diansubardjo's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Shiraz, Iran

Tomb of Hafez

A dreamy mausoleum honors Persia's most famous poet.
Shiraz, Iran

Nasir al-Mulk Mosque

A spectacular rainbow of stained glass makes the "Pink Mosque" one of the most beautiful in Iran.
Istanbul, Turkey

Kaiser Wilhelm Fountain

A fountain standing as a testament to a doomed alliance.
Istanbul, Turkey

Viking Runes at Hagia Sophia

A small etching on the white marble parapet was written in runic script by a Viking mercenary.
Istanbul, Turkey

Basilica Cisterns of Istanbul

A marvel of Byzantine engineering under the streets of Istanbul.
Samarkand, Uzbekistan

Bibi-Khanym Mosque

Controversially restored in the 1970s, this giant 15th-century mosque is shrouded in legend.
Tashkent, Uzbekistan

Chorsu Bazaar

Prowl through this sprawling bazaar under a massive Soviet-era dome for delicious eats.
Shahrisabz, Uzbekistan

Ak Saray Palace

Home to what was once considered the largest gate in central Asia.
Tashkent, Uzbekistan

Tashkent Metro Stations

An underground world of gorgeous, palatial metro stations designed as a nuclear shelter complex.
Tashkent, Uzbekistan

Amir Timur (Tamerlane) Museum

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

Tomb of Daniel at Samarkand

An 18-meter-long sarcophagus of a constantly growing dead prophet.
Bukhara, Uzbekistan

Kalyan Minaret

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

Shah-i-Zinda Necropolis

The Avenue of Mausolea is a series of grand palatial tombs.
Samarkand, Uzbekistan

Ulugh Beg Observatory

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

Vank Cathedral

The cathedral stands in New Jufa, Isfahan's Armenian quarter that was established in 1606.
Isfahan, Iran

Khaju Bridge

This 17th-century structure is a beautiful testimony to traditional Persian architecture
Isfahan, Iran

Sheikh Lotfallah Mosque

17th century mosque for Shah Abbas' harem.
Isfahan, Iran

Pigeon Towers of Iran

These little castles each held thousands of pigeons.
Tehran, Iran

Ebrat Museum

This circular Iranian jail was once a political prison run by the country's secret police.
Yazd, Iran

Dolat Abad Windcatcher

Long before air conditioning, Persian architects found an ingenious way to cool off.
Yazd, Iran

Yazd Atash Behram

The fire inside this temple has burned for more than 1,500 years.
Yazd, Iran

Zoroastrian Towers of Silence

Putrefaction plateaus in Iran, where the dead were sent for decontamination before going to their final resting place.
Nushabad, Iran

Nushabad Underground City

A 1,500-year-old, 3-story subterranean city where ancient Persians took refuge in times of war.
Pateley Bridge, England

Oldest Sweet Shop in England

The oldest candy store in the world has been selling traditional sweets since 1827.