Archives: Atlas Obscuras

Abandoned Council of Ministries Building

Discover Abandoned Council of Ministries Building in Sukhumi, Georgia: Ruins of a former government building destroyed during the Georgian-Abkhaz war in the wake of the fall of the Soviet Union.

The Arctic Club

Discover The Arctic Club in Seattle, Washington: The historic bar where local ship captains, traders, and gold miners would come together to do business a century ago.

Cuneo Mansion

Discover Cuneo Mansion in Vernon Hills, Illinois: The study has wall paneling from a 17th century ship.

Collins Beach UFO Boat

Discover Collins Beach UFO Boat in Portland, Oregon: This abandoned boat sits on a nude beach, is shaped like a UFO, and is covered in graffiti.

Le Chat Noir Collection

Discover Le Chat Noir Collection in Paris, France: Original cabaret handbills, posters, and feline artwork are a purrfect highlight of the Museum of Montmartre.

Roedde House Museum

Discover Roedde House Museum in Vancouver, British Columbia: This rare example of Vancouver's Victorian past was the home of one of the city's first bookbinders.

Church of Santa Engrácia

Discover Church of Santa Engrácia in Lisbon, Portugal: Portugal's National Pantheon has a history of curses, collapses and financial problems.

Site of the Rosewood Massacre

Discover Site of the Rosewood Massacre in Cedar Key, Florida: A thriving Black community was destroyed by an angry white mob at this site in 1923.

Nemocón Salt Mine

Discover Nemocón Salt Mine in Nemocón, Colombia: Colorful lights and mirror-like brine pools create trippy illusions within the historic mine.

Killhope

Discover Killhope in County Durham, England: An iconic waterwheel in the Pennine Hills marks the location of one of Britain’s most profitable lead mines.

First Cemetery of Athens

Discover First Cemetery of Athens in Athens, Greece: The oldest cemetery of modern-day Athens blends the modern and ancient worlds.

St. Agnes Church and School

Discover St. Agnes Church and School in Detroit, Michigan: This Detroit ruin was once a gothic bastion of its community, but now it stands as a haunting ruin.

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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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