Byzantine emperors ruled, lived, and died in this 13th-century palace-turned-museum.

This elevator was built in 1907 to connect two neighborhoods separated by a steep, rocky cliff.

A little-known caravanserai hidden among farmhouses in the Turkish countryside.

Remnants of successive wars and Muslim colonialism in the 11th century.

A small mountain at the crossroads of Turkey, Iraq, and Syria that some believe was the landing point of Noah's Ark.

This church houses the tomb—but not the remains—of St. Nicholas, the likely progenitor to Santa Claus.

It's believed that this small church was connected to the Hagia Sophia via a secret tunnel.

This ancient abandoned church in a remote part of Turkey is in danger of falling over.

A beautiful 19th-century Armenian mansion is preserved above an unassuming cafe.

This arch granting triumphal entrance into Antalya was designed to honor the emperor's visit.

One of the most exquisite Lycian hilltop citadels in Turkey.

This mysterious cliffside carving of an ancient Hittite deity has baffled scholars for centuries.

These ruins once flourished as the capital of the Lydian kingdom, often credited with the invention of metal coinage.

Mediterranean castle on a tiny Turkish island.

This ancient city - home to nine civilizations - is soon to be buried under 200 feet of water.

This hidden gem is bathed in beautiful natural light.

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

Over the centuries, this island paradise has done it all, from providing monks with ecclesiastical respite to sheltering an exiled Leon Trotsky.

Seven early Christians were sealed into a cave where legend has it they slept unharmed for centuries.

A sacred lake with thousands of sacred carp and a biblical history.

A mysterious ancient cemetery with Roman sarcophagi and Lycian inscriptions.

At this ancient settlement at the foot of Mount Babadağ, honeycomb tombs are carved into a round cliff.

Fantastic lake on the heart of a fault line.

The alleged house of the Virgin Mary is tucked away in a park and nature preserve on Mt. Koressos in Turkey and is holy to both Catholics and Muslims alike.