Archives: Atlas Obscuras

Tha Bak Bomb Boats

Discover Tha Bak Bomb Boats in Tha Bak, Laos: Villagers have recycled bomber fuel tanks from the Vietnam War and turned them into very, very strong boats.

The Leaning Tower of Glenfinnan

Discover The Leaning Tower of Glenfinnan in Glenfinnan, Scotland: A close look reveals that the Scottish monument is just slightly off-kilter.

Ford’s Folly

Discover Ford's Folly in Sudbury, Massachusetts: This dam in the woods, built by Henry Ford with only manpower and oxen, holds no water and serves no purpose.

Bongoland Ruins

Discover Bongoland Ruins in Port Orange, Florida: Strange beasts lurking in a garden are all that remain of a quirky, short-lived theme park.

Wat Mahabut

Discover Wat Mahabut in Bangkok, Thailand: A shrine honoring a legendary ghost bride lies within this vibrant temple.

General Laundry Building

Discover General Laundry Building in New Orleans, Louisiana: It's clear this abandoned Art Deco gem was no ordinary cleaners.

R2-D2 of Prague

Discover R2-D2 of Prague in Prague, Czechia: Street artists transformed an abandoned air vent into the beloved Star Wars robot.

The Crazy Pinnacle

Discover The Crazy Pinnacle in Derbyshire, England: There's a strange stone hoodoo towering atop a wooded hillside and no one is quite sure how it got there.

Lady of the North

Discover Northumberlandia: Lady of the North in Northumberland, England: A million and a half tons of earth were used to create one of the world's largest land sculptures.

The Stairs of Reconciliation

Discover The Stairs of Reconciliation in Graz, Austria: Double spiral staircases are not unheard of, but they are very rare.

The Ancient Cisterns of Tawila

Discover Cisterns of Tawila in Aden, Yemen: This impressive system of tanks was used to store drinking water as long as 2,000 years ago.

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i
To represent a masterpiece of human creative genius. 260 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. 474 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. 499 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. 633 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. 135 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. 167 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). 252 vii
To contain superlative natural phenomena or areas of exceptional natural beauty and aesthetic importance. 148 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. 96 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. 166

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