Archives: Atlas Obscuras

Columbine Memorial

Discover Columbine Memorial in Littleton, Colorado: A memorial dedicated to the victims of the Columbine High School shootings.

Grave of Beauford Delaney

Discover Grave of Beauford Delaney in Thiais, France: The formerly unmarked grave of the noted Black American painter, who was a friend to James Baldwin.

Mill Brae Memory Garden

Discover Mill Brae Memory Garden in Larne, Northern Ireland: An uninspiring grass verge transformed into a therapeutic community garden.

Greeneville Cumberland Presbyterian Church

Discover Greeneville Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Greeneville, Tennessee: A cannonball from Union forces battling John Hunt Morgan made this church a permanent home.

The Welcome Stranger Monument

Discover The Welcome Stranger Monument in Moliagul, Australia: This stone obelisk commemorates the discovery of the world's largest gold nugget.

The Sasquatch Outpost

Discover The Sasquatch Outpost in Bailey, Colorado: A museum dedicated to the mysterious cryptid.

Kula Gradina

Discover Kula Gradina in Rošci, Serbia: This tower is all that remains from a medieval fortress.

The Necropolis of St. Sophia Church

Discover The Necropolis of St. Sophia Church in Sofia, Bulgaria: Underneath this Byzantinian church lies a necropolis filled with ancient tombs and the ruins of previous churches.

Odeon Covent Garden

Discover Odeon Covent Garden in London, England: Formerly known as Saville Theatre, this mid-20th-century entertainment hub includes an ornate frieze.

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.

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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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