »

  Unusual Monuments, Strange Statues | Edited by Tawsam, Mark_Casey and others

• May 14, 2012 Tawsam added Bayterek Tower
  

  Astana, Kazakhstan

  Bayterek Tower

  A modern tower, symbolizing the legend of a golden egg on top of the tree of life

  The Kazakh word "bayterek" translates literally to mean "tall poplar," as in the tree. That's what makes Bayterek Tower such a fitting name for a national monument steeped in symbolism and... »

  Unusual Monuments, Commercial Curiosities, Architectural Oddities | Edited by Tawsam, Mark_Casey and others

• May 14, 2012 Tawsam added Valley of Balls
  

  Shetpe, Kazakhstan

  Valley of Balls

  Mysterious spherical rocks in the semi-desert of western Kazakhstan

  Close to the town of Shetpe in Western Kazakhstan lies the Valley of Balls – or Torysh, as it is known in Kazakh. It consists of numerous ball-like rock formations strewn across a wide range of... »

  Natural Wonders, Martian Landscapes, Geological Oddities | Edited by Tawsam, Rachel and others

• May 14, 2012 Tawsam added Kaindy Lake
  

  Mogila Malay, Kazakhstan

  Kaindy Lake

  Submerged trees jut ghost-like out of an idyllic turquoise mountain lake

  Kaindy Lake is an idyllic mountain lake in Kazakhstan’s portion of the Tian Shan Mountains, close to the country’s largest city, Almaty. The lake was formed after an earthquake in 1911, which... »

  Natural Wonders, Watery Wonders, Geological Oddities | Edited by Tawsam and Rachel

• May 14, 2012 Tawsam added Semipalatinsk Polygon
  

  Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan

  Semipalatinsk Polygon

  One of the most horrible legacies of the Cold War era: where the Soviet Union tested nuclear bombs on civilians

  Prior to 1990, Semipalatinsk (today known as Semey) was one of the numerous closed cities of the Soviet Union. Only high-ranking officials of the politburo knew about the going-ons within these... »

  Disaster Areas | Edited by Tawsam and Rachel

• May 14, 2012 Tawsam added Merzbacher Lake
  

  Ozero Mertsbakhera, Kyrgyzstan

  Merzbacher Lake

  Glacial lake that mysteriously empties itself every year

  A strenuous multi-day trek is necessary to reach Merzbacher Lake, a lake so far away from anything, that even the label "remote" would be an understatement. The lake is located at the confluence... »

  Natural Wonders, Watery Wonders, Geological Oddities | Edited by Tawsam and Rachel

• May 11, 2012 Tawsam added Tash Rabat
  

  Haqqulobod, Uzbekistan

  Tash Rabat

  Extremely isolated Silk Road caravanserai in the middle of nowhere

  Today, we picture the caravans traveling along the Silk Road from China to the Middle East as a rather romantic image. This romanticized portrayal conceals the real dangers that the journey... »

  Cultures and Civilizations , Architectural Oddities, Incredible Ruins | Edited by Tawsam and Rachel

• May 11, 2012 Tawsam added National Museum of Kyrgyzstan
  

  Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan

  National Museum of Kyrgyzstan

  Time capsule of a museum, in which the Soviet Union remains alive and kicking

  Kyrgyzstan’s National Museum harbors numerous interesting exhibitions, ranging from excavation finds to fascinating ethnographical collections, partly housed in dusty cabinets. But for the few... »

  Museums and Collections, Wonder Cabinets, Outsider Art, Unique Collections | Edited by Tawsam and Rachel

• May 11, 2012 Tawsam added Sarez Lake
  

  Kuli Sarez, Tajikistan

  Sarez Lake

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

  Sarez Lake is a mountain lake deep in the inaccessible Pamir Mountains of Central Tajikistan. The lake was created in 1911, when an earthquake, estimated at 7.0 at the Richter Scale, and a... »

  Natural Wonders, Watery Wonders, Geological Oddities, Disaster Areas | Edited by Tawsam and Rachel

• May 7, 2012 Tawsam added Chilzina and the Forty Steps of Kandahar
  

  Kandahar, Afghanistan

  Chilzina and the Forty Steps of Kandahar

  Rock-cut chamber at top of an outcroup, reached by a mountain stairway of forty steps

  Sometimes, simplicity speaks volumes. A short tower can seem imposing on a featureless plain. A tiny word can say a lot if it's on a blank wall. And 40 simple steps can tell a complex story of... »

  Curious Caves, Unusual Monuments, Subterranean Sites | Edited by Tawsam, Mark_Casey and others