Archives: Atlas Obscuras

Námafjall

Discover Námafjall in Iceland: In Northeastern Iceland lies something of an oxymoron: a steaming desert.

Pablo Escobar’s Grave

Discover Pablo Escobar's Grave in Itagüi, Colombia: The (usually) serene burial place of the world's most notorious drug lord.

Cathar Castles

Discover Cathar Castles in Villerouge-Termenès, France: The site of the first medieval crusade that pitted Christians against Christians.

Isipathanaramaya Temple

Discover Isipathanaramaya Temple in Colombo, Sri Lanka: This peaceful sanctuary is one of the oldest Buddhist temples in Colombo.

Vanished World Centre

Discover Vanished World Centre in Duntroon, New Zealand: A hidden gem of a museum that lets you search for your own fossils.

Colorow’s Cave

Discover Colorow's Cave in Morrison, Colorado: In the middle of a suburban Denver neighborhood is a cave that once provided solace for a prominent Ute chief and his family.

Vieille Bourse Book Market

Discover Vieille Bourse Book Market in Lille, France: Tables of secondhand books fill the inner courtyard of this 17th-century stock exchange.

Remains of the Dolgarrog Dam Disaster

Discover Remains of the Dolgarrog Dam Disaster in Dolgarrog, Wales: The worst flood disaster in Welsh history might have been a lot worse if it had not happened on movie night.

Snook’s Grave

Discover Snook's Grave in Hertfordshire, England: The eternal resting place of the last highwayman hanged in England.

Botafumeiro

Discover Botafumeiro in Santiago de Compostela, Spain: This enormous censer uses a pulley system installed over 400 years ago.

Book Corner

Discover Book Corner in Niagara Falls, New York: Western New York's largest independent bookstore doubles as a historical repository of all things Niagara Falls.

Beluga Point Fresh Water Spring

Discover Beluga Point Fresh Water Spring in Anchorage, Alaska: Clean, cold drinking water flows from a nondescript pipe in a roadside rock face.

Indian Steps Museum

Discover Indian Steps Museum in Airville, Pennsylvania: A small museum along the Susquehanna River is home to a rich collection of Native American artifacts.

Three Sisters Sanctuary

Discover Three Sisters Sanctuary in Goshen, Massachusetts: A stunning garden filled with fantastical environmental folk art and sculptures.

Cărturești Carusel Bookstore

Discover Cărturești Carusel Bookstore in Bucharest, Romania: This once derelict building is now one of the most beautiful bookstores in the world.

Dearly Departed Museum

Discover Dearly Departed Museum in Los Angeles, California: A macabre tour of Hollywood’s deadly history.

Quimby’s Bookstore

Discover Quimby's Bookstore in Chicago, Illinois: The beloved home to all publications indie, erotic, and punky.

Sambodhi Chaithya

Discover Sambodhi Chaithya in Colombo, Sri Lanka: This space rocket-like Buddhist stupa sits atop two giant arches and can be seen from out at sea.

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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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