Archives: Atlas Obscuras

Beatriz de la Fuente Teotihuacán Murals Museum

Discover Beatriz de la Fuente Teotihuacán Murals Museum in San Martín Centro, Mexico: These millennia-old murals once covered the walls of residential complexes across the ancient city.

Cast-Iron Dogs of Tivoli Castle

Discover Cast-Iron Dogs of Tivoli Castle in Ljubljana, Slovenia: Strange rumors surround the artist who created these solemn metal guard dogs.

The Rufus Stone

Discover The Rufus Stone in Minstead, England: A stone, covered in metal, commemorating an event that happened somewhere else a thousand years ago.

Agongointo-Zoungoudo Archaeological Park

Discover Agongointo-Zoungoudo Archaeological Park in Bohicon, Benin: This subterranean town of over 50 dwellings lies thirty feet beneath the Earth's surface.

Osterley Bookshop

Discover Osterley Bookshop in Osterley, England: Above an abandoned Underground station, this charming bookstore is home to strange antiquities and literary works.

‘Celebration of Water’ Sculpture

Discover 'Celebration of Water' Sculpture in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: This sculpture of a fisherman spent six years at the bottom of the Schuylkill River.

Villa Montezuma

Discover Villa Montezuma in San Diego, California: A magnificent, reportedly haunted mansion built for a composer by Spiritualists.

Chen Art Gallery

Discover Chen Art Gallery in Torrance, California: This Chinese art gallery is hidden inside the Sunrider Corporation headquarters.

Modlin Fortress Granary

Discover Modlin Fortress Granary in Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki, Poland: In northeastern Poland, the ruins of a massive granary overlook the Narew River.

Sadpol Strawberry

Discover Sadpol Strawberry in Wierzbica, Poland: The giant metal fruit was once the symbol of a large farm.

Ponte di Tiberio (Bridge of Tiberius)

Discover Ponte di Tiberio (Bridge of Tiberius) in Rimini, Italy: This 2,000-year-old Doric bridge is still open to pedestrian traffic to this day.

Amguid Crater

One of the best-preserved impact craters on the planet.

Flies of Saint Narcís

Discover Flies of Saint Narcís in Girona, Spain: These fly sculptures are scattered around the city and represent the patron saint of Girona.

Ha‘amonga ‘a Maui

Discover Ha‘amonga ‘a Maui in Niutoua, Tonga: A massive trilithon nicknamed "Stonehenge of the Pacific.".

Temple of Hera II

Discover Temple of Hera II in Santa Venere, Italy: Also known as the Temple of Poseidon, this is one of the best-preserved Greek temples in the world.

Remains of Rajōmon Gate

Discover Remains of Rajōmon Gate in Kyoto, Japan: The site where the famous city gate once stood, now in the middle of a playground.

Museum of Tepexpan

Discover Museum of Tepexpan in Acolman, Mexico: A museum built around the site where the most controversial human remains in the country were found.

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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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