Uzgen, Kyrgyzstan

Living in Uzgen is a bleak proposition. The town's claim to fame is an 11th-century minaret tower that's 27.5 meters tall, with an 8.5-meter base diameter tapering to 6.2 meters at the top. Beyond this architectural remnant, the ancient ruins and three mausoleums offer little to recommend the place. Bureaucracy is a persistent headache, and the harsh continental climate is a constant challenge.

Uzgen is the kind of forgotten backwater that only the most intrepid or desperate would consider calling home. Unless you have a deep passion for medieval Islamic architecture or an inexplicable draw to remote, inhospitable landscapes, this city offers little to entice the average expat.