umweber5's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Gokdepe, Turkmenistan

Saparmurat Hajji Mosque

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

Arch of Neutrality

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

The Gates of Hell

A fiery crater has been burning in the Karakum Desert since 1971.
New York, New York

Marilyn Monroe's Subway Grate

This unmarked and unloved Manhattan subway grate created one of the most iconic images in American cinema.
London, England

Aldwych Tube Station

This Underground station has been a popular filming location for decades, even before it closed.
Lumphat, Cambodia

Tonle Srepok

The river depicted in the antiwar film 'Apocalypse Now' was likely based on this Mekong tributary.
Jamestown, Rhode Island

'Moonrise Kingdom' Beach

The secluded beach getaway from Wes Anderson's dreamy summer romance.
ambon Kalai, Thailand

Ko Ta Pu (James Bond Island)

A tall karst islet popularized by 007.
Washington, D.C.

The Exorcist Stairs

The site of the climactic scene from the classic horror film is now a historic landmark.
New York, New York

The 'Ghostbusters' Firehouse

Try not to get slimed in Tribeca.
Naftah, Tunisia

Leftover 'Star Wars' Sets

Buildings from the fictional planet of Tatooine still litter the Tunisian desert.
Paro, Bhutan

Paro International Airport

This Himalayan airport provides one of the most difficult landings in the world.
Bhutan

Khamsum Yulley Namgyal Chorten

A stupa built to protect Bhutan from evil forces and help bring peace to the world.
Bhutan

Kyichu Lhakhang Temple

One of Bhutan's oldest temples was purportedly built to halt a giant female ogre from preventing the spread of Buddhism across Tibet.
Punakha, Bhutan

Chimi Lhakhang

This penis-focused monastery is dedicated to Buddhism's "Divine Madman."
Thimphu, Bhutan

Garden of Phallus (Wangchuk Chenmoi Dümra)

This garden is very fertile.
Thimphu, Bhutan

Motithang Takin Preserve

Strange, gentle beasts resembling goat-cow hybrids roam within this patch of forest.
Thimphu, Bhutan

Buddha Dordenma Statue

This giant Buddha statue has 125,000 smaller Buddhas hidden inside it.
Dochula, Bhutan

Dochula Pass Meditation Caves

The small sanctuaries lie just off the beaten path near one of Bhutan's most famous attractions.
Paro, Bhutan

Paro Taktsang

The small cliffside monastery known as the Tiger's Nest is said to be the meditation site of an 8th-century Buddhist master.