Archives: Atlas Obscuras

Romanita Collective Housing Tower

Discover Romanita Collective Housing Tower in Chisinau, Moldova: Once the tallest building in Chisinau, this unique tower is a relic of Soviet architecture.

Ha Kome Cave Dwellings

Discover Ha Kome Cave Dwellings in Lesotho: An 18th-century hideout became a permanent and ongoing residence for one Lesotho tribe.

Frazetta Art Museum

Discover Frazetta Art Museum in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania: The largest collection of Frazetta originals in the world.

Eischen’s Bar

Discover Eischen's Bar in Okarche, Oklahoma: Come for the fried chicken, stay for the history at Oklahoma's oldest bar.

The Church in the Desert

Discover The Church in the Desert in San Luis Potosí, Mexico: Past the hills and beyond the graveyard, this church feels extremely out of place.

The World’s Largest Wooden Nickel

Discover World’s Largest Wooden Nickel in Iowa City, Iowa: This 16-foot-diameter wooden coin has been standing in Iowa City since 2006.

‘De Bospoldervos’

Discover 'De Bospoldervos' in Rotterdam, Netherlands: A massive stone fox oversees a Rotterdam elementary school crosswalk.

Lukiškės Prison

Discover Lukiškės Prison in Vilnius, Lithuania: A century-old prison in the heart of Vilnius is now a lively bar, dance club, and artist residency.

PS Air Bar

Discover PS Air Bar in Palm Springs, California: Experience the glam side of air travel without leaving the ground at this speakeasy.

Colchester’s Roman Circus

Discover Colchester’s Roman Circus in Colchester, England: It's believed emperor Hadrian himself funded this once architectural wonder.

De Hef

Discover De Hef in Rotterdam, Netherlands: A bridge that has seen many reiterations over its lifetime.

San Pedro Chapel

Discover San Pedro Chapel in Tucson, Arizona: This quiet chapel was central to a community of settlers who reclaimed an abandoned fort.

Grave of Brownie the Depot Dog

Discover Grave of Brownie the Depot Dog in Rome, Georgia: Tombstone of a dog that greeted passengers at the Southern Railway Depot.

NoviPark Roman Amphorae

Discover NoviPark Roman Amphorae in Modena, Italy: Hundreds of Roman amphorae are stored in an ususpecting underground parking lot.

Grand Encampment Museum

Discover Grand Encampment Museum in Encampment, Wyoming: Features unique photographic collections by women of the American West and historical attractions such as a two-story outhouse.

Albrecht Dürer’s Grave

Discover Albrecht Dürer's Grave in Nuremberg, Germany: The final resting place of one of Germany's most accomplished Renaissance men.

The Transportation Walk

Discover The Transportation Walk in Washington, D.C.: Outside the Department of Transportation, a collection of artifacts honors the history of how we get around.

Museu do Fado

Discover Museu do Fado in Lisbon, Portugal: An unassuming music museum recounts the rags to riches story of a dramatic Portuguese genre.

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i
To represent a masterpiece of human creative genius. 261 ii
To exhibit an important interchange of human values, over a span of time or within a cultural area of the world, on developments in architecture or technology, monumental arts, town-planning or landscape design. 480 iii
To bear a unique or at least exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition or to a civilization which is living or which has disappeared. 514 iv
To be an outstanding example of a type of building, architectural or technological ensemble or landscape which illustrates (a) significant stage(s) in human history. 642 ix
To be outstanding examples representing significant on-going ecological and biological processes in the evolution and development of terrestrial, fresh water, coastal and marine ecosystems and communities of plants and animals. 137 v
To be an outstanding example of a traditional human settlement, land-use, or sea-use which is representative of a culture (or cultures), or human interaction with the environment especially when it has become vulnerable under the impact of irreversible change. 172 vi
To be directly or tangibly associated with events or living traditions, with ideas, or with beliefs, with artistic and literary works of outstanding universal significance. (The Committee considers that this criterion should preferably be used in conjunction with other criteria). 256 vii
To contain superlative natural phenomena or areas of exceptional natural beauty and aesthetic importance. 151 viii
To be outstanding examples representing major stages of earth's history, including the record of life, significant on-going geological processes in the development of landforms, or significant geomorphic or physiographic features. 98 x
To contain the most important and significant natural habitats for in-situ conservation of biological diversity, including those containing threatened species of outstanding universal value from the point of view of science or conservation. 168

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