Archives: Atlas Obscuras

Mbala Pioneer Cemetery

Discover Mbala Pioneer Cemetery in Mbala, Zambia: A small cemetery on a hill overlooking Mbala contains the history of the town's colonial past.

Protected Indian Trail Marker Tree

Discover Protected Indian Trail Marker Tree in Traverse City, Michigan: This tree was warped centuries ago to serve as a botanical wayfaring tool.

Dongpirang Mural Village

Discover Dongpirang Mural Village in Tongyeong-si, South Korea: This hillside village by the sea has been revitalized by street art.

Buck Rock

Discover Buck Rock in Hume, California: This hidden fire lookout offers spectacular views of Sequoia National Park.

Isle of Skye Dinosaur Tracks

Discover Isle of Skye Dinosaur Tracks in Isle of Skye, Scotland: On this stunning Scottish island, you can walk in the footsteps of dinosaurs.

Korean Bell of Friendship

Discover Korean Bell of Friendship in Los Angeles, California: This symbol of peace is appropriately positioned overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

The Animal Flower Cave

Discover The Animal Flower Cave in Conneltown, Barbados: Under the desolate and windswept northern coast of Barbados stands a small oasis filled with sea anemones.

Parque Trianon

Discover Parque Trianon in São Paulo, Brazil: This park feels like a lush little jungle full of wildlife nestled within São Paulo.

Preacher’s Cave

Discover Preacher’s Cave in Bahamas: The site of the earliest colonial settlement in the Bahamas started as a place of religious refuge.

Bowen Stone House Ruins

Discover Bowen Stone House Ruins in Tucson, Arizona: The remains of this rugged homestead ranch offer a brief glimpse into a bygone era.

St. Sophia’s Cathedral

Discover St. Sophia's Cathedral in Polotsk, Belarus: Though it was heavily modified, fragments of the original medieval cathedral still survive.

Cape Reinga

Discover Cape Reinga in Cape Reinga, New Zealand: Watch the seas clash at the place where according to Maori tradition, the spirits depart for their journey to the afterlife.

World’s Largest Lug Nut

Discover World's Largest Lug Nut in Lansing, Michigan: Perched atop a brick smokestack, this enormous lug nut symbolizes the local minor league baseball team.

The ‘Superman Building’

Discover Industrial National Bank Building in Providence, Rhode Island: Rhode Island's tallest building bears a resemblance to the "Daily Planet" building and has been empty for more than five years.

La Specola Observatory

Discover La Specola Observatory in Padua, Italy: This old medieval prison tower has been a site of astronomical research for more than 250 years.

Seahenge

Discover Seahenge in King's Lynn, England: This captivating Bronze Age timber circle spent centuries concealed by the tides.

Tucson’s Retro Airport Control Tower

Discover Tucson's Retro Airport Control Tower in Tucson, Arizona: This iconic 1958 tower welcomes air travelers to Tucson with neon-lit letters and architectural style.

Wadi Rum

Discover Wadi Rum in Wadi Rum Village, Jordan: Known as the "Valley of the Moon," this Jordanian wadi is one of the most amazing desertscapes on Earth.

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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