Archives: Atlas Obscuras

Phoenician Walls of Erice

Discover Phoenician Walls of Erice in Erice, Italy: Tourists to the mountaintop Sicilian town often overlook its ancient fortifications.

Comedy Carpet

Discover Comedy Carpet in Blackpool, England: A typographic tribute to the many comedic greats who make Great Britain laugh.

Boston Terrier Museum

Discover Boston Terrier Museum in Floydada, Texas: An old abandoned pharmacy building in Texas is brimming with collectibles and images of the little tuxedoed pooch.

Brendan’s Glove Garden

Discover Brendan's Glove Garden in Sheffield, England: A fitting tribute to a beloved local boxing coach that's produced four world champions.

Dwór Artusa

Discover Dwór Artusa in Gdańsk, Poland: A merchant court dedicated to the fictitious King Arthur is heavily adorned with bizarre Renaissance art.

Livraria Simão

Discover Livraria Simão in Lisbon, Portugal: One of the smallest bookstores on the planet.

Penang Jewish Cemetery

Discover Penang Jewish Cemetery in George Town, Malaysia: The oldest Jewish cemetery in Southeast Asia is a monument to a disappearing community.

Purton Ship Graveyard

Dubbed the "Purton Hulks," the abandoned boats form the largest ship graveyard in mainland Britain.

The Ludwigshöhe

Discover The Ludwigshöhe in Darmstadt, Germany: A former Nazi lookout tower with a magnificent view of the Rhineland.

District Six Museum in Cape Town

Discover District Six Museum in Cape Town, South Africa: A sobering account of the vibrant multicultural neighborhood that was destroyed under apartheid.

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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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