Archives: Atlas Obscuras

C.S. Lewis Square

Discover C.S. Lewis Square in Belfast, Northern Ireland: Step into Narnia at this small park featuring statues from "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.".

Bridgewater Seal Statue

Discover Bridgewater Seal Statue in Bridgewater, Massachusetts: This large granite seal outside a Massachusetts funeral home comes with a surprising dedication.

Castle Amphitheater

Discover Castle Amphitheater in Provo, Utah: This large, castle-like structure is hidden amid the mountains on the grounds of the Utah State Hospital.

Cave of Saint Ignatius

Discover Cave of Saint Ignatius in Manresa, Spain: The grotto where Saint Ignatius of Loyola lived as a hermit for nearly a year.

‘Fingermaze’

Discover 'Fingermaze' in Hove, England: This seemingly normal pathway actually forms a giant fingerprint.

Abbott Church

Discover Abbott Church in Lindon, Colorado: A tiny nondenominational church harkens back to the days of the first homesteaders in the region.

Regent Bridge

Discover Regent Bridge in Edinburgh, Scotland: A roadway designed for a visiting monarch.

Dewar Monument

Discover Dewar Monument in Edinburgh, Scotland: A controversial cenotaph dedicated to a local physician with an unscrupulous past.

Studenica Monastery

Discover Studenica Monastery in Brezova, Serbia: This beautiful medieval Serbian monastery is home to frescoes, peculiar sculptures, and historical curiosities.

Nori the Dragon

Discover Nori the Dragon in Providence, Rhode Island: A giant green dragon crawls down from the roof of the Providence Children's Museum.

Xi’an City Walls

Discover Xi'an City Walls in Xian Shi, China: An ancient fortification lives on in this Chinese city.

The Awakening

Discover The Awakening in Oxon Hill, Maryland: The 72-foot giant escaped confinement in a large patch of mulch only to be reburied in the sandy shores of the Potomac River.

Rocca di Pierle

Discover Rocca di Pierle in Cortona, Italy: The eerie ruins of this feudal fortress witnessed the execution of 60 conspirators in 1387.

The San Carlos Street Lantern Relay

Discover The San Carlos Street Lantern Relay in San Jose, California: Eight huge lanterns lining a city street can change color on command.

Tomb of Niccolò Paganini

Discover Tomb of Niccolò Paganini in Parma, Italy: The final resting place of the famous violinist, after his corpse was denied a proper Catholic burial for decades.

Free French Memorial Cross

Discover Free French Memorial Cross in Greenock, Scotland: A war memorial dedicated to the Free French Naval forces of World War II.

Ashfork-Bainbridge Steel Dam

Discover Ashfork-Bainbridge Steel Dam in Williams, Arizona: The first steel dam in the world and the only one still functional in the United States.

The Fountain of Faith

Discover The Fountain of Faith in Falls Church, Virginia: These figures float and flutter in this fountain crafted by famed Swedish sculptor Carl Milles.

Anita Garibaldi Monument

Discover Anita Garibaldi Monument in Rome, Italy: The Italian revolutionary's legendary wife is portrayed on horseback waving a gun and holding her child in this memorial on the Janiculum.

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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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