Archives: Atlas Obscuras

Earth Eagle Brewings

Discover Earth Eagle Brewings in Portsmouth, New Hampshire: One of the few brewers in the U.S. experimenting with hop-free beers.

Zodiac Mosaic of Hammat Tiberias

Discover Zodiac Mosaic of Hammat Tiberias in Tiberias, Israel: The mosaic floor of a 4th-century synagogue features a pagan zodiac wheel alongside traditional images of a Torah ark and menorahs.

Mackwoods Tea Plantation Sign

Discover Mackwoods Tea Plantation Sign in Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka: A Sri Lankan tea factory's ironic take on the Los Angeles landmark.

Al Bidya Mosque

Discover Al Bidya Mosque in Al Bidya, United Arab Emirates: The oldest surviving mosque in the UAE has mysterious origins and unusual architecture.

Budapest Castle Hill Funicular

Discover Budapest Castle Hill Funicular in Budapest, Hungary: Built in 1870 at the bridge that connected Buda and Pest, this spectacular incline railway was almost lost forever during World War II.

Daniels, Maryland

The eerie, decaying ghost town is destined to fade into the forest.

The RMS Queen Mary

Discover The RMS Queen Mary in Long Beach, California: The awe-inspiring ship from the golden era of cruising has an incomparable history and a reputation as one of the world’s most haunted places.

Center of the Universe Sign

Discover Center of the Universe Sign in Seattle, Washington: Residents of Fremont in Seattle have considered it the center of the universe since the 1970s.

Swinton Druids Temple

Discover Swinton Druids Temple in North Yorkshire, England: Although it appears ancient and mysterious, the quirky folly was actually built 200 years ago by an eccentric estate owner.

The Venerable Thich Quảng Đức Monument

Discover The Venerable Thich Quảng Đức Monument in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam: A memorial to the monk who set himself on fire to protest the persecution of Buddhists in Vietnam.

Fish on a Bicycle

Discover Fish on a Bicycle in University City, Missouri: University City's quirkiest resident lives in a park named after its first.

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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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