SamS's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Chennai, India

Kapaleeshwarar Temple

The painted and decorated towers of this Hindu shrine were once the tallest structures in one of the oldest cities in India.
Sumburgh, Scotland

Jarlshof

This picturesque archeological site looks like it was pulled straight from a fantasy novel.
North Yorkshire, England

Fountains Abbey

One of the oldest and certainly best preserved Cistercian abbeys still in existence.
Chhatarpur, India

Temples of Khajuraho

Temples adorned with intricate, erotic sculptures make up one of the "seven wonders" of India.
Hillah, Iraq

Babylon

Celebrated as a center of civilization, the remains of the ancient city have been nearly destroyed by greed, egoism, and war.
Ercolano, Italy

Herculaneum

Pompeii's less famous neighbor is still revealing her secrets.
Sorrento, Italy

Valle dei Mulini (Valley of the Mills)

An Italian crevasse filled with abandoned buildings gives visitors a look at the world without humans.
Nyaung-U, Myanmar (Burma)

Bagan

Over 2,000 ancient temples dot the Myanmar landscape at the site of this famed archaeological site.
Masvingo, Zimbabwe

Great Zimbabwe

The largest prehistoric ruins south of the Sahara, once a powerful center of international trade.
Al-Khums, Libya

Leptis Magna

Magnificent Roman ruins lie vulnerable to destruction on the edge of the Mediterranean.
Tintagel, England

Tintagel Castle

A fantastic castle rumored to be the birthplace of King Arthur.
Siem Reap, Cambodia

Ta Prohm

A battle between nature and architecture in the Cambodian jungle.
Washington, D.C.

Fort DeRussy

A Civil War fort in the middle of Washington, D.C. has been swallowed by a forest.
Cartagena, Spain

Roman Theatre of Cartagena

An ancient Roman theatre restored to its former glory in the Spanish city of Cartegena.
Urubamba, Peru

Wiñay Wayna

These steeply terraced ruins are a stop along the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu.
Fort Washington, Maryland

Remains of Truxton Circle Fountain

Remains of a historic fountain that was mysteriously lost in the demolition of a D.C. traffic circle.
Silver City, New Mexico

Gila Cliff Dwellings

These ruins of a pre-Columbian cliff village are among the most beautiful and well preserved in New Mexico.
Vernon, France

The Old Mill of Vernon

A quaint medieval millhouse hovers surprisingly above the waters of the Seine.
Coleraine, Northern Ireland

Dunluce Castle

The ruins of this medieval castle in Northern Ireland have inspired artists from C.S. Lewis to Led Zeppelin.
Big Sur, California

McWay Falls and Waterfall House Ruins

This Big Sur waterfall drops 80 feet directly into the Pacific Ocean, and inspired the hillside house up top.
Drymen, Scotland

Buchanan Castle

This castle was established by the 4th Duke of Montrose and is connected to the Buchanan Clan.
West Dunbartonshire, Scotland

Loch Lomond

Largest lake in Great Britain measured by surface area.
Galway, Ireland

Dun Aonghasa

An Iron Age fort on the edge of a seaside cliff offers a glimpse into an ancient, mystical world.
Baalbek, Lebanon

Baalbek Trilithon

The largest hewn stone in history.