katefosternyc's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Bukhara, Uzbekistan

Kalyan Minaret

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

Walls of Itchan Kala

Ancient barriers wrap around what was once an important stop along the Silk Road.
Samarkand, Uzbekistan

Ulugh Beg Observatory

Light still pours into the ruins of this ancient Islamic observatory.
Samarkand, Uzbekistan

Shah-i-Zinda Necropolis

The Avenue of Mausolea is a series of grand palatial tombs.
Khujand, Tajikistan

Panjshanbe Bazaar

A bustling bazaar with an elaborate facade in Central Asia’s underrated capital.
Khujand, Tajikistan

Friday Mosque

Next to a newer mosque in Khujand’s main square lies the city’s oldest mosque, whose interiors are spectacularly intricate.
Almaty, Kazakhstan

Statue of Panfilov's 28 Guardsmen

This Soviet statue is based on a piece of propaganda that's been elevated to national myth.
Almaty, Kazakhstan

Ascension Cathedral

In Kazakhstan, a colorful cathedral with many lives once survived the most powerful earthquake in the region.
Almaty, Kazakhstan

Zelionyj Bazaar

This sprawling market is a one-stop shop for traditional Kazakh foods, from mare’s milk to sheep’s head.
Kyrgyzstan

Burana Tower

Lonely minaret stump of a destroyed city.
Barskoon, Kyrgyzstan

Monument to Yuri Gagarin

A boulder carved into the shape of the cosmonaut's head.
Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan

National Museum of Kyrgyzstan

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

Muzey Sulayman Too

An outstanding piece of retro Sci-Fi architecture built into a sacred mountain.
Stonington, Connecticut

Mystic Seaport Museum

Holding multiple historical boats and an entire 19th century village, this New England attraction is the largest maritime museum in the world.
Westerly, Rhode Island

Flying Horse Carousel

One of the oldest carousels in the United States is still running in the coastal village of Watch Hill.
Stonington, Connecticut

Severed Arm of Saint Edmund

How did the right arm of a 13th-century English bishop wind up in a Connecticut church?