Archives: Atlas Obscuras

Roman Theater of Amman

Discover Roman Theater of Amman in Amman, Jordan: This exceptionally well-preserved ancient marvel also houses a small museum dedicated to Jordanian folk tradition.

Green’s Mill

Discover Green's Mill in Nottingham, England: A curious urban windmill once owned by a renowned British mathematical physicist.

Joan of Arc Statue

Discover Joan of Arc Statue in Reims, France: An image of the legendary saint stands in the shadow of a cathedral she liberated.

Grand Bé

Discover Grand Bé in Saint-Malo, France: On this romantic tidal island reachable only at low tide the tomb of a famous French writer overlooks the sea.

Piraeus Lion

Discover Piraeus Lion in Venice, Italy: Thousand-year-old Viking runes adorn an ancient Greek lion at the entrance to the Venetian Arsenal.

Palmanova Star Fort

Discover Palmanova Star Fort in Palmanova, Italy: A star-shaped fortress town fort built in the geometric model of the Renaissance utopian city.

Nyatapola Temple

Discover Nyatapola Temple in Bhaktapur, Nepal: Towering at a height of over 30 meters, this turn-of-the-18th-century landmark is the tallest temple in Nepal.

St. John’s House

Discover St. John's House in Bridgend, Wales: This 500-year-old Tudor home is a treasure trove of history and mystery.

Kubu Island

Discover Kubu Island in Mmatshumo, Botswana: An enchanting rocky island of scraggly baobabs surrounded by an ancient sea and sprawling salt pans.

Puente de las Siete Bocas

Discover Puente de las Siete Bocas in Llucmajor, Spain: This spectacular bridge is part of an abandoned train line that once connected Mallorcan capital to the southeastern coast.

Wreck of the Francisco Morazan

Discover Wreck of the Francisco Morazan in Leland, Michigan: The rusted remains of an ill-fated freighter lie just off the coast of South Manitou Island in Lake Michigan.

Xochipilli

Discover Xochipilli in Mexico City, Mexico: The most complete statue of this Aztec god sits a top a throne carved with images of hallucinogenic plants.

Rock of Rovigliano

Discover Rock of Rovigliano in Torre Annunziata, Italy: This tiny islet has somehow housed an ancient temple, two monasteries, a church, a fortress, and a restaurant.

Ruins of Oplontis

Discover Ruins of Oplontis in Torre Annunziata, Italy: Buried next to Pompeii, this lesser-known Roman villa was the opulent vacation home of Emperor Nero's wife.

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