Archives: Atlas Obscuras

Turtle Mound

Discover Turtle Mound in New Smyrna Beach, Florida: Mariners once used this prehistoric landfill as a navigational landmark.

Cilantro Mexican Grill

Discover Cilantro Mexican Grill in Los Angeles, California: A classically trained chef makes beloved burritos inside a gas station.

Lakeside Cemetery

Discover Lakeside Cemetery in Colon, Michigan: A cemetery where many of those buried had a flair for the dramatics.

Pearl S. Buck Birthplace

Discover Pearl S. Buck Birthplace in Hillsboro, West Virginia: The first American woman to win the Nobel Prize in literature came from the foothills of Appalachia.

Smith Square World War II Ghost Sign

Discover Smith Square World War II Ghost Sign in London, England: A faded reminder of what was once a common sight in London during the Blitz.

Post Mortem Chapel

Discover Post Mortem Chapel in Oaxaca, Mexico: The ruins of an abandoned church mingle with the graves at Oaxaca’s General Cemetery.

Ahuehuete Multicentenario

Discover Ahuehuete Multicentenario in Valle de Bravo, Mexico: This beloved, centuries-old tree stands at the center of a small park dotted with archaeological artifacts.

Altered Traffic Signs

Discover Altered Traffic Signs in Edinburgh, Scotland: An artist's whimsical transformation of everyday objects.

First Bank of the United States

Discover First Bank of the United States in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Alexander Hamilton’s creation caused quite a bit of controversy.

Titanic Theatre Restaurant

Discover Titanic Theatre Restaurant in Williamstown, Australia: Enjoy all the trappings from 1912 aboard this Titanic-themed restaurant.

Shakespeare Ghost Town

Discover Shakespeare Ghost Town in Lordsburg, New Mexico: Some of the Old West's most notorious outlaws frequented this mining town.

Vladimir Lenin Busts and Statue

Discover Vladimir Lenin Busts and Statue in Semey, Kazakhstan: A collection of Lenin busts and other Soviet Era statues sit idly behind the Semipalatinsk Hotel.

Ryman Alley

Discover Ryman Alley in Nashville, Tennessee: The alley connecting two of country music’s most historic venues has a rich history of its own.

Ġgantija Temples

Discover Ġgantija Temples in Ix-Xagħra, Malta: These temples are among the oldest free-standing stone buildings in the world.

Tünel

Discover Tünel in Istanbul, Turkey: Climb a steep hill in 90 seconds on the second-oldest urban subway in the world.

‘Tire Lion’

Discover 'Tire Lion' in Casablanca, Morocco: The rubbery beast is sculpted from recycled materials.

Savannah Memorial Park

Discover Savannah Memorial Park in Rosemead, California: Blink and you may miss this rustic pioneer cemetery.

Atlas Bar

Discover Atlas Bar in Singapore: A gorgeous gilded tower houses what may be the world's largest collection of gin.

Nike Missile Control Site LA-96

Discover Nike Missile Control Site LA-96 in Los Angeles, California: A Cold War site complete with rusty structures, hiking trails, and beautiful views.

Menu

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

PP ToS