Architectural Oddities in Turkey

A centuries-old pine tree is growing through the floor and roof of this building.

A recently-abandoned international exhibition center.

One of the largest wooden constructions in Europe was meant to be a casino, but soon became an orphanage.

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

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

The eclectic home of a leading Turkish architect is a gorgeous piece of eye candy.

Balanced on four stone pillars, this historic tower was the site of a tragic political assassination.

A deadly ancient portal to the underworld.

Mediterranean castle on a tiny Turkish island.

Naturally protected city carved from a rock face.

Ottoman-era houses lovingly preserved.

This hunter-gatherer architecture is believed to be the oldest religious complex known.

Unfinished monument to peace between Turkey and Armenia, long divided by a dispute over genocide.

A Turkish monastery tucked into a cliff wall.