Archives: Atlas Obscuras

Hermitages of Karoulia

Discover Hermitages of Karoulia in Agion Oros, Greece: The hermits of Karoulia protect their asocial lifestyles by living on the vertical face of a treacherous precipice.

Phaistos Disc

Discover Phaistos Disc in Heraklion, Greece: This famous archeological mystery may be an ancient example of movable type.

Valley of the Butterflies

Discover Valley of the Butterflies in Egeo, Greece: Swarms of dainty flying insects swarm into the Petaloudes Valley to get busy.

Symi Harbour

Discover Symi Harbour in Livadia, Greece: This secret coastal village is studded with pastel-colored houses all piled on top of one another.

Little Metropolis Church

Discover Little Metropolis Church in Athens, Greece: This gem is often wrongly overshadowed by the larger, newer Metropolis church in Athens.

St. Theodora’s Chapel

Discover St. Theodora's Chapel in Arcadia, Greece: Seventeen oak trees sprout from the roof and walls of this tiny chapel without any visual evidence of roots.

Thessaloniki Brothel

Discover Thessaloniki Brothel in Thessaloniki, Greece: A two thousand year old brothel uncovered in Northern Greece.

Syntagma Square Metro Station

Discover Syntagma Square Metro Station in Athens, Greece: Where commuters walk through remnants of an ancient Greek necropolis.

Chios Rocket War

Discover Chios Rocket War in Chios, Greece: Two churches shoot bottle rockets at each others' bell towers in an unusual Easter celebration.

Olive Tree of Vouves

Discover Olive Tree of Vouves in Ano Vouves, Greece: The oldest olive tree in Greece has been bearing fruit for at least 2,000 years.

Pythagoras Cave

Discover Pythagoras Cave in Samos Prefecture, Greece: Cave on extinct volcano, once home to famous mathematician Pythagoras.

The Ruins of Rentina

Discover The Ruins of Rentina in Thessaloniki, Greece: These ruins in Volvi were once at the intersection of the Eastern and Western Worlds.

The Holy Mountain

Discover Mount Athos in Agion Oros, Greece: An autonomous republic of Orthodox monks.

Volcanic Rocks of Lemnos

Discover Volcanic Rocks of Lemnos in Lemnos, Greece: An alien landscape on the banks of the Aegean Sea.

Necromanteion of Ephyra

Discover Necromanteion of Ephyra in Mesopotamos, Greece: Ancient Greek oracle of the dead.

Cape Matapan Caves

Discover Cape Matapan Caves in Laconia, Greece: A cave network located at the southernmost tip of mainland Greece was once believed to be an entrance to Hades.

The Train Cemetery of Thessaloniki, Greece

Discover Thessaloniki Train Cemetery in Thessaloniki, Greece: Thousands of rusting train cars have been slowly falling apart on the edge of Greece's second largest city.

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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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