Archives: Atlas Obscuras

Atlanta Glass Treehouse

Discover Atlanta Glass Treehouse in Atlanta, Georgia: Suspended above the ground in a thicket of towering Georgia trees is a modern architectural wonder.

Yeak Laom

Discover Yeak Laom in Krong Ban Lung, Cambodia: Arguing within this idyllic, circular volcanic lake is forbidden.

The Venus of Brassempouy

Discover The Venus of Brassempouy in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France: This prehistoric figurine is the oldest known realistic depiction of a human face.

Peace Bridge

Discover Peace Bridge in Calgary, Alberta: With its webbed walls and bright red coloring, Calgary's iconic bridge looks like a finger trap puzzle stretched across the river.

Nantucket Shipwreck & Lifesaving Museum

Discover Nantucket Shipwreck & Lifesaving Museum in Nantucket, Massachusetts: A museum dedicated to Nantucket's legacy as the "graveyard of the Atlantic.".

Ambalabongo Canyon

Discover Ambalabongo Canyon in Marovoay, Madagascar: The runoff from these fiery cliffs sends red water flowing into the sea.

Inscription Rock at El Morro

Discover Inscription Rock at El Morro in Ramah, New Mexico: Some 2,000 carvings show this rare desert spring has been an oasis for travelers for over a thousand years.

Almoravid Koubba

Discover Almoravid Koubba in Marrakesh, Morocco: The oldest monument in Marrakesh and the city's only surviving example of Almoravid architecture.

‘Titania and Bottom’

Discover 'Titania and Bottom' in London, England: This macabre painting of a Shakespearean scene looks like something out of a nightmare.

Museum of Soviet Vehicles

Discover Museum of Soviet Vehicles in Järva-Jaani, Estonia: Rusted cars, trucks, and buses form a fascinating collection of Soviet-era machinery.

Tonle Srepok

Discover Tonle Srepok in Lumphat, Cambodia: The river depicted in the antiwar film 'Apocalypse Now' was likely based on this Mekong tributary.

Tor Fiscale Park

Discover Tor Fiscale Park in Rome, Italy: This park on the outskirts of Rome boasts two ancient Roman aqueducts and a medieval tower.

Kamianets-Podilskyi Castle

Discover Kamianets-Podilskyi Castle in Kamianets'-podil's'kyi, Ukraine: This Ukranian fortress is one of the best-preserved medieval castles in Europe.

Central Market Building

Discover Central Market Building in Alicante, Spain: This magnificent market stands as a poignant symbol of the suffering caused by the Spanish Civil War.

Gangteng Gompa

Discover Gangteng Gompa in Bhutan: This 17th-century Bhutanese monastery is ensconced in Buddhist legend.

Castillo Mundo King

Discover Castillo Mundo King in Sosúa, Dominican Republic: An eccentric German artist built this weird and wondrous castle packed with shocking sculptures and alien art.

Saint-Pierre of Firminy

Discover Saint-Pierre of Firminy in Firminy, France: This church looks more like a spaceship than a house of worship.

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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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