rdbu's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
Leaderboard Highlights
rdbu's activity rankings
1st
Places visited in Tangier, Morocco
1st
Places visited in Colmar, France
1st
Places visited in Monticello, Utah
2nd
Places edited in Bridgeport, California
3rd
Places edited in Lee Vining, California
5th
Places visited in Segovia, Spain
Loading map...
Istanbul, Turkey

Tombs of the Sultans

Five sultans and their families rest in eternal splendor, teeming with overlooked beauty and drama.
Istanbul, Turkey

Viking Runes at Hagia Sophia

A small etching on the white marble parapet was written in runic script by a Viking mercenary.
Istanbul, Turkey

Ottoman Bird Palaces

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

Basilica Cisterns of Istanbul

A marvel of Byzantine engineering under the streets of Istanbul.
Selçuk, Turkey

Brothel Advertisement at Ephesus

Carvings in Turkey's Marble Road may have directed ancient Romans to a hidden brothel.
Selçuk, Turkey

The Public Toilets of Ephesus

The ancient latrines of the Greeks, in all their public glory.
Selçuk, Turkey

Basilica of St. John

This crumbling medieval basilica once attracted pilgrims by the thousands to collect a miraculous dust that formed above the saint's tomb.
Denizli Merkez, Turkey

Pluto's Gate

A deadly ancient portal to the underworld.
Denizli, Turkey

Pamukkale Water Terraces

Roman ruins top white travertine terraces formed by ancient hot springs.
Heraklion, Greece

Knossos

A minotaur, a labyrinth, and a dubious restoration pull in visitors from around the world.
Heraklion, Greece

Phaistos Disc

This famous archeological mystery may be an ancient example of movable type.
Rhodes, Greece

Street of the Knights

One of the best-preserved medieval streets in Europe.
Fethiye, Turkey

Tlos

One of the most exquisite Lycian hilltop citadels in Turkey.
Kayaköy, Turkey

Abandoned Village of Kayakoy

A Turkish ghost town abandoned in a population exchange with Greece.
Fethiye, Turkey

Lycian Rock Tombs

These tombs were built into the side of a mountain so that ancient angels could reach the dead.
Santorini, Greece

Prehistoric Town of Akrotiri

A Bronze age settlement on the Greek island of Santorini might have been the inspiration for Plato's Atlantis.
Delos, Greece

The Temple of Dionysos

Giant marble phalluses on the sacred island of antiquity.
Mikonos, Greece

Terrace of the Lions

Replicas of Apollo's leonine stone guard cats still line a sacred row in Greece.
Egina, Greece

Tower of Markellos

This pink watchtower served as the seat of the Greek government after independence from the Turks.
Nafplio, Greece

Church of Agioi Pantes

A staircase made of gravestones leads up to this church built into a giant rock.
Athens, Greece

Holy Church of the Archangels

This small chapel holds the mummified heart of one of the heroes of the Greek Revolution.
Athens, Greece

Roman Tomb in Zara

The ruins of an ancient Roman tomb hidden in the basement of a trendy clothing store.
Sparta, Greece

Mystras

The ruins of an abandoned medieval city where the last Byzantine emperor was crowned.
Athens, Greece

Kafeneio Oraia Ellas

Luminaries of all stripes have sipped strong Greek coffee at this cafe since 1839.