This remnant of an ancient Persian city is considered to be the world's largest single-span brick vault arch.

Giant reed houses made in the marshes of Southern Iraq.

The surviving pieces of an ancient aqueduct that may have fed into the lost Hanging Gardens of Babylon.

An ancient sanctuary that has long been a holy site for the Chaldean Christian Church.

A giant bisected onion dome remembers the Iraqis who died in the Iran-Iraq War.

A shrine on the shores of the Tigris.

Ancient rock-cut tomb? Definitely. That of a great Median king? Unlikely.

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

A 605-page Quran penned in the blood of a dictator is locked away in a mosque.

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

9th century Abbasid mosque, damaged in modern warfare.

Celebrated as a center of civilization, the remains of the ancient city have been nearly destroyed by greed, egoism, and war.

The most sacred Jewish shrine in Iran and a fine example of restoration works gone wrong.

Marked by the hand of the explorer Henry Morton Stanley.

Two Chinese dragons guard the caves of this medieval temple in Iran.

Iranian tombstones shaped like male and female sexual organs.

Colorful mineral deposits turn these mountains into an Impressionist fantasy.

This 12,000 year old Iranian cave village has been continuously inhabited for over 3,000 years.

This ancient fortress in Iran was once the oldest and largest treasury in the world.

This ancient burial site is believed to be one of the first earthquake-protected structures in the world.

Salt cured mummies continue to turn up in this Iranian mine.

The colorful soil of Iran’s "Rainbow Island" attracts artists and nature lovers.

A historic trade hub teeming with gorgeous architecture, colorful goods, and vibrant designs.

The hottest, driest, and most scenic desert on Earth.