Archives: Atlas Obscuras

Tower of London Barbary Lion Skulls

Discover Tower of London Barbary Lion Skulls in London, England: The bones of two medieval royal lions were discovered at the historic fortress.

Imagination Park

Discover Imagination Park in San Anselmo, California: George Lucas donated this park to honor the birthplace of his two biggest movie franchises.

Abandoned Mineral Belt Railroad Tunnel

Discover Abandoned Mineral Belt Railroad Tunnel in Payson, Arizona: A partial tunnel blasted into a steep ridge is all that remains of a failed railway across Arizona.

The Quarter Boys

Discover The Quarter Boys in East Sussex, England: Two gilded cherubs perched on a church bell tower have been reminding visitors of the finitude of life since 1760.

Paternoster Lift

Discover Paternoster Lift in Amsterdam, Netherlands: This unusual elevator doesn’t stop or slow down.

Gaiola Island

Discover Gaiola Island in Naples, Italy: This magical-looking island is notorious for the misfortunes suffered by its various owners.

Schaefer’s Auto Art

Discover Schaefer's Auto Art in Erie, Pennsylvania: A quirky collection of outsider art made from automobile parts.

La Plaza Grande

Discover La Plaza Grande in Quito, Ecuador: Quito's historic, main square dates back to the 16th century.

The Birthplace of Scrabble

Discover The Birthplace of Scrabble in Queens, New York: A uniquely lettered street sign marks the corner where the iconic word game was invented.

Parliamentary Division Bells

Discover Parliamentary Division Bells in London, England: A network of bells in the pubs and restaurants around Westminster alerts politicians when it's time to cast their votes.

Buckle Island

Discover Buckle Island in Swans Island, Maine: This uninhabited island in Maine is home to various works of art left by visitors over the years.

Elizabeth Bay Ghost Town

Discover Elizabeth Bay Ghost Town in Elizabeth Bay, Namibia: The ruins of this mining boom town stand like skeletal reminders of the settlement's dark history.

The Cement Menagerie

Discover The Cement Menagerie in Northumberland, England: A father's love for his son has weathered the test of time in this whimsical garden of outsider art.

Triangolo Barberini

Discover Triangolo Barberini in Rome, Italy: An abandoned 17th-century baroque hunting lodge with a wonderfully strange architectural plan.

Pera Palace Hotel

Discover Pera Palace Hotel in Istanbul, Turkey: This historic hotel preserves many treasures from its heyday hosting passengers on the Orient Express.

Sanctuary Stones

Discover Sanctuary Stones in Edinburgh, Scotland: A series of three shiny letters mark the boundary of an old refuge for those being pursued by debt collectors.

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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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