Archives: Atlas Obscuras

Ex-Monastery of Santiago Apóstol

Discover Ex-Monastery of Santiago Apóstol in Cuilapam de Guerrero, Mexico: This exquisite example of early colonial architecture remains unfinished almost 500 years after construction began.

W. J. Beal Botanical Garden

Discover W. J. Beal Botanical Garden in East Lansing, Michigan: The plants form a living library and laboratory for researchers and students at Michigan State University.

The Matenadaran

Discover The Matenadaran in Yerevan, Armenia: This medieval manuscript collection has some of the most obscure and ancient texts in the world.

Elevador del Monte de San Pedro

Discover Elevador del Monte de San Pedro in A Coruña, Spain: This panoramic lift provides a futuristic ride up San Pedro Mountain.

Oakley Vintage and Art Shop

Discover Oakley Vintage and Art Shop in Oakley, Kansas: A local shop filled with handcrafted art and funky home furnishings, vintage, and antiques.

St. Regis Trout Museum

Discover St. Regis Trout Museum in St Regis, Montana: Between Missoula and Spokane, a family-owned travel center has an unusual museum in the back.

Xigia Sulphur Caves

Discover Xigia Sulphur Caves in Koroni, Greece: These sea caves are the source of Xigia Beach's distinct aroma.

Anafiotika

Discover Anafiotika in Athens, Greece: The Cycladic architecture makes this Athens neighborhood feel like an island paradise hidden in the shadow of the Acropolis.

Bukit Bintang Street Art Alleys

Discover Bukit Bintang Street Art Alleys in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: Cartoon clouds and nature-inspired murals have transformed the streets of Kuala Lumpur.

‘Seaflower’

Discover 'Seaflower' in New Bedford, Massachusetts: The sea urchin sculpture is an unusual commemoration of a New England town's seafaring history.

Alchemical Door of Rivodutri

Discover Alchemical Door of Rivodutri in Rivodutri, Italy: A 17th-century doorway in a small Sabine village is a portal into the mysteries of alchemy.

Charentais Melon

Discover Charentais Melon in Cavaillon, France: The melon has its own sculpture, festival, and order of knights.

Atlanta Airport Cemeteries

Discover Flat Rock and Hart Cemeteries in Atlanta, Georgia: Two Civil War-era cemeteries stuck between runways at the world's busiest airport.

Music Box Village

Discover Music Box Village in New Orleans, Louisiana: An otherworldly musical haven in The Big Easy.

Kirkstall Abbey

Discover Kirkstall Abbey in Kirkstall, England: Artists have long been drawn to these atmospheric 12th-century ruins.

Science World Station

Discover Science World Station in Vancouver, British Columbia: The ruins of Vancouver's abandoned heritage railway.

Robert Is Here

Discover Robert Is Here in Homestead, Florida: The sign that drew attention to a young boy's cucumber stand is now the name of his fruit superstore.

One Blue Sky Mural

Discover One Blue Sky Mural in Biddeford, Maine: A mural of a boy making a phone call connects a southern Maine community to a town in Iraq.

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