Archives: Atlas Obscuras

Kirkwall Ba

Discover Kirkwall Ba in Orkney, Scotland: Twice a year, this Orkney town hosts a rowdy game of medieval mob football.

The Spectacular Mold Gold Cape

Discover Mold Gold Cape in London, England: This intriguing Bronze Age artifact spent centuries hidden within a Welsh faerie hill.

Vikingaliv Runestone

Discover Vikingaliv Runestone in Stockholm, Sweden: Outside a Viking museum sits a modern-day runestone made by a Swedish runemaster using traditional methods.

The Raven’s Nest

Discover The Raven's Nest in Reykjavik, Iceland: This oceanside Reykjavik spot is speckled with recycled sculptures and large stones.

Ballyhoo Curiosity Shop

Discover Ballyhoo Curiosity Shop in Seattle, Washington: This Seattle store is packed with all sorts of curious creatures and creations.

Templo de San Antonio

Discover Templo de San Antonio in Aguascalientes, Mexico: This ornate church designed by a self-taught architect is an eclectic masterpiece in the heart of Central Mexico.

Chapel Rock

Discover Chapel Rock in Shingleton, Michigan: This lone tree and dramatic sandstone outcropping are so beloved by Michiganders they can be found on one of the state’s coins.

‘Center of Edinburgh’ Bollard

Discover 'Center of Edinburgh' Bollard in Edinburgh, Scotland: This mundane post marks the old location of the city's main postal hub.

Native American Museum of Art

Discover Native American Museum of Art in Sanborn, New York: This overlooked gem outside Niagara Falls preserves and celebrates Iroquois culture.

Mount Pleasant Indian Industrial School

Discover Mount Pleasant Indian Industrial School in Mount Pleasant, Michigan: This solemn facility remembers the cruel effort to compel Native American children to relinquish their culture.

The Edge of the World

Discover The Edge of the World in Saudi Arabia: These towering cliffs jut dramatically from the middle of a barren desert.

Troy Gasholder Building

Discover Troy Gasholder Building in Troy, New York: This relic of 19th-century infrastructure is one of the few remaining coal gas storage tanks in the U.S.

Tuwaiq Palace Heart Tent

Discover Tuwaiq Palace Heart Tent in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: This mesmerizing, colorful structure looks like a tent made from stained glass.

The Last Yogi Bear Honey Fried Chicken Restaurant

Discover The Last Yogi Bear Honey Fried Chicken Restaurant in Hartsville, South Carolina: The sole remaining outpost of a once-thriving South Carolina chain still sells “pic-a-nic” baskets.

Graveyard Groenesteeg

Discover Graveyard Groenesteeg in Leiden, Netherlands: This early 19th-century graveyard is the final resting place of Vincent van Gogh's mother.

Dry Bridge Market

Discover Dry Bridge Market in Tbilisi, Georgia: You'll find just about anything in this funky Tbilisi flea market.

Mural of the Great Goddess

Discover Mural of the Great Goddess in San Juan Teotihuacan de Arista, Mexico: A striking depiction of Teotihuacan's mysterious "Spider Woman.".

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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