Archives: Atlas Obscuras

Ballochmyle Cup and Ring Marks

Discover Ballochmyle Cup and Ring Marks in East Ayrshire, Scotland: These ancient symbols freckling a Scottish cliff remained hidden for centuries.

Mausoleum of Theoderic

Discover Mausoleum of Theoderic in Ravenna, Italy: The roof of this ancient mausoleum is made from a single Istrian stone weighing a massive 230 tons.

Bayzhansay Ghost Town

Discover Bayzhansay Ghost Town in Almaly, Kazakhstan: An abandoned Soviet-era mining town in the mountains of South Kazakhstan.

Teampull na Trionaid

Discover Teampull na Trionaid in Outer Hebrides, Scotland: The ruins of a medieval seminary some say is the oldest university site in Scotland.

Miniature World

Discover Miniature World in Victoria, British Columbia: A famous hotel houses an impression collection of mini dioramas and giant doll houses.

Saint Victoria’s Incorruptible Body

Discover Saint Victoria's Incorruptible Body in Rome, Italy: The martyr's wax-enhanced skeletal remains lie preserved in a glass case in the Santa Maria della Vittoria in Rome.

Tower of Claudius

Discover Tower of Claudius in Kesrouane, Lebanon: The ruins of a monumental tower in the heart of Lebanese mountains still puzzle archeologists.

Afrikaans Language Monument

Discover Afrikaans Language Monument in Paarl, South Africa: The South African dialect's complex history is immortalized in stone, in one of the world's only monuments dedicated to a language.

Temple on the Glass Cliff

Discover Wat Pha Sorn Kaew (Temple on the Glass Cliff) in Tambon Khaem Son, Thailand: Modern design and unusual architecture make this mountaintop temple no ordinary Buddhist retreat.

Pheasant Island

Discover Pheasant Island in France / Spain: This tiny river island switches sovereignty every six months as part of a rare, centuries-old agreement.

The Sideways Grave of Sideways the Dog

Discover The Sideways Grave of Sideways the Dog in Atlanta, Georgia: A slanted tomb honors the faithful, furry companion of the Georgia Tech student body.

Spirit of Sacramento

Discover Spirit of Sacramento in Sacramento, California: Before it was abandoned and left to rust alongside the road, this riverboat starred in a John Wayne movie.

The Grand Lodge of Ireland

One of the oldest Masonic grand lodges in the world, it's full of fantastical, elaborately themed rooms.

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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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