Samuelsson's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Places visited in Yazd, Iran
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Places visited in Paro, Bhutan
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Places visited in Punakha, Bhutan
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Places visited in Almaty, Kazakhstan
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Places visited in Tibet
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Places visited in Senegal
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Places visited in Khujand, Tajikistan
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Tatev, Armenia

Gavazan Column at Tatev Monastery

Centuries before the modern seismograph, Armenian monks measured quakes with this tilting pillar.
Lusarat, Armenia

Khor Virap Monastery

The most visited pilgrimage site in Armenia once held a saint in a pit for 13 years.
Shaki, Azerbaijan

Palace of the Shaki Khans

Foreign invaders almost left this lovely Caucasus palace alone—almost.
Baku, Azerbaijan

The Maiden Tower

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

Musical Stone of Gobustan

Resonant stone, that has been played since prehistoric times.
Baku, Azerbaijan

Mud Volcanoes of Azerbaijan

Home to nearly a third of the world's mud volcanoes, Azerbaijan is home to a messy, bubbling, and sometimes explosive landscape.
Baku, Azerbaijan

Fire Temple of Baku

A shrine of fire worship built on top of a natural flame.
Stepanakert, Azerbaijan

We Are Our Mountains

This striking icon of the disputed Republic of Artsakh caused a stir at a Eurovision Song Contest.
Isfahan, Iran

Khaju Bridge

This 17th-century structure is a beautiful testimony to traditional Persian architecture
Shiraz, Iran

Eram Garden

Named after a legendary garden called Eram in southern Arabia, built by order of Shaddad, an Arab king who wanted to compete with Paradise.
Shiraz, Iran

Tomb of Hafez

A dreamy mausoleum honors Persia's most famous poet.
Yazd, Iran

Yazd Atash Behram

The fire inside this temple has burned for more than 1,500 years.
Iran

Tomb of Cyrus

This ancient burial site is believed to be one of the first earthquake-protected structures in the world.
Isfahan, Iran

Sheikh Lotfallah Mosque

17th century mosque for Shah Abbas' harem.
Fars Province, Iran

Naqsh-e Rustam

The ancient necropolis houses the immense rock-cut tombs of four Persian kings.
Yazd, Iran

Zoroastrian Towers of Silence

Putrefaction plateaus in Iran, where the dead were sent for decontamination before going to their final resting place.
Meybod, Iran

Yakhchāls

Ancient structures used to make and preserve ice in the deserts of Persia.
Shiraz, Iran

Nasir al-Mulk Mosque

A spectacular rainbow of stained glass makes the "Pink Mosque" one of the most beautiful in Iran.
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.
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan

Independence Monument of Turkmenistan

Sumptous memorial to a controversial independence.
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan

Giant Ruhnama

A huge monument to a bizarre book written by Turkmenistan’s longstanding dictator.
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.