Archives: Atlas Obscuras

The Ball Courts at Ushaw College

Discover "Cat" Ball Court in Durham, England: These courts are the only ones of their kind in the world, made for a unique ball game that dates back to the 1700s.

‘Sami’

Discover 'Sami' in Belgrade, Serbia: One of Belgrade's most beloved animals.

Béthune Belfry

Discover Béthune Belfry in Béthune, France: Built in 1347, this belfry is one of the oldest in the world and survived intense bombing during World War I.

Biatüwi

Discover Biatüwi in Manaus, Brazil: The only restaurant serving indigenous foods from the Amazon.

Grande Mosquée de Bangui

Discover Grande Mosquée de Bangui in Bangui, Central African Republic: This mosque is an enduring symbol of Central African Republic's rich Muslim heritage.

Notre-Dame of Bangui Cathedral

Discover Notre-Dame of Bangui Cathedral in Bangui, Central African Republic: Amidst political unrest, this Roman Catholic Cathedral has helped organize peace talks.

Ishikawa Island Lighthouse

Discover Ishikawa Island Lighthouse in Tokyo, Japan: This public bathroom takes the form of a 19th-century lighthouse that once stood on the spot.

Baguashan Skywalk

Discover Baguashan Skywalk in Changhua City, Taiwan: The longest skywalk in Taiwan.

Coral Cut

Discover Coral Cut in Palm Beach, Florida: This spooky road cut through a mound of ancient coral might be haunted by a witch.

India Mill Chimney

Discover India Mill Chimney in Darwen, England: One of the tallest mill chimneys in Lancashire gave up its ornate cast iron "crown" during World War II to assist the war effort.

Hand of Timba

Discover Hand of Timba in Bissau, Guinea-Bissau: This monument memorializes a violent massacre where colonial police killed 50 striking dockworkers.

PlayGarden Park Sculptures

Discover PlayGarden Park Sculptures in Fulton, Mississippi: Whimsical bronze sculptures of smiling coins and houses await visitors to this park.

The Bust of Juan Bautista De Anza

Discover The Bust of Juan Bautista De Anza in Los Angeles, California: Anza led the first Spanish settlers from Mexico to Monterey, California in the 1770s.

George W. Lund Petrified Forest

Discover George W. Lund Petrified Forest in Gerlach, Nevada: A little-known occurrence of fossil wood in northern Washoe County, Nevada, near the Black Rock Desert.

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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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