MONTENEGRO - Natural and Culturo-Historical Region of Kotor

 Postcard sent in a "You Choose" tag by Vojkara. 
Sent 29/07/2023.

INSCRIPTION/INSCRITO: 1979

In the Middle Ages, this natural harbour on the Adriatic coast in Montenegro was an important artistic and commercial centre with its own famous schools of masonry and iconography. A large number of the monuments (including four Romanesque churches and the town walls) were seriously damaged by the 1979 earthquake but the town has been restored, largely with UNESCO’s help. 

The Natural and Culturo-Historical Region of Kotor is located in the Boka Kotorska Bay, on the Adriatic coast of Montenegro. The property encompasses the best preserved part of the bay covering its inner south-eastern portion. The inscribed property comprises 14,600 ha with a landscape composed of two interrelated bays surrounded by mountains rising rapidly to nearly 1,500 metres. The property is linked to the rest of the Boka Kotorska Bay through a narrow channel forming the principal visual central axis of the area.

The Outstanding Universal Value of the Culturo-Historical Region of Kotor is embodied in the quality of the architecture in its fortified and open cities, settlements, palaces and monastic ensembles, and their harmonious integration to the cultivated terraced landscape on the slopes of high rocky hills. The Natural and Culturo-Historical Region of Kotor bears unique testimony to the exceptionally important role that it played over centuries in the spreading of Mediterranean cultures into the Balkans.

First card from Montenegro! I'm planning on visiting the place this year! Thanks again, Vojkara😁

SERBIA - Medieval Monuments in Kosovo

Postcard sent in a "You Choose" tag by Vojkara. 
Sent 13/09/2023.

INSCRIPTION/INSCRITO: 2004

The four edifices of the site reflect the high points of the Byzantine-Romanesque ecclesiastical culture, with its distinct style of wall painting, which developed in the Balkans between the 13th and 17th centuries. The Dečani Monastery was built in the mid-14th century for the Serbian king Stefan Dečanski and is also his mausoleum. The Patriarchate of Peć Monastery is a group of four domed churches featuring series of wall paintings. The 13th-century frescoes of the Church of Holy Apostles are painted in a unique, monumental style. Early 14th-century frescoes in the church of the Holy Virgin of Ljevisa represent the appearance of the new so-called Palaiologian Renaissance style, combining the influences of the eastern Orthodox Byzantine and the Western Romanesque traditions. The style played a decisive role in subsequent Balkan art.

Thanks for writing the card in Serbian, Vojkara. It´s a really nice card!😁

FINLAND - Old Rauma

Sent  by Merja in a direct swap. 
25/08/2019.

INSCRIPTION/INSCRITO: 1979

Situated on the Gulf of Botnia, Rauma is one of the oldest harbours in Finland. Built around a Franciscan monastery, where the mid-15th-century Holy Cross Church still stands, it is an outstanding example of an old Nordic city constructed in wood. Although ravaged by fire in the late 17th century, it has preserved its ancient vernacular architectural heritage. Situated on the Gulf of Bothnia, Rauma is one of few medieval towns in Finland. The core of the town is Old Rauma, which is composed of some 600 buildings constructed of wood, most of which are privately owned, and covers an area of 29 ha. Originally situated at the seashore, the Old Town is located some 1.5 km inland from the present coastline due to land uplift. Old Rauma is both a commercial and a residential area comprising the town area within the toll boundaries of Rauma in the 19th century. The town plan structure of Rauma has been maintained since the medieval period, including the irregular street network, city blocks, plots of land and courtyards. The buildings are mainly one storey tall, and date back between the 18th and 19th centuries, while some cellars remain from earlier houses. The residential houses are placed along the street, and outbuildings such as former animal sheds and granaries are built around narrow courtyards.

Thanks for this awesome card/stamp Merja! And for adding some suomi words on it. 😁

BULGARIA - Thracian Tomb of Sveshtari

Postcard sent by me during a trip to Bulgaria.
Sent 18/08/2019.

INSCRIPTION/INSCRITO: 1979

Discovered in 1982 near the village of Sveshtari, this 3rd-century BC Thracian tomb reflects the fundamental structural principles of Thracian cult buildings. The tomb has a unique architectural decor, with polychrome half-human, half-plant caryatids and painted murals. The 10 female figures carved in high relief on the walls of the central chamber and the decoration of the lunette in its vault are the only examples of this type found so far in the Thracian lands. It is a remarkable reminder of the culture of the Getes, a Thracian people who were in contact with the Hellenistic and Hyperborean worlds, according to ancient geographers. The Thracian Tomb near Sveshtari is an extremely rare and very well preserved monument of the sepulchral architecture containing remarkable elements in terms of their quality and style sculpture and painting. The Tomb is also remarkable for the fact that it represents local art, inspired by Hellenism, a rare case of an interrupted creative process which possesses specific characteristics.

BULGARIA - Thracian Tomb of Kazanlak

Postcard sent by me during a trip to Bulgaria. 
Sent 18/08/2023.

INSCRIPTION/INSCRITO: 1979

Discovered in 1944, this tomb dates from the Hellenistic period, around the end of the 4th century BC. It is located near Seutopolis, the capital city of the Thracian king Seutes III, and is part of a large Thracian necropolis. The tholos has a narrow corridor and a round burial chamber, both decorated with murals representing Thracian burial rituals and culture. These paintings are Bulgaria’s best-preserved artistic masterpieces from the Hellenistic period. The Thracian tomb of Kazanlak is a unique aesthetic and artistic work, a masterpiece of the Thracian creative spirit. This monument is the only one of its kind anywhere in the world. The exceptionally well preserved frescos and the original condition of the structure reveal the remarkable evolution and high level of culture and pictorial art in Hellenistic Thrace.

I'm still not sure if the place we visited was a recreation or the real thing.

MOROCCO - MAP

 

MOROCCO

9

Properties inscribed

on the World Heritage List

Cultural 

• Archaeological Site of Volubilis (1997)
• Historic City of Meknes (1996)
• Ksar of Ait-Ben-Haddou (1987)
• Medina of Essaouira (formerly Mogador) (2001)
• Medina of Fez (1981)
• Medina of Marrakesh (1985)
• Medina of Tétouan (formerly known as Titawin) (1997)
• Portuguese City of Mazagan (El Jadida) (2004)
• Rabat, Modern Capital and Historic City: a Shared Heritage (2012)

MAP

Postcard 2:

Postcard sent by me during a trip to Morocco

Sent 01/11/2017.

SPAIN - MAP

 

SPAIN

50

Properties inscribed

on the World Heritage List

Cultural 

• Alhambra, Generalife and Albayzín, Granada (1984, 1994)
• Antequera Dolmens Site (2016)
• Aranjuez Cultural Landscape (2001)
• Archaeological Ensemble of Mérida (1993)
• Archaeological Ensemble of Tarraco (2000)
• Archaeological Site of Atapuerca (2000)
• Burgos Cathedral (1984)
• Caliphate City of Medina Azahara (2018)
• Catalan Romanesque Churches of the Vall de Boí (2000)
• Cathedral, Alcázar and Archivo de Indias in Seville (1987)
• Cave of Altamira and Paleolithic Cave Art of Northern Spain (1985, 2008)
• Cultural Landscape of the Serra de Tramuntana (2011)
• Heritage of Mercury. Almadén and Idrija (2012)
• Historic Centre of Cordoba (1984, 1994)
• Historic City of Toledo (1986)
• Historic Walled Town of Cuenca (1996)
• La Lonja de la Seda de Valencia (1996)
• Las Médulas (1997)
• Monastery and Site of the Escurial, Madrid (1984)
• Monuments of Oviedo and the Kingdom of the Asturias (1985, 1998)
• Mudejar Architecture of Aragon (1986, 2001)
• Old City of Salamanca (1988)
• Old Town of Ávila with its Extra-Muros Churches (1985)
• Old Town of Cáceres (1986)
• Old Town of Segovia and its Aqueduct (1985)
• Palau de la Música Catalana and Hospital de Sant Pau, Barcelona (1997)
• Palmeral of Elche (2000)
• Paseo del Prado and Buen Retiro, a landscape of Arts and Sciences (2021)
• Poblet Monastery (1991)
• Prehistoric Rock Art Sites in the Côa Valley and Siega Verde (1998, 2010)
• Prehistoric Sites of Talayotic Menorca (2023)
• Renaissance Monumental Ensembles of Úbeda and Baeza (2003)
• Risco Caido and the Sacred Mountains of Gran Canaria Cultural Landscape (2019)
• Rock Art of the Mediterranean Basin on the Iberian Peninsula (1998)
• Roman Walls of Lugo (2000)
• Routes of Santiago de Compostela: Camino Francés and Routes of Northern Spain (1993, 2015)
• Royal Monastery of Santa María de Guadalupe (1993)
• San Cristóbal de La Laguna (1999)
• San Millán Yuso and Suso Monasteries (1997)
• Santiago de Compostela (Old Town) (1985)
• Tower of Hercules (2009)
• University and Historic Precinct of Alcalá de Henares (1998)
• Vizcaya Bridge (2006)
• Works of Antoni Gaudí (1984, 2005)

Natural 

• Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe (2007, 2011, 2017, 2021)
• Doñana National Park (1994, 2005)
• Garajonay National Park (1986)
• Teide National Park (2007)

Mixed 

• Ibiza, Biodiversity and Culture (1999)
• Pyrénées - Mont Perdu (1997, 1999)

MAP

Postcard sent by me from Benicarlo.

Sent 15/08/2015

BRAZIL - Cerrado Protected Areas: Chapada dos Veadeiros and Emas National Parks

Postcard sent in a direct swap by Rodrigo. 
Sent 27/02/2023.

INSCRIPTION/INSCRITO: 2004

The two sites included in the designation contain flora and fauna and key habitats that characterize the Cerrado – one of the world’s oldest and most diverse tropical ecosystems. For millennia, these sites have served as refuge for several species during periods of climate change and will be vital for maintaining the biodiversity of the Cerrado region during future climate fluctuations.The site of the Cerrado Protected Areas includes the Chapada dos Veadeiros and Emas National Parks located in the Brazilian central plateau in the State of Goias. Both parks help protect the Cerrado biome, one of the oldest and most diverse ecosystems in the world.  For millennia, these sites have served as refuge for many rare and endemic species of fauna and flora, including during periods of climatic fluctuations. Both sites remain essential for maintaining the biodiversity in the Cerrado, especially in any future climate change scenario.

The flora of the Cerrado is rich. It includes between 350 and 400 species of vascular plants per hectare, including many endemic plants. The property also contains populations of large mammals, including the giant anteater, giant armadillo, maned wolf, jaguar and pampas deer, but also the rhea, the largest bird of South America. The site is also extremely important in maintaining the hydrological regime as, due to its geological features and soils, it is proving to be a key area for aquifer recharge and the alimentation of several watercourses that supply power to the Amazon basin and the Pantanal, in the basin of La Plata.

Thanks for writing the card in Portuguese, Rodrigo. It´s been a nice read!😁

INDIA - Khajuraho Group of Monuments

Postcard sent in a direct swap by Tishant. 
Sent 26/02/2023.

INSCRIPTION/INSCRITO: 1986

The temples at Khajuraho were built during the Chandella dynasty, which reached its apogee between 950 and 1050. Only about 20 temples remain; they fall into three distinct groups and belong to two different religions – Hinduism and Jainism. They strike a perfect balance between architecture and sculpture. The Temple of Kandariya is decorated with a profusion of sculptures that are among the greatest masterpieces of Indian art.The group of temples of Khajuraho testifies to the culmination of northern Indian temple art and architecture of the Chandella dynasty who ruled the region in the 10th and 11th centuries CE. Distributed over an area of 6 square km in a picturesque landscape, the 23 temples (including one partly excavated structure) that form the western, eastern, and southern clusters of the Khajuraho Group of Monuments are rare surviving examples that display the originality and high quality of Nagara-style temple architecture.

The Khajuraho Group of Monuments demonstrates in layout and physical form, the pinnacle of temple architectural development in northern India. Built in sandstone, each temple is elevated from its environs by a highly ornate terraced platform, or jagati, on which stands the body, or jangha, whose sanctum is topped by a tower, or shikhara, of a type unique to Nagara, where the verticality of the principal spire atop the sanctum is accentuated by a series of miniature spires flanking it, each symbolizing Mount Kailasa, the abode of the Gods.

Thank you for this marvelous card, Thishant!

IRAN - Bam and its Cultural Landscape

Postcard sent in a direct swap by Ehsan. 
Sent 26/02/2023.

INSCRIPTION/INSCRITO: 2004

Bam is situated in a desert environment on the southern edge of the Iranian high plateau. The origins of Bam can be traced back to the Achaemenid period (6th to 4th centuries BC). Its heyday was from the 7th to 11th centuries, being at the crossroads of important trade routes and known for the production of silk and cotton garments. The existence of life in the oasis was based on the underground irrigation canals, the qanāts, of which Bam has preserved some of the earliest evidence in Iran. Arg-e Bam is the most representative example of a fortified medieval town built in vernacular technique using mud layers (Chineh ). The property of Bam and its Cultural Landscape is located on the southern edge of the Iranian high plateau, in Kerman Province, in south-eastern Iran, close to the Pakistan border. Bam lies 1,060 metres above sea level in the centre of the valley dominated to the north by the Kafut Mountains and to the south by the Jebal-e Barez Mountains. This valley forms the wider cultural landscape of the Bam County. Beyond the mountains lies the vast Lut Desert of Central Iran. Water from the Jebal-e Barez Mountains supplies the seasonal Posht-e Rud River that skirts Bam City between Arg-e Bam and Qal’eh Doktar. The Chelekhoneh River and its tributaries gather water from the central parts of the Jebal-e Barez Mountain range. It now runs northeast, although it formerly flowed through the Bam City until it was diverted by a dam into a new course that met with the Posht-e Rud northwest of Bam City. Water from the Kafut Mountains also supplies the catchment area.

Thank you for the information of the site! Super interesting!

BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA - Old Bridge Area of the Old City of Mostar

Postcard sent in a direct swap by Liz. 
Sent 10/03/2023.

INSCRIPTION/INSCRITO: 1981

The village of Ninstints (Nans Dins) is located on a small island off the west coast of the Queen Charlotte Islands (Haida Gwaii). Remains of houses, together with carved mortuary and memorial poles, illustrate the Haida people's art and way of life. The site commemorates the living culture of the Haida people and their relationship to the land and sea, and offers a visual key to their oral traditions. On the island of SG̱ang Gwaay, the remains of large cedar long houses, together with a number of carved mortuary and memorial poles at the village of SG̱ang Gwaay Llnagaay (formerly Nan Sdins), illustrate the art and way of life of the Haida. The property commemorates the living culture of the Haidaand their relationship with the land and sea. It also offers a visual key to their oral traditions. The village of SG̱ang Gwaay was occupied until shortly after 1880. What survives is unique in the world, a 19th-century Haida village where the ruins of houses and memorial or mortuary poles illustrate the power and artistry of Haida society.

Thank you for this fantastic card, mate!

CANADA - SGang Gwaay

Postcard sent in a direct swap by Liz. 
Sent 03/03/2023.

INSCRIPTION/INSCRITO: 1981

The village of Ninstints (Nans Dins) is located on a small island off the west coast of the Queen Charlotte Islands (Haida Gwaii). Remains of houses, together with carved mortuary and memorial poles, illustrate the Haida people's art and way of life. The site commemorates the living culture of the Haida people and their relationship to the land and sea, and offers a visual key to their oral traditions. On the island of SG̱ang Gwaay, the remains of large cedar long houses, together with a number of carved mortuary and memorial poles at the village of SG̱ang Gwaay Llnagaay (formerly Nan Sdins), illustrate the art and way of life of the Haida. The property commemorates the living culture of the Haidaand their relationship with the land and sea. It also offers a visual key to their oral traditions. The village of SG̱ang Gwaay was occupied until shortly after 1880. What survives is unique in the world, a 19th-century Haida village where the ruins of houses and memorial or mortuary poles illustrate the power and artistry of Haida society.

Thank you for sharing one of your short stories, Liz!