Max Cortesi's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Max Cortesi's activity rankings
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Places visited in Pakistan
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Places added to Thailand
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Places edited in Pakistan
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Places visited in Thailand
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Places added to Ecuador
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Places edited in Sri Lanka
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Places visited in Sri Lanka
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Places added to Italy
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Places edited in Armenia
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Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Phsar Thmei (Central Market)

One of the biggest markets in Asia, under one of the continent's largest domes.
Wakrah, Qatar

Al Wakrah Dhow Harbor

A superb spot to appreciate the traditional boats of the Indian Ocean.
Teshig, Mongolia

Mongolia/Russia Border Crossing No. 487

This extremely remote border crossing was closed to prevent smuggling and looting.
Osh, Kyrgyzstan

Muzey Sulayman Too

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

Imperial Map Monument

History, geography, and shamanism meet in this eye-catching monument to the greatness of three empires.
Nohijai Pançakent, Tajikistan

Ancient Panjakent

The remains of an ancient city-state along the Silk Road.
Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan

Frunze Museum

Dedicated to a Bolshevik revolutionary, this museum is a true time capsule of the Soviet era.
Karakol, Kyrgyzstan

Dungan Mosque

Built entirely of interlocking pieces, construction of this Chinese Muslim house of worship required zero nails.
Ming-Kush, Kyrgyzstan

Min Kush

This village was once a thriving Soviet uranium mining center, but is now semi-abandoned and desolate.
Kyrgyzstan

Aalam Ordo

This mysterious complex of abandoned yurts and fading murals was meant to be a center of science and spirituality in Kyrgyzstan.
Dushanbe, Tajikistan

Wall of Great Tajik Writers

A building facade covered with the statues of 11 giants of Tajik literature.
Kojomkul, Kyrgyzstan

Kojomkul Memorial

An unusual monument to a gentle giant who became a Kyrgyz hero.
Ishkoshim, Tajikistan

Yamchun Fort

This ancient Silk Road outpost overlooking the Wakhan Valley is miraculously still standing.
Ishkashim, Afghanistan

Ishkashim Border Market

A strip of neutral ground where the people of Tajikistan and Afghanistan come together to trade.
Xiva, Uzbekistan

Walls of Itchan Kala

Ancient barriers wrap around what was once an important stop along the Silk Road.
Haidong Shi, China

White Horse Temple (白马寺)

This temple located on a vertical drop of a rocky mountain houses relics from the Song Dynasty.
Zanzibar, Tanzania

The House of Wonders

In Zanzibar, a historic 19th-century palace is a reminder of the world's shortest war.
Tashkent, Uzbekistan

Seattle Peace Park

Touching displays of wishes for peace from the Cold War era.
Bukhara, Uzbekistan

"The Bug Pit" at Zindon Prison

Where Stoddart and Connolly suffered in the infamous Bug Pit.
Bukhara, Uzbekistan

Kalyan Minaret

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

Moynaq

Once a bustling fishing port, this semi-ghost town is now more than 90 miles away from the shore.
Samarkand, Uzbekistan

Tomb of Daniel at Samarkand

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