jaxxx93's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Nicosia, Cyprus

Cyprus Buffer Zone

This no man's land slicing through the island is strewn with abandoned relics of another time.
Istanbul, Turkey

Piri Reis Map at Topkapi Palace

1513 Turkish world map, full of European state secrets and snarky commentary.
Istanbul, Turkey

The Spoonmaker's Diamond

No one is sure if the world's fourth-largest diamond had been found in a rubbish heap or was pawned by Napoleon's mom.
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

Hagia Sophia Wishing Column

Legend says if you stick your thumb in the hole and it gets wet, your wish will be granted.
Athens, Greece

The Athenian Agora

This ancient Greek place of assembly and marketplace is being revealed layer by layer below the modern Athens cityscape.
Athens, Greece

The Olive Tree of the Acropolis

Legend says this sacred tree was a gift from goddess Athena.
Rome, Italy

Mussolini's Balcony

The spot where the fascist dictator made some of his most famous speeches including declaring war on Britain and France.
Rome, Italy

Cloaca Maxima

The "Greatest Sewer" of ancient Rome is one of the oldest sewer systems in the world, and is still in use.
Rome, Italy

Antoninus and Faustina Temple

An ancient Roman temple first dedicated to an emperor's wife is now a church.
Rome, Italy

Lacus Curtius

A mysterious chasm in the heart of the ancient Roman Forum, the Lacus Curtius was once believed to be a gateway to hell.
Rome, Italy

Mercatus Traiani (Trajan's Market)

This ancient market is often referred to as the oldest shopping mall in the world.
Rome, Italy

Santa Maria sopra Minerva Flood Markers

Plaques on its facade commemorate the Tiber's most destructive deluges.
Rome, Italy

Elephant and Obelisk

A detailed pachyderm supports Rome's smallest Egyptian obelisk.
Vatican City

'The Vision of Constantine'

This equestrian statue of Constantine the Great has been the subject of criticism for centuries.
Pompeii, Italy

Villa dei Misteri

This amazingly well-preserved villa just outside Pompeii boasts rare examples of ancient Roman paintings.
Pompeii, Italy

Stone Phalluses of Pompeii

The walls and streets of the ancient city are peppered with penises.
Pompeii, Italy

Thermopolia of Pompeii

Ancient snack bar of the Roman Empire re-opened.
Pompeii, Italy

Plaster Citizens of Pompeii

The last moments of the ill-fated Pompeiians, frozen forever in plaster.
Pompeii, Italy

The Brothels of Pompeii

Erotic art covers the walls of the largest ancient pleasure palace.
Pompeii, Italy

Pompeii Thermopolium

Before it was buried by volcanic ash, this fast-food restaurant fed the hungry hordes of ancient Rome.
Barcelona, Spain

'El Petó de la Mort' ('The Kiss of Death')

A cemetery in Barcelona's Poblenou district is home to this touching funerary statue, which depicts death in the form of a winged skeleton.
Barcelona, Spain

European Museum of Modern Art

A temple to modernity, tucked away amid Barcelona's more well known museums.