Archives: Atlas Obscuras

Belfast Peace Lines

Discover Belfast Peace Lines in Belfast, Northern Ireland: These barriers stand as stark reminders of Northern Ireland's troubled past.

Mini Mundos

Discover Mini Mundos in Tlalnepantla, Mexico: Detailed miniature models of iconic landmarks in Mexico and around the world.

Tangub City Christmas Symbols Festival

Discover Tangub City Christmas Symbols Festival in Tangub City, Philippines: An annual festival full of illuminated replicas of iconic landmarks from around the world.

Kalograion Monastery Silk Weaving

Discover Kalograion Monastery Silk Weaving in Kalamata, Greece: The nuns here cultivate silk to weave some of the finest scarves in the world.

John Harvard ‘Statue of Three Lies’

Discover John Harvard 'Statue of Three Lies' in Cambridge, Massachusetts: The statue of John Harvard isn't actually John Harvard—or even, technically, the founder of the school.

Wash Woods Settlement

Discover Wash Woods Settlement in Virginia Beach, Virginia: The eerie ruins of a remote abandoned hamlet said to be founded by the survivors of a shipwreck.

Katahdin Iron Works

Discover Katahdin Iron Works in Brownville, Maine: The remains of a large iron mill that once stood in the remote woods of northern Maine.

Virginia’s Yellow Fever Mass Grave

Discover Yellow Fever Park in Norfolk, Virginia: One tiny triangular park commemorates the victims of a yellow fever epidemic—many of whom are buried right below the grass.

Vatican Mosaic Studio

Discover Vatican Mosaic Studio in Vatican City: A hidden workshop for creating and restoring Papal mosaic masterpieces.

Donkeys of Lamu Island

Discover Donkeys of Lamu Island in Lamu, Kenya: Kenya’s oldest town is more than 700 years old and home to 6,000 donkeys.

Mongolian Military Museum

Discover Mongolian Military Museum in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia: Thousands of artifacts tell Mongolia's military history, from the Bronze Age to the present.

Abandoned China Medical University

Discover Abandoned China Medical University in Yanan Shi, China: Forgotten for decades, the first medical school built in Communist China is full of surprises today.

Principality of Pontinha

Discover Principality of Pontinha in Funchal, Portugal: A micronation on an islet along the coast of a Portuguese island.

The Snickelways of York

Discover The Snickelways of York in York, England: This network of narrow, medieval passages has the most delightful name.

The Well of Hell

Discover Le Puits d'Enfer (The Well of Hell) in Le Château-d'Olonne, France: This crack in France's seaside cliffs once hid a sinister secret.

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i
To represent a masterpiece of human creative genius. 260 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. 474 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. 499 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. 633 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. 135 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. 167 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). 252 vii
To contain superlative natural phenomena or areas of exceptional natural beauty and aesthetic importance. 148 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. 96 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. 166

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