Archives: Atlas Obscuras

‘Temenos’

Discover 'Temenos' in Middlesbrough, England: This enormous sculpture honors an English town's engineering and industrial heritage.

Upper Room Chapel

Discover Upper Room Chapel in Fort Mill, South Carolina: A replica of where the Last Supper was held.

Algerian Coffee Stores

Discover Algerian Coffee Stores in London, England: Since 1887, this old-school shop has stacked its shelves with extraordinary coffees and teas.

The Mother Vine

Discover The Mother Vine in Manteo, North Carolina: Perhaps the oldest vine in North America, this sprawling plant helps make a sweet wine.

Prestonpans Murals

Discover Prestonpans Murals in Prestonpans, Scotland: The medley of artwork tells the history of this Scottish town.

Davis Cemetery

Discover Davis Cemetery in Leander, Texas: Victims of the Webster Massacre are buried here in a mass grave.

Koller Gallery

Discover Koller Gallery in Budapest, Hungary: The oldest private art gallery in all of Hungary.

Execution Site of Jacques de Molay

Discover Execution Site of Jacques de Molay in Paris, France: The approximate spot where the last Grand Master of the Knights Templar was put to death.

Moctezuma’s Treasure

Discover Moctezuma's Treasure in Mexico City, Mexico: It's believed this golden brick is part of the legendary lost Aztec treasure.

Communist-Era Statues

Discover Communist-Era Statues in Tirana, Albania: Bronzes and busts that once stood in the city's main squares are now relegated to a small hidden courtyard.

Big Bog State Recreation Area

Discover Big Bog State Recreation Area in Waskish, Minnesota: Journey through the largest remaining peat bogs in the contiguous United States to see the wilderness as it once was.

Mask and Wig Clubhouse

Discover Mask and Wig Clubhouse in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: A curious building honoring past and current members of a historic musical comedy troupe.

Folketingssalen Frieze

Discover Folketingssalen Frieze in Copenhagen, Denmark: An "evil painter" included pointed symbols in this artwork to poke fun at members of the Danish Parliament.

Steve Jobs Memorial Statue

Discover Steve Jobs Memorial Statue in Budapest, Hungary: The world’s first statue of the late Apple co-founder.

Giant Cacti of Tierra Blanca

Discover Giant Cacti of Tierra Blanca in Tierra Blanca, Mexico: A unique walk through hundreds of cactus plants, including some that stretch over 8 feet tall.

The Royal Armoury

Discover The Royal Armoury in Stockholm, Sweden: A king's bloodstained shirt is among the gruesome collection of artifacts displayed below Stockholm's Royal Palace.

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