Archives: Atlas Obscuras

Hababah Water Cistern

Discover Hababah Water Cistern in Yemen: A mesmerizing reservoir nestled at the heart of a pre-Islamic Yemeni village.

Phoenix Bat Cave

Discover Phoenix Bat Cave in Phoenix, Arizona: Thousands of Mexican Free-Tailed Bats soar around an abandoned storm drain at sunset each summer.

Historic Auto Attractions

Discover Historic Auto Attractions in Roscoe, Illinois: This deceivingly ordinary warehouse hides an enormous collection of pop culture treasures.

Ai-Ais—Richtersveld Transfrontier Park

Discover Ai-Ais—Richtersveld Transfrontier Park in Namibia/South Africa: A seemingly desolate park that belongs to two countries actually supports all kinds of wildlife.

Original Tomb of Tomás Guido

Discover Original Tomb of Tomás Guido in Buenos Aires, Argentina: The humble tomb of an Argentine general, hand-built by his son using stones brought down from the Andes.

Snowshill Manor

Discover Snowshill Manor in Snowshill, England: The home of an eccentric Edwardian gentleman is packed to the rafters with handcrafted items collected over a lifetime.

Water Tower

Discover Water Tower in New York, New York: This translucent sculpture represents a quintessential component of New York City's skyline.

Short Story Vending Machine

Discover Short Story Vending Machine in San Francisco, California: With the touch of a button, you can read a randomly selected short story.

The Real Birthplace of Silicon Valley

Discover The Real Birthplace of Silicon Valley in Mountain View, California: The first high-tech company in the valley that actually worked with silicon devices.

Minerva’s Shrine

Discover Minerva's Shrine in Chester, England: Western Europe's only representation of a Roman goddess still in its original location sits in an unassuming park.

Iron Man

Discover Iron Man in Swisttal, Germany: This mysterious pig iron pillar does not rust, despite being weathered by the elements for centuries.

Godey Lime Kilns

Discover Godey Lime Kilns in Washington, D.C.: A historic ruin just 20 feet away from a busy highway onramp.

Millennium Seed Bank

Discover Millennium Seed Bank in West Sussex, England: Nearly 2 billion seeds from 38,000 species are stored and processed at this visitable facility in a quiet corner of England.

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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

PP ToS