Archives: Atlas Obscuras

Asheville Mystery Museum

Discover Asheville Mystery Museum in Asheville, North Carolina: A collection dedicated to the mysterious and dark side of the area, housed in the basement of a Masonic lodge.

Church of the Pater Noster

Discover Church of the Pater Noster in Jerusalem, Israel: Dozens of elegant ceramic tiles decorate these ancient walls, each displaying the Lord's Prayer in a different language.

Georges Méliès’s Grave

Discover Georges Méliès's Grave in Paris, France: The final resting place of the "father of special effects.".

The Wall of the Dolls

Discover The Wall of the Dolls in Milan, Italy: This poignant art installation raises awareness of violence against women.

Dana Village

Discover Dana Village in Bsaira District, Jordan: A ghost village sits atop a mountain within Jordan’s largest biosphere reserve.

Sebastopol Artillery Mortar Replica

Discover Sebastopol Artillery Mortar Replica in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: This roadside monument commemorates the huge weapon built by an Ethiopian emperor's hostages.

El Campo Santo Cemetery

Discover El Campo Santo Cemetery in San Diego, California: This historic graveyard was partially paved over to create a streetcar line.

Ancient Forest/Chun T’oh Whudujut

Discover Ancient Forest/Chun T'oh Whudujut in Penny, British Columbia: Thousand-year-old trees tower within one of the world's only inland temperate rainforests.

Göttingen Royal University Observatory

Discover Göttingen Royal University Observatory in Göttingen, Germany: Renowned mathematician and physicist Carl Friedrich Gauss once worked at this observatory.

Kerak Castle

Discover Kerak Castle in Karak, Jordan: Perched above the bustling town of Kerak is a sprawling, ruinous castle that has witnessed nearly a millennia of Levantine history.

No. 2 Plank Road Tollgate House

Discover No. 2 Plank Road Tollgate House in Okemos, Michigan: The last remaining tollhouse in Michigan built during the 19th-century plank road craze.

Burcht van Leiden

Discover Burcht van Leiden in Leiden, Netherlands: This 11th-century castle sits so low you can't see it behind the surrounding buildings.

‘Monument for a Dead Parrot’

Discover 'Monument for a Dead Parrot' in London, England: The sculpture of the deceased cockatoo flops atop its personal plinth.

‘Spirit of American Youth’ Statue

Discover 'Spirit of American Youth' Statue in Washington, D.C.: A replica of the famous memorial statue at the Normandy American Cemetery hides in an office building in downtown D.C.

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