Archives: Atlas Obscuras

Al Wathba Fossil Dunes

Discover Al Wathba Fossil Dunes in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates: These otherworldly formations were shaped over millions of years by the forces of nature.

Castillo Monumento Colomares

Discover Castillo Monumento Colomares in Benalmádena, Spain: A New York–based physician returned home to Spain to build his own elaborate monument to Christopher Columbus.

Sherlock Holmes Retirement Cottage

Discover Sherlock Holmes Retirement Cottage in East Dean, England: In this quiet village, a blue plaque marks the spot where the famous fictional detective retired.

O’Hurley’s General Store

Discover O'Hurley's General Store in Shepherdstown, West Virginia: This general store is more than a century old and home to various oddities and antiques.

The Sigtuna Phone Box Library

Discover The Sigtuna Phone Box Library in Sigtuna, Sweden: A Swedish phone box converted into an informal village library.

Monument to Miantonomo

Discover Monument to Miantonomo in Norwich, Connecticut: The site where chief Miantonomo of the Narraganset people was captured.

Istanbul Airport Museum

Discover Istanbul Airport Museum in Arnavutköy, Turkey: This airport also offers travelers the chance to view thousands of years of Turkish history.

The Old Country Store and Museum

Discover The Old Country Store and Museum in Moultonborough, New Hampshire: This store also houses a museum dedicated to the history of these small, historic community shops.

Mas des Tourelles

Discover Mas des Tourelles in Beaucaire, France: A winery built on the site of a Gallo-Roman estate uses historical tools to recreate ancient vintages.

Memorial to Tamir Rice

Discover Memorial to Tamir Rice in Cleveland, Ohio: This garden memorial marks the site where 12-year-old Tamir Rice was fatally shot by the Cleveland Police Department.

Fick Fossil and History Museum

Discover Fick Fossil and History Museum in Oakley, Kansas: This small museum contains fossils from an era when Kansas was underwater.

Causey Arch

Discover Causey Arch in Stanley, England: The world’s oldest surviving single-arch railway bridge.

Clochoderick Stone

Discover Clochoderick Stone in Renfrewshire, Scotland: This stone was once used by druids to determine a person's innocence or guilt.

Bunker Soratte

Discover Bunker Soratte in Rome, Italy: Hidden within this iconic mountain are a set of World War II bunkers once used by German forces.

Tomb of Balban

Discover Tomb of Balban in New Delhi, India: An unassuming tomb houses an important milestone in Indian architectural history.

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