Archives: Atlas Obscuras

Heatherlie Quarry

Discover Heatherlie Quarry in Ledcourt, Australia: Stone mined from this quarry was used in many prominent structures around Melbourne.

Piercebridge Roman Bridge

Discover Piercebridge Roman Bridge in Piercebridge, England: This bridge once allowed Dere Street to cross the River Tees.

The Labyrinth Mosaic and Halls Hill Lookout

Discover The Labyrinth Mosaic and Halls Hill Lookout in Bainbridge Island, Washington: Overlooking Puget Sound sits a garden with a Buddhist prayer wheel and an elaborate labyrinth.

Defensiekanaal

Discover Defensiekanaal in Mill, Netherlands: This vast World War II defense line was the site of a fierce battle.

Casa Amatller

Discover Casa Amatller in Barcelona, Spain: This home designed for chocolate magnate Antoni Amatller is an exquisite treasure-box of Catalan Modernism.

Berezovsky Mammoth

Discover Berezovsky Mammoth in Saint Petersburg, Russia: One of the most well-preserved mammoth specimens in the world.

Lydney Camp

Discover Lydney Camp in Gloucestershire, England: Home to the ancient Roman temple of a lesser-known Celtic god that inspired J. R. R. Tolkien and H. P. Lovecraft.

Suspended Orange Tree

Discover Suspended Orange Tree in Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel: This full-sized orange tree lives suspended in mid-air above the streets of Jaffa.

Grotta di Sant’Angelo

Discover Grotta di Sant'Angelo in San Donato di Ninea, Italy: The ruins of a rural church and a statue of Archangel Gabriel are tucked away in Majella National Park.

Sarsina Cathedral

Discover Sarsina Cathedral in Sarsina, Italy: The collar worn by a fourth-century saint resides in this church, and is still used for blessings to this day.

Stony Batter Historic Reserve

Discover Stony Batter Historic Reserve in Auckland, New Zealand: Large World War II gun emplacements and tunnel systems remain hidden near a remote end of Waiheke Island.

Apartment of Socialist Life

Discover Apartment of Socialist Life in Dimitrovgrad, Bulgaria: This apartment is a true time capsule of local life in Bulgaria during the Soviet regime.

Metropolitan State Hospital (MSH)

Discover Metropolitan State Hospital (MSH) in Lexington, Massachusetts: Once the largest public hospital for the mentally ill was also surrounded by controversy.

Silver Jubilee Crystal Crown

Discover Silver Jubilee Crystal Crown in London, England: A discarded movie prop that was the original monolith for "2001: A Space Odyssey.".

‘Crvena Kap’

Discover 'Crvena Kap' in Kragujevac, Serbia: A sculpture of a blood drop designed to honor those that have donated the precious liquid.

Great Scott Moon Rock

Discover Great Scott Moon Rock in Hartford, Connecticut: An actual piece of the Moon, brought down to Earth by Apollo 15.

La Casa del que Mató al Animal

Discover La Casa del que Mató al Animal in Puebla, Mexico: The scene of a legendary hunt is displayed on this building's facade.

Dataran Lang (Eagle Square)

Discover Dataran Lang (Eagle Square) in Langkawi, Malaysia: This statue of an eagle taking flight welcomes visitors to Langkawi.

Menu

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

PP ToS