Archives: Atlas Obscuras

Buried Village of Al Madam

Discover Buried Village of Al Madam in Al Madam, United Arab Emirates: An abandoned desert hamlet swallowed up by sand.

Hamelin Bay Beach

Discover Hamelin Bay Beach in Hamelin Bay, Australia: Incredible rock formations jut from the southern end of this spectacular stingray-viewing spot.

Croatia’s UNESCO-Protected Supermarket

Discover UNESCO-Protected SPAR Supermarket in Split, Croatia: When a supermarket opened up shop within a medieval building it became protected by UNESCO on a technicality.

Yakuo-in Temple

Discover Yakuo-in Temple in Hachioji, Japan: This incredible mountainside temple is home to intriguing statues of demon-like creatures.

Hall of North American Mammals

Discover Hall of North American Mammals in New York, New York: Outstanding taxidermy dioramas showcase the grandeur of the continent's wildlife with spooky realism.

Baile Hill

Discover Baile Hill in York, England: The little-known second castle that William the Conqueror built in York.

Grave of Johnny Ringo

Discover Grave of Johnny Ringo in Dragoon, Arizona: The remote resting place of a notorious Wild West outlaw whose death is shrouded in mystery.

Michigan Transportation Employees Memorial

Discover Michigan Transportation Employees Memorial in Clare, Michigan: The statues honor the state transportation employees who've died while performing their work-related duties.

Noryangjin Fish Market

Discover Noryangjin Fish Market in Seoul, South Korea: Buy your fish and have it cooked to order in this bustling, eight-floor seafood market.

Szimpla Kert

Discover Szimpla Kert in Budapest, Hungary: A Trabant car, a kangaroo statue, and a plethora of plants take over this abandoned-factory-turned-bar.

Tbilisi Sulfur Baths

Discover Tbilisi Sulfur Baths in Tbilisi, Georgia: A cluster of historic bathhouses built on the famed hot springs that gave the Georgian capital its name.

The Former Battle Creek Sanitarium

Discover The Former Battle Creek Sanitarium in Battle Creek, Michigan: Dating back to the 1800s, two imposing buildings in Michigan have had countless transformations over the years.

El Panecillo

Discover El Panecillo in Quito, Ecuador: A short volcanic hill in Quito doubles as a stellar observation point of an iconic statue.

Verde Hot Springs Resort

Discover Verde Hot Springs Resort in Yavapai County, Arizona: A once popular resort—said to be the vacation spot of gangster Al Capone—now remains abandoned in the woods of Arizona.

The Cold Greenhouse

Discover Estufa Fria in Lisbon, Portugal: This once-forgotten oasis in the middle of Lisbon was first created over a century ago quite by accident.

KarLag Memorial Museum

Discover KarLag Memorial Museum in Dolinka, Kazakhstan: A sober museum housed in the original administrative building of one of Stalin's largest gulags.

Henry West’s Grave

Discover Henry West's Grave in Reading, England: The wooden grave marker of a railroad worker who died in a freak whirlwind.

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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

PP ToS