Archives: Atlas Obscuras

Indian Coffee House, Connaught Place

Discover Indian Coffee House, Connaught Place in New Delhi, India: A favorite haunt of Delhi's politicos and intellectuals, this old-school coffee shop was shut down under Indira Gandhi's Emergency.

Asiatic Leopard Diorama

Discover Asiatic Leopard Diorama in New York, New York: One of the most dazzling dioramas at the American Museum of Natural History is also one of the oldest.

Poet’s Corner

Discover Poet's Corner in San Francisco, California: A quiet nook at the top of a little-known hilltop park named after California's first poet laureate.

Central Asian Plov Center

Discover Central Asian Plov Center in Tashkent, Uzbekistan: Giant cauldrons overflow with Uzbekistan's favorite rice dish at this cavernous dining hall.

The Citadel of Aleppo

Discover The Citadel of Aleppo in Aleppo, Syria: One of the oldest and largest castles in the world.

Alfred Russel Wallace Statue

Discover Alfred Russel Wallace Statue in London, England: A tribute to an explorer and naturalist often overlooked by history.

Corgarff Castle

Discover Corgarff Castle in Corgarff, Scotland: This Scottish castle has witnessed clan rivalries, Jacobite uprisings, whisky smuggling, and more.

Rio Muchacho Organic Farm

Discover Rio Muchacho Organic Farm in Canoa, Ecuador: If you've ever wondered at which cycle of the moon you’re supposed to spread manure produced by your guinea pigs, this is the place for you.

Garden Santa Fe

Discover Garden Santa Fe in Mexico City, Mexico: The underground mall's skylights look like they could be part of a spaceship.

Las Arenas de Barcelona

Discover Las Arenas de Barcelona in Barcelona, Spain: An early 20th-century bullring converted into a modern shopping center.

Tuhinj Valley

Discover Tuhinj Valley in Laze v Tuhinju, Slovenia: A beautiful drive through the foot of the Alps traces the path of 15th-century Turkish raids.

The Sea Turtle Centre

Discover The Sea Turtle Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia: One of Canada's tiniest museums tackles the world's largest turtle.

Loughor Viaduct

Discover Loughor Viaduct in Llanelli, Wales: A section of a historic wooden trestle viaduct is preserved next to the railway line it once carried.

Water Sculptures

Discover Water Sculptures in Jerusalem, Israel: Two innocuous monuments found in separate locations attempt to unite a city.

Historischer Kunstbunker

Discover Historischer Kunstbunker in Nuremberg, Germany: During World War II, the Nazis repurposed this beer cellar to store stolen artwork.

Ted Knight Memorial Bridge

Discover Ted Knight Memorial Bridge in Plymouth, Connecticut: A bridge commemorating the actor's legacy and his Terryville roots.

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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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