Archives: Atlas Obscuras

Skopje Fortress

Discover Skopje Fortress in Skopje, North Macedonia: This fortress dates back to the 6th century and is also the site of a controversial abandoned restoration project.

Bonhomme de Bourail

Discover Bonhomme de Bourail in Bourail, New Caledonia: A beachside monolith shaped by years of waves crashing against hard quartz.

City Reliquary

Discover City Reliquary in Brooklyn, New York: Behind a bodega is a small museum of relics and ephemera showcasing the history of New York.

Autobahnkirche St. Christophorus Baden-Baden

Discover Autobahnkirche St. Christophorus Baden-Baden in Baden-Baden, Germany: This magnificent church allows travelers along one of Germany's busiest roadways a chance to rest and reflect.

Freiburg Bächle

Discover Freiburg Bächle in Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany: These paved rills bring freshwater into Altstadt and could spell wedding bells for whoever stumbles into the waters.

Wellington Somerset Monument

Discover Wellington Somerset Monument in Wellington, England: Standing atop Wellington Hill is the world's tallest three-sided obelisk.

Origin of Ginza Monument

Discover Origin of Ginza Monument in Tokyo, Japan: This monument celebrates this shopping district's past history as a feudal silver mint.

Axmouth Bridge

Discover Axmouth Bridge in Axmouth, England: The oldest standing concrete bridge in England was also constructed as a work of art.

Earl Grey Tower

Discover Earl Grey Tower in Stanton Lees, England: This tower was constructed to commemorate the man who helped bring true democracy to the United Kingdom.

Modern Diner

Discover Modern Diner in Pawtucket, Rhode Island: The first ever diner included on the National Register of Historic Places is famous for its custard French toast.

Joseph ‘Bum’ Farto’s Desk

Discover Joseph 'Bum' Farto's Desk in Key West, Florida: The former desk of Fire Chief Joseph "Bum" Farto is all that remains after his mysterious disappearance following a drug conviction.

Oiteke Bori

Discover Oiteke Bori in Tokyo, Japan: This water goblin statue represents a 19th-century urban legend about a haunted canal that became a Japanese idiom.

La Palma Island Museum

Discover Museo Insular de La Palma (La Palma Island Museum) in La Palma, Spain: A former 16th-century monastery houses a museum dedicated to the island and its culture.

Tennants Auction House

Discover Tennants Auction House in North Yorkshire, England: This remarkable building has a lot to offer, even if you're not placing a bid.

Lac Assal

Discover Lac Assal in Tadjourah, Djibouti: Rimmed by white crusts of salt on every edge, Lac Assal is one of the saltiest bodies of water in the world.

Azul Cemetery Entrance

Discover Azul Cemetery Entrance in Azul, Argentina: This colossal structure and its accompanying angel often play tricks on the eyes.

Dambulla Royal Cave Temple

Discover Dambulla Royal Cave Temple in Dambulla, Sri Lanka: This ancient cave temple complex is the largest and best-preserved temple complex in Sri Lanka.

Palacio de Tepantitla

Discover Palacio de Tepantitla in San Francisco Mazapa, Mexico: This archeological site hidden behind Teotihuacán's pyramids shelters 1600-year-old murals.

The Aqueduct of Kavala

Discover The Aqueduct of Kavala in Kavala, Greece: This ancient structure appears Roman, but was constructed during the 16th century and was utilized until 1911.

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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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