BalkanTurist's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Places visited in Acre, Israel
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Places edited in Essen, Germany
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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.
Baku, Azerbaijan

The Maiden Tower

This mysterious but iconic tapered tower appears in many Azeri fairytales and legends.
Baku, Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum

A unique museum dedicated to culture and artistry of carpet weaving.
Baku, Azerbaijan

Fire Temple of Baku

A shrine of fire worship built on top of a natural flame.
Yerevan, Armenia

Katoghike Church

This little medieval church hidden in the center of Yerevan was lost and rediscovered—twice.
Sevan, Armenia

Sevanavank

This ancient monastery complex was transformed from an island to a peninsula when the lake was partially drained.
Goght, Armenia

Geghard Monastery

This Armenian monastery was carved out of cliffs and named after the spear used to stab Jesus.
Garni, Armenia

Garni Gorge

A geological oddity topped with a 2,000-year-old pagan temple.
Tbilisi, Georgia

Jumah Mosque

At this rare mosque in Tbilisi, Sunni and Shia Muslims pray side by side.
Tbilisi, Georgia

Tbilisi Sulfur Baths

A cluster of historic bathhouses built on the famed hot springs that gave the Georgian capital its name.
Tbilisi, Georgia

Leaning Tower of Tbilisi

The charmingly disheveled clock tower of Tbilisi's puppet theater.
Palermo, Italy

La Zisa

This Arabesque Italian castle was built with a primitive, if ingenious, air-conditioning system.
Palermo, Italy

Cappella Palatina

Every inch of this chapel is covered in craftsmanship from across the world.
Palermo, Italy

San Giovanni degli Eremiti

Behind medieval walls in a corner of bustling Palermo is a breathtaking former mosque once inhabited by a wolf-taming hermit.
Palermo, Italy

The Martorana

This mosaic-lined medieval church was built by the world's first admiral and still holds mass in ancient Greek.
Zadar, Croatia

Sea Organ

A musical instrument played by the sea.
Ravenna, Italy

Baptistery of Neon

Psychoanalyst Carl Jung reported a paranormal experience after visiting this mosaic-lined Roman baptistry.
Ravenna, Italy

Flooded Crypt of San Francesco

Filled with goldfish swimming in a shallow pool of sea water, this ancient crypt is more wishing well than burial site.
Ravenna, Italy

Basilica of San Vitale

This 6th-century church has the largest and best-preserved collection of Byzantine mosaics outside Constantinople.
Ravenna, Italy

Dante's Tomb

Italian poet Dante Alighieri is entombed in this small mausoleum in Ravenna, and his hometown of Florence has never been too happy about it.
Ravenna, Italy

Mausoleum of Galla Placidia

An incredible mosaic-lined monument said to have held the remains of an ancient Roman empress.