Archives: Atlas Obscuras

Catalina Wreck

Discover Catalina Wreck in Outer Hebrides, Scotland: The rusting remnants of a flying boat lie scattered near the site of its fatal crash.

Tres Xemeneies (Three Chimneys)

Discover Tres Xemeneies (Three Chimneys) in Sant Adrià de Besòs, Spain: The unexpectedly beloved remnants of a controversial thermal power plant.

Grimsby Dock Tower

Discover Grimsby Dock Tower in Grimsby, England: Despite its ornamental looks, this towering Tuscan-inspired anomaly was a masterpiece in hydraulic engineering.

Fish-Selling Mannequins of Tsovagyugh

Discover Fish-Selling Mannequins of Tsovagyugh in Tsovagyugh, Armenia: Men and special assistants stand by the road to sell the day's catch in this lakeside village.

Jama Masjid

Discover Jama Masjid in Ahmedabad, India: This 15th-century mosque is a beautiful blend of Hindu and Islamic architecture.

Hermits Cave at Dale Abbey

Discover Hermits Cave at Dale Abbey in Dale Abbey, England: Inspired by a dream, a hermit carved out a home in this sandstone bank to live a life of contemplation and prayer.

Manning Memorial Lighthouse

Discover Manning Memorial Lighthouse in Empire, Michigan: This tribute to a local man towers within a quaint lakeside park.

Chesham Cozies

Discover Chesham Cozies in Chesham, England: A line of iron bollards with colorful, handknitted cozies fitted over them.

Albacete Fairgrounds

Discover Albacete Fairgrounds in Albacete, Spain: This uniquely shaped 17th-century structure comes alive in early September.

Bill’s Place

Discover Bill's Place in New York, New York: This speakeasy continues the Prohibition-era legacy of Harlem's jazzy Swing Street.

Tij Bird Observatory

Discover Tij Bird Observatory in Stellendam, Netherlands: Watch the local Netherlands birds from inside this giant eco-egg.

Saparmurat Hajji Mosque

Discover Saparmurat Hajji Mosque in Gokdepe, Turkmenistan: A memorial to the thousands of Turkmen soldiers and civilians who died in a bloody 1881 battle.

Castilla-La Mancha Paleontological Museum

Discover Castilla-La Mancha Paleontological Museum in Cuenca, Spain: This museum is known as the "Land of the Dinosaurs," but its full-scale dino models are just the start.

Cascade Park

Discover Cascade Park in New Castle, Pennsylvania: This public space is speckled with the eerie remnants of a defunct amusement park.

Café La Habana

Discover Café La Habana in Mexico City, Mexico: This old-school café is famous for serving coffee, chilaquiles, and the Cuban Revolution.

Bamboo Playhouse

Discover Bamboo Playhouse in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: A delightful architectural wonder awaits on a lake island in Kuala Lumpur’s oldest park.

Temple Bruer

Discover Temple Bruer in Lincoln, England: This lone tower casts an outstretched shadow over the site of a once-wealthy Knights Templar preceptory.

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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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