dbone's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Istanbul, Turkey

Obelisk of Theodosius

This remarkably well-preserved Egyptian plinth is pretty well traveled for a giant piece of stone.
Istanbul, Turkey

Beylerbeyi Palace

This former Imperial summer home was the venue for a royal slap that once echoed 'round the world.
Istanbul, Turkey

Column of the Goths

This column celebrates Rome's victory over the Goths, and may be the oldest Roman monument in Istanbul.
Istanbul, Turkey

Isa Yusuf Alptekin Park

A tiny park in the middle of some big power politics.
Istanbul, Turkey

Nakilbent Cistern

A sixth-century Byzantine cistern hidden below a modern carpet store.
Istanbul, Turkey

Golden Horn Chain

A section of the long chain that blocked enemy ships from entering Constantinople.
Istanbul, Turkey

Istanbul Railway Museum at Sirkeci Terminal

The legendary luxury train passage is commemorated with a charming museum inside its former eastern terminus.
Istanbul, Turkey

Yeralti Camii (Underground Mosque)

A surprising and unconventional mosque hidden in the subsoil of Istanbul.
Istanbul, Turkey

Camondo Stairs

A gorgeous, Gaudí-esque stairway constructed in the city of Istanbul by a prominent Jewish family.
Istanbul, Turkey

Theodosian Wall Stone Ladder

Climb a set of vertiginous stone steps to the top of this impressive ancient edifice.
Istanbul, Turkey

Pera Palace Hotel

This historic hotel preserves many treasures from its heyday hosting passengers on the Orient Express.
Athens, Greece

Antikythera Mechanism

A 2,000-year-old computer demonstrates remarkable engineering and astronomical precision.
Kesariani, Greece

Kaisariani Shooting Range

A memorial dedicated to a tragic event during the Axis occupation of Greece.
Athens, Greece

The Athenian Agora

This ancient Greek place of assembly and marketplace is being revealed layer by layer below the modern Athens cityscape.
Istanbul, Turkey

Rumeli Hisari

This half-forgotten fortress was constructed by the Ottoman conqueror of Constantinople.
Istanbul, Turkey

Tombs of the Sultans

Five sultans and their families rest in eternal splendor, teeming with overlooked beauty and drama.
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

Ottoman Bird Palaces

The ornate miniature mansions were built for Istanbul's feathered residents.
Istanbul, Turkey

Basilica Cisterns of Istanbul

A marvel of Byzantine engineering under the streets of Istanbul.
Tatev, Armenia

Gavazan Column at Tatev Monastery

Centuries before the modern seismograph, Armenian monks measured quakes with this tilting pillar.
Tatev, Armenia

Wings of Tatev

The world's longest nonstop reversible cable car soars through spectacular scenery to the medieval Tatev Monastery.
Dilijan, Armenia

Khanjian Villa

The luxurious circular mansion built for a Communist leader now lies abandoned.
Khndzoresk, Armenia

Old Khndzoresk Cave Village

Right up until the 20th century this network of man-made caves was the biggest village in Eastern Armenia.
Sisian, Armenia

Zorats Karer

Called the "Armenian Stonehenge," this ring of menhirs pierced with holes may be a prehistoric astronomical observatory.