The quest to preserve Syria’s cassette tape era

Unusual gift ideas for foodies, a colorful church, and more.
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	December 02, 2022

Keeping Memories Alive

Preserving Syria’s Cassette Tapes

Mark Gergis has had what he calls an “obsessive” love of music since he was a child. Born to an Iraqi father and American mother, Gergis grew up listening to Iraqi music, and eventually developed a broader interest in Arabic music as a whole. When he traveled to Syria, he bought as many cassette tapes as he could, amassing a large collection that’s incredibly diverse. It includes recordings of live concerts, studio albums, classical and children’s music, cassettes from artists from around the region, and even regional shaabi and dabke folk music.

Unusual Gift Ideas

Gifts for the Food-Obsessed

The winter holidays are a glorious time for food lovers. Not only are there wonderful things to eat, there are also wonderful gifts to open. If you’re looking for a great unique gift for the food lover in your life, here are the tasty gifts we’re giving to foodie friends and family this year.

The Bronx, New York

Christmas House of the Garabedian Family

For decades now, the Bronx Christmas House of the Garabedian Family has become a local legend. Pay a visit to the Yuletide landmark any time from Thanksgiving to Epiphany (January 6th) and you’re in for a treat. Nativity scenes, old Blockbuster video promotional figurines, carousel horses, and dozens of creepy costumed mannequins. You’ll find it all here.

Sponsored by Discover Atlanta

Collectible and Antique Chair Gallery

Barbara H. Hartsfield started collecting miniature chairs over 30 years ago. In time, the collection grew so massive that it received a Guinness World Record in 2008, at which point she decided to share her feat with the world. The smaller-than-usual chairs come in an array of formats—lamps, clocks, teapots, cookie jars, and more, and visitors can even buy their own miniature chairs—she sells several in the gift shop, as well as a children’s book all about (you guessed it) tiny chairs.

Diets of the Transcontinental Railroad

The winter of 1867 came bitter and merciless to the Chinese men that tunneled through the transcontinental railroad’s most formidable section, a nearly 1,700-foot stretch of granite at the Donner Summit in California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains. The laborers, who worked around-the-clock to drill the tunnels by hand, were no strangers to suffering. Starvation, however, was one hardship they did not face—far from it. In the railroad camps, many of the men ate better than they ever had back home in southern China.

Petite-Rivière-de-l'Ile, New Brunswick

The Candy Church

When this colorful church was constructed in 1913, it was distinctly more traditional. It was based on traditional Romanesque architecture, and its trim, constructed from wood from Columbia, was painted white. Not too shabby. But when it was time to restore the church in 1968, painters decided to get a bit more whimsical, and this magnificent piece of brightly colored folk art was completed in 1969.

Atlas Obscura Courses

Design an Immersive Experience

In this four-part seminar, acclaimed immersive theater director Zach Morris of Third Rail Projects will walk us through the elements of immersive gatherings and guide us through the process of designing our own. We’ll define immersive experiences and what makes them meaningful, then delve into the details of creating them—focusing on environment, interaction, the experiential arc, and guest-centered design.

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Resilient Creatures

The Livestock Living at the End of the World

Centuries ago, these pigs were plopped on Auckland Island and have been there ever since. Scrappy, agile, and good-natured, they’re incredible creatures that were never supposed to exist. But while they’re now considered man-made pests ripe for removal, their unique island evolution has rendered them extremely valuable and priorities for preservation.

Soaring, Flying

The classic shape of the arch comes in many forms, all over the world. Some are natural; others, triumphant. From the world’s largest arch, forgotten for 50 years, to one that hosted sermons to plague victims, here are some of our favorites from the annals of the time, scattered around the world.

Atlas Obscura Trips

Spain's Orange Blossom Coast

Sink into the rhythms of the Mediterranean as we seek out hidden gems and small wonders along Spain’s Costa de Azahar, or Orange Blossom Coast. We’ll visit off-the-beaten-path towns, sites, and experiences that rarely receive fanfare but form the region’s beating heart. Whether we’re walking among 2,000-year-old olive trees, watching a live pilota match, or viewing an unexpected art collection in a small medieval village, we promise you’ll be charmed and delighted.

Book Your Spot Now →

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