December 29, 2022

YEAR IN WONDER This Year's History Stories The exciting thing about history is that even though it is in the past, it is always changing, as we unearth surprising new clues and ask provocative new questions about the events that shaped our world. These Atlas Obscura stories rediscovered unexpected truths about our shared past, from the overlooked story in King Tut’s Tomb, to the forgotten women who ruled the medieval Middle East, to the 20 seconds of lost film that changed movie history.  READ MORE → GASTRO OBSCURA Hanukkah Through Two Diasporic Lens In his new book, Koshersoul, Michael Twitty, a Black-Jewish culinary historian, tells the story of Black and Jewish people coexisting and, often, creating delicious food together. The book traces this coexistence across history, from the ancient Beta-Israel community of Ethiopian Jews, to early Sephardic Jews who found refuge from the Inquisition in the Afro-Brazilian quilombo of Palmares, to the American South. For him, the fried foods eaten during Hanukkah, the festival of light, are a way to teach people about the deep connections between the Jewish and African diasporas. READ MORE → ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO Grave of Walter White While most Breaking Bad tourism sites are locations where the hit television show was filmed, some fans also created their own monument to their favorite fallen chemistry teacher on the outskirts of the character’s hometown of Albuquerque, New Mexico. The headstone avoids any direct mentions of Heisenberg’s criminal activities, only describing him as a “Beloved Husband, Father, Teacher, and Entrepreneur.” READ MORE → ATLAS OBSCURA COURSES How to Read a Gravestone Have you ever wondered why certain gravestones and funerary monuments look the way they do? In this course, Dr. Elise M. Ciregna will explore how to decipher the stories in these stones, drawing from a foundational knowledge of cemeteries and material culture. ENROLL TODAY → YEAR IN WONDER Indigenous Innovation In 2022 This year we highlighted Indigenous ideas around the world to address some of our most persistent problems. From saving a caribou herd in British Columbia to cooking with ingredients from the Torres Strait Islands, Indigenous people have long used traditional knowledge to encourage new ways of seeing the world. Take a look back at this year’s stories detailing and celebrating advances led by these communities around the world. READ MORE → EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND Cannonball House A circular metal orb is embedded into the wall of a restaurant next to Edinburgh Castle Esplanade. Many tour guides will point out the cannonball to visiting tourists, and inform them that it was fired from the fortress during one of its many sieges. While it’s true that Edinburgh Castle was the scene of many battles (23 to be exact), the reality of why there is a metal sphere lodged into this stone building is a little less glamorous. READ MORE → GASTRO OBSCURA TRIPS Taste Oaxaca's Past & Present The mountainous region of Oaxaca is the most ethnically diverse state in Mexico—as well as the nation’s most biodiverse—and nowhere is this more apparent than in its cuisine, which marries indigenous ingredients and techniques with those that arrived with the Spaniards in the 1500s. Join us as we explore Oaxaca’s exquisite epicurean offerings alongside a seasoned chef and cultural anthropologist mother-daughter-duo, mindfully munching our way through the city’s bustling markets and fine dining establishments. BOOK NOW → YEAR IN WONDER Our Favorite New Places This past year, Atlas Obscura’s community of explorers shared the stories of more than 1,500 places from every corner of the world. Some of these wonders can be found in the middle of densely-populated cities, while others are located on remote islands and mountaintops. Our editors picked 22 of the most fascinating and inspiring places that crossed our desks this year, from the New York movie theater that makes a French philosopher’s favorite banana bread to a beach in the Maldives that is constantly disappearing and being rebuilt. READ MORE → PORTO, PORTUGAL McDonald's Imperial Fast food and fine decor don’t always go hand in hand, but at Porto’s former Imperial Cafe, the two come together in what is often called the “most beautiful McDonald’s in the world.” The building retained many of the original Art Deco features including the ornate ceilings, chandeliers, and a large stained glass wall, which is currently behind the counter. READ MORE →