Archives: Atlas Obscuras

FDR’s Bomb Shelter

Discover FDR's Bomb Shelter in Washington, D.C.: The first presidential bomb shelter was located in an old vault under the Treasury, connected to the White House via tunnel.

Golden Gate Memorial Arch

Discover Golden Gate Memorial Arch in Barlborough, England: This Victorian gate contains cryptic inscriptions in Greek, Latin, and Hebrew.

Wall of Great Tajik Writers

Discover Wall of Great Tajik Writers in Dushanbe, Tajikistan: A building facade covered with the statues of 11 giants of Tajik literature.

The Spitting Boy Fountain

Discover Schängelbrunnen in Koblenz, Germany: This fountain of a little boy that spits on passersby at erratic intervals is a town icon.

The Red House

Discover Villa de Vecchi in Cortenova, Italy: The abandoned "Ghost Mansion" was left to decay in the mountains of Northern Italy.

Roche Abbey Ruins

Discover Roche Abbey Ruins in Maltby, England: Legend has it the famous Robin Hood would attend mass at this 12th-century Cistercian abbey in Sherwood Forrest.

Ábaco Libros y Café

Discover Ábaco Libros y Café in Cartagena, Colombia: A cozy bookstore and coffee shop in the heart of Cartagena's Old City.

Dingo Fence

Discover Dingo Fence in Mount Barry, Australia: The longest fence in the world stretches over 3,000 miles to keep the dingoes out.

Isle of May Beacon

Discover Isle of May Beacon in Fife, Scotland: This short white tower is all that's left of Scotland's first permanently manned lighthouse.

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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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