Archives: Atlas Obscuras

The Four Mother Goddesses

Discover The Four Mother Goddesses in London, England: One of the figures in this Celtic sculpture continues to puzzle archaeologists.

Takamatsuzuka Tomb

Discover Takamatsuzuka Tumulus in Asuka-mura, Japan: This frescoed ancient burial mound is a colorful window into China’s influence in early Japan.

‘Faces’ of Locksmith Street

Discover 'Faces' of Locksmith Street in Ljubljana, Slovenia: A trough of 700 strange bronze faces runs through a narrow alley in Ljubljana's old town.

Battle of Grunwald Painting

Discover Battle of Grunwald Painting in Warsaw, Poland: This enormous 32-foot painting depicts Poland's greatest medieval battle in glorious detail.

Martha’s Vineyard Gingerbread Houses

Discover Martha's Vineyard Gingerbread Houses in Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts: This candy-colored storybook village originated as a 19th-century Methodist campground.

Golden Fleece Tavern Site

Discover Golden Fleece Tavern Site in Dover, Delaware: In 1787, a group of delegates met at this very spot to drink, be merry, and ratify the Constitution of the United States.

Bangor Opera House

Discover Bangor Opera House in Bangor, Maine: This Art Deco theater is the last remaining opera house in the “little Broadway of the North.”.

Midsummer Boulevard Light Pyramid

Discover Midsummer Boulevard Light Pyramid in Milton Keynes, England: This suburban British town holds secrets that would have made the druids proud.

Bell Tower of Caorle Cathedral

Discover Campanile del Duomo di Caorle (Bell Tower of Caorle Cathedral) in Caorle, Italy: A cone-shaped top and cylindrical body set this 900-year-old structure apart from other Italian bell towers.

Inkerman Beehive Coke Ovens

Discover Inkerman Beehive Coke Ovens in County Durham, England: Rare remnants of the brick-domed ovens birthed in the Durham coalfield during the Industrial Revolution.

Papermoon Diner

Discover Papermoon Diner in Baltimore, Maryland: This beloved Baltimore spot features caged dolls, a giant Pez collection, and many, many mannequins.

The Garden of Dreams

Discover The Garden of Dreams in Kathmandu, Nepal: This elegant neoclassical garden is a peaceful oasis in the middle of the Nepalese capital.

Parque Arvi

Discover Parque Arvi in Medellín, Colombia: Located outside Medellín, this Colombian park focuses on conservation and sustainability.

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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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