MeanderingMind's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Margilan, Uzbekistan

Yodgorlik Silk Factory

Witness traditional silk production in the Uzbek city that's been a hub of sericulture for over a thousand years.
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.
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

Shah-i-Zinda Necropolis

The Avenue of Mausolea is a series of grand palatial tombs.
Gokdepe, Turkmenistan

Saparmurat Hajji Mosque

A memorial to the thousands of Turkmen soldiers and civilians who died in a bloody 1881 battle.
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan

Türkmenbaşy Ruhy Mosque

The controversial final resting place of the equally controversial first president of Turkmenistan.
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan

Arch of Neutrality

A dictator's gold statue once rotated to face the sun on a 75-meter high marble tower.
Koytendag, Turkmenistan

Kyrk Gyz Cave

A cave covered with bizarre stalactites of cloth.
Balkanabat, Turkmenistan

Yangykala Canyon

Few people have ever heard of, let alone visited, one of Turkmenistan’s most impressive natural attractions.
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan

Turkmenbashi's Land of Fairy Tales

An eccentric dictator's take on a Turkmen version of Disneyland.
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan

Wedding Palace

If you want to get married in the White Marble City of Ashgabat, you should do it in this surreal disco ball building.
Merv, Turkmenistan

Ancient Merv

This famed Silk Road oasis was one of the largest cities in the world before it was destroyed by a Mongol horde.
Gokdepe, Turkmenistan

Köw Ata Underground Lake

This cavernous swimming spot doubles as a home to the largest known colony of bats in Central Asia.
Kuşadası, Turkey

Cave of Zeus

This Turkish cave boasts some rather bizarre associations with the King of Mount Olympus.
Sultaniye Köyü, Turkey

House of the Virgin Mary

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.
Serik, Turkey

Aspendos Theater

The best-preserved ancient theater in the world.
Istanbul, Turkey

Piri Reis Map at Topkapi Palace

1513 Turkish world map, full of European state secrets and snarky commentary.
Ishkoshim, Tajikistan

Yamchun Fort

This ancient Silk Road outpost overlooking the Wakhan Valley is miraculously still standing.
Pingan, Tajikistan

Hulbuk Fortress

This medieval citadel once guarded the western entrance of the Pamir Highway.
Dushanbe, Tajikistan

Wall of Great Tajik Writers

A building facade covered with the statues of 11 giants of Tajik literature.
Rushon, Tajikistan

Sarez Lake

The largest dam in the world and the site of a potential disaster.
Set Zaynab, Syria

Sayyidah Zaynab Mosque

This ornate mosque is said to hold the remains of Muhammad's granddaughter beneath its dome of pure gold.