Archives: Atlas Obscuras

Europa Hotel

Discover Europa Hotel in Belfast, Northern Ireland: It was once nicknamed "the most bombed hotel in Europe.".

The Long Man of Wilmington

Discover The Long Man of Wilmington in Wilmington, England: This giant geoglyph of mysterious origins is now the site of neo-pagan rituals.

Hamburg Paper Mill Ruins

Discover Hamburg Paper Mill Ruins in Hamburg, New Jersey: Tucked behind New Jersey's abandoned Gingerbread Castle lie the eerie ruins of a once-flourishing paper mill.

Eki-Naryn Forest Swastika

Discover Eki-Naryn Forest Swastika in Tash-Bashat, Kyrgyzstan: The origin of this sinisterly shaped forest is rooted in mystery.

Wat Tham Ta Pan

Discover Wat Tham Ta Pan in Tambon Tham Nam Phut, Thailand: Grotesque statues of figures from Buddhist hell haunt the temple's Sin Park.

Cívica

Discover Cívica in Brihuega, Spain: This enchanting hamlet carved into the rock looks like something straight out of Tolkien's Rivendell.

Mary Hadfield Watt Memorial

Discover Mary Hadfield Watt Memorial in Tampa, Florida: A seemingly inexplicable memorial honors a beloved Tampa fruit-seller.

Survivor Tree

Discover Survivor Tree in New York, New York: The last living thing to come out of the rubble after 9/11 is now a symbol of hope and resilience.

Che Guevara Scrap Metal Statue

Discover Ernesto Che Guevara Statue in El Alto, Bolivia: This likeness of the famous revolutionary is entirely made of recycled scraps of metal.

Ruins of the Odd Fellows Home

Discover Odd Fellows Home in Liberty, Missouri: The ruins of a 19th century shelter run by the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.

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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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