The largest island, also called Socotra, is about 95% of the landmass of the archipelago. It lies some 240 kilometres (150 mi) east of the Horn of Africa and 380 kilometres (240 mi) south of the Arabian Peninsula. The island is very isolated and through the process of speciation, a third of its plant life is found nowhere else on the planet. It has been described as the most alien-looking place on Earth. The island measures 132 kilometres (82 mi) in length and 49.7 kilometres (30.9 mi) in width.

Wave Rock is a natural rock formation that is shaped like a tall breaking ocean wave. The "wave" is about 14 m (46 ft) high and around 110 m (360 ft) long. It forms the north side of a solitary hill, which is known as “Hyden Rock”. This hill, which is a granite inselberg, lies about 3 km (2 mi) east of the small town of Hyden and 296 km (184 mi) east-southeast of Perth, Western Australia. Wave Rock and Hyden Rock are part of a 160 ha (395-acre) nature reserve, Hyden Wildlife Park.

Few people haven’t heard about the ancient city of Persepolis, which lies at the foot of the Mountain of Mercy (Kuh-I-Rahmat). In ancient times, Persepolis was the capital of the Achaemenid Empire. Regretfully, it was burned by the Greeks in 330 BC after they looted the immense treasure of this city. It is said that Greeks needed 5,000 camels and 20,000 mules to carry all the treasures from Persepolis. The only thing of Persepolis that has survived the wear of time is the ginormous stone terrace 530 by 330 meters adorned by elaborate stone sculptures. It is amazing how intricately detailed some of the sculptures are, despite the fact that they were created many centuries ago.

A worker refreshes himself with a fan after loading a container with rice bags at an export plant in the central Chainat province in Thailand, December 16, 2015. (Photo by Jorge Silva/Reuters)

A three month old white Bengal female tiger cub looks around her enclosure at the Buenos Aires Zoo, Argentina, Wednesday, April 16, 2014. Cleo, a captive Bengal white tiger at the zoo, gave birth to two females and one male white tiger cubs on January 16, 2014. (Photo by Natacha Pisarenko/AP Photo)

Businesswoman and vendor Sonia Maria Paypay sells clothing at a stand at the commercial zone of Gamarra in Lima, April 16, 2015. (Photo by Mariana Bazo/Reuters)

A general view of atmosphere at the annual VOLT Festival in Sopron, 208 kms west of Budapest, Hungary on August 16, 2016. (Photo by Rockstar Photographers)

The Buddha Dordenma statue overlooks the town of Thimphu, Bhutan, April 16, 2016. (Photo by Cathal McNaughton/Reuters)