juliegws's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Istanbul, Turkey

Kaiser Wilhelm Fountain

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

Obelisk of Theodosius

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

Basilica Cisterns of Istanbul

A marvel of Byzantine engineering under the streets of Istanbul.
Istanbul, Turkey

Tombs of the Sultans

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

The Spoonmaker's Diamond

No one is sure if the world's fourth-largest diamond had been found in a rubbish heap or was pawned by Napoleon's mom.
Istanbul, Turkey

Piri Reis Map at Topkapi Palace

1513 Turkish world map, full of European state secrets and snarky commentary.
Istanbul, Turkey

Column of the Goths

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

Antoninus and Faustina Temple

An ancient Roman temple first dedicated to an emperor's wife is now a church.
Rome, Italy

Vicus Caprarius

A forgotten "city of water" underneath the famous Trevi district.
Rome, Italy

Palazzo Naiadi Roman Baths

Ancient ruins hidden underneath a modern luxury hotel.
Rome, Italy

Il Tempio di Adriano (Temple of Hadrian)

The remains of this 2nd-century Roman temple are incorporated into a modern building.
Rome, Italy

San Nicola in Carcere

This small church was constructed over the ruins of three temples dating to the Roman Republic.
Rome, Italy

Pons Fabricius

This is the oldest Roman-made bridge in the city still existing in its original state.
Rome, Italy

Cloaca Maxima

The "Greatest Sewer" of ancient Rome is one of the oldest sewer systems in the world, and is still in use.
Rome, Italy

Pons Aemilius

The only remaining arch of the oldest stone bridge in Rome stands in the middle of the Tiber.
Rome, Italy

Basilica of San Crisogono

Remnants of a 4th-century church with vivid medieval frescoes and ancient sarcophagi hide beneath this old basilica.
Rome, Italy

Chiesa di San Francesco a Ripa Grande (Church of San Francesco a Ripa)

A small cell adjacent to this church was once the bedroom for a renowned saint.
Rome, Italy

Stumbling Stones of Rome

Brass cobblestones mark the places where individual Holocaust victims were taken from their homes.
Vatican City

Vatican Necropolis

Hidden beneath the famous St. Peter's Basilica is a veritable city of the dead that may hold the remains of St. Peter himself.
Florence, Italy

Babae Wine Window

Drink wine handed out through a window as part of an age-old tradition.
Florence, Italy

Buontalenti Grotta

A large grotto built in the 16th century amidst Florence's famous Boboli gardens.
Quito, Ecuador

Teleférico Quito

The gondolas let you glimpse a bird's-eye view of one of the world's highest capital cities.
Ecuador

Post Office Bay

Since the 1700s, this old barrel has acted as a post box that relies on the kindness of travelers.
Key West, Florida

Hemingway's Last Penny

An idyllic swimming pool tells the tale of Hemingway's trouble with women.