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Termessos, Turkey —

Alexander the Great tried to conquer Termessos but failed. Today, the incredible deserted ruins of this once-powerful city, perched like a fortified eagle’s nest high in the mountains of southwestern Turkey, can be conquered by anyone willing to make the hike up here.

But few people ever do.

Termessos stands empty. A spectacular archeological jewel, preserved in isolation, seen only by a few handfuls of people who make the trip from the beach resorts of nearby tourism hot spot Antalya.

That’s a shame for those who miss out. For those who do get to explore, it’s a major bonus. They get to wander around one of Turkey’s most impressive ancient cities all by themselves.

It’s a place of incredible atmosphere: history and landscape; views and silence; nature and destruction — all combining to create one of the Mediterranean’s great unsung archaeological wonders.

Here, slowly being swallowed by vegetation and worn down by time, are gigantic mausoleums, vast underground cisterns, temples, imposing city walls and a breathtaking theater perched, like Machu Picchu, on a hilltop that offers views stretching for miles all around.

Despite its emptiness, Termessos is easy to reach. It only takes around 45 minutes to drive from Antalya’s traffic-snarled downtown to the gates of Mount Güllük-Termessos National