Archives: Atlas Obscuras

Holy Kipinas Monastery

Discover Holy Kipinas Monastery in Kalarrites, Greece: This 13th-century monastery chiseled into the side of a mountain is equipped with a bridge that can be lifted to protect against raids.

One Calvert Plaza

Discover One Calvert Plaza in Baltimore, Maryland: Baltimore's first skyscraper may be home to the inspiration behind pulp fiction's most celebrated bird.

Sandwich Boardwalk

Discover Sandwich Boardwalk in Sandwich, Massachusetts: Hundreds of personalized inscribed planks make up this historic boardwalk.

Fucino Space Centre

Discover Fucino Space Centre in Ortucchio, Italy: The largest civilian satellite control center in the world is located in the middle of a drained lake.

Monastery of Kipinas

Discover Monastery of Kipinas in Kalarrites, Greece: This 13th-century monastery chiseled into the side of a mountain is equipped with a bridge that can be lifted to protect against raids.

Wolji Pond

Discover Wolji Pond in Gyeongju, South Korea: This human-made pond is part of a Korean palace complex first built in the 7th century.

Hacienda Santa Rosa

Discover Hacienda Santa Rosa in Costa Rica: The only combat zone in Costa Rica used during the Battle of Santa Rosa.

Boulder Bank

Discover Boulder Bank in Glenduan, New Zealand: An unusual snaking bank of boulders caused by longshore drift.

Grave of the Unknown Man

Discover Grave of the Unknown Man in Hardingstone, England: In the 1930s, a mysterious murder shook this Northamptonshire village–the identity of the victim remains a mystery to this day.

Licosa Island

Discover Licosa Island in Castellabate, Italy: According to legend, this small island was home to one of the sirens met by Ulysses in the Odyssey.

The Lone Grave

Discover The Lone Grave in Nevada City, California: A grave dedicated to the pioneers who settled California.

Casa de las Conchas

Discover Casa de las Conchas in Salamanca, Spain: The facade of this 16th-century building is decorated with carvings of 300 seashells.

Royal Armouries Museum

Discover Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds, England: One of three sites in England that house the National Collection of Arms and Armour.

Edward Everard’s Printing Works

Discover Edward Everard's Printing Works in Bristol, England: This Grade II Listed Building with an Art Nouveau façade once contained a unique print shop.

St Ninian’s Chapel

Discover St Ninian's Chapel in Bigton, Scotland: This former chapel resides on an island connected to the mainland by one of Shetland's iconic beachy tombolos.

Pir-e-Sabz Fire Temple (Chak Chak)

Discover Pir-e-Sabz Fire Temple (Chak Chak) in Iran: This remote mountain shrine is one of the most sacred Zoroastrian temples remaining in the world.

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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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