Archives: Atlas Obscuras

Beauchamp Tower

Discover Beauchamp Tower in London, England: Graffiti from the 16th and 17th centuries cover the walls of this part of the Tower of London.

The Wadden Sea

Discover The Wadden Sea in Den Burg, Netherlands: Rich with fauna and flora, nature-lovers can walk across the sea at this UNESCO World Heritage spot.

Nachikufu Cave

Discover Nachikufu Cave in Mpika, Zambia: This fascinating cave is packed with prehistoric rock art and Stone Age tools.

Shitamachi Museum

Discover Shitamachi Museum in Tokyo, Japan: A museum dedicated to the history of Tokyo's often-overlooked working-class district.

Graves of Maud and Gus Wagner

Discover Graves of Maud and Gus Wagner in Cedar Point, Kansas: Homestead Cemetery hold the remains of the United States' first known professional tattoo artists.

Narusawa Ice Cave

Discover Narusawa Hyoketsu (Ice Cave) in Narusawa-mura, Japan: A 70-foot-deep ice cave formed by lava from Mt. Fuji on the edge of Japan's "Suicide Forest." .

The Quaal Windsock

Discover The Quaal Windsock in Sundance, Wyoming: An antique Beechcraft airplane serves as a giant windsock for people driving through the blustery open country of eastern Wyoming.

Zesco Cooling Tower

Discover Zesco Cooling Tower in Lusaka, Zambia: The abandoned tower is the last remnant of Lusaka's first major power plant.

Cathedral Peacock Hutch

Discover Cathedral Peacock Hutch in New York, New York: The church's three resident peacocks now have their own Gothic-style abode.

Roman Tomb in Zara

Discover Roman Tomb in Zara in Athens, Greece: The ruins of an ancient Roman tomb hidden in the basement of a trendy clothing store.

Harvard Divinity School Labyrinth

Discover Harvard Divinity School Labyrinth in Cambridge, Massachusetts: This hidden labyrinth offers walkers some brief peace of mind.

Bayung Gede Placenta Graveyard

Discover Bayung Gede Placenta Graveyard in Kintamani, Indonesia: In this Balinese village, coconut shells containing placentas are hung from trees.

Tommy the Turtle

Discover Tommy the Turtle in Bottineau, North Dakota: The world's tallest turtle riding the world's largest snowmobile.

Pyramid of Ehécatl

Discover Pyramid of Ehécatl in Mexico City, Mexico: The ruins of an ancient temple to the Aztec wind god discovered in the middle of a metro station.

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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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