Archaeological Sites of Mycenae and Tiryns, Greece (UNESCO)

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/941

he archaeological sites of Mycenae and Tiryns are the imposing ruins of the two greatest cities of the Mycenaean civilization, which dominated the eastern Mediterranean world from the 15th to the 12th century B.C. and played a vital role in the development of classical Greek culture. These two cities are indissolubly linked to the Homeric epics, the Iliad and the Odyssey , which have influenced European art and literature for more than three millennia.

Sender: Elena, Sent on: 11 Mar, 2014, Received on: 25 Mar, 2014, Travel time: 14 days

Archaeological Site of Delphi, Greece (UNESCO)

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/393

The pan-Hellenic sanctuary of Delphi, where the oracle of Apollo spoke, was the site of the omphalos, the 'navel of the world'. Blending harmoniously with the superb landscape and charged with sacred meaning, Delphi in the 6th century B.C. was indeed the religious centre and symbol of unity of the ancient Greek world.

Sender: Elena, Sent on: 11 Mar, 2014, Received on: 25 Mar, 2014, Travel time: 14 days

Nankuanshen Temple, Peimen, Taiwan

The Taitien Temple of Nankuanshen located in Peimen Township is the county's only "secondary-classified national historical site." Fifteen other historical sites around the county have all been classified by the county. The temple, built during the Ching Dynasty (1644-1911), has grand yet delicate garden scenes and sculptures of stone and wood. Once a year, the temple holds a sacrificial ceremony to celebrate the birthdays of the gods that are worshiped in the temple. Followers come from other counties to take part in the activity.

Sender: rogerhoho, Sent on: 13 Mar, 2014, Received on: 25 Mar, 2014, Travel time: 12 days

Wu-Ling, Shei-Pa National Park, Taiwan

Shei-Pa National Park is a national park located in the central part of Taiwan around the peaks of Hsuehshan and Dabajian Mountain, with an area of 768.5 km2 (296.7 sq mi). High mountain ecology, geology, topography, rivers, creek valleys, rare animals and plants, and plentiful variety of forest types are some important resources for conservation.

Sender: CPCTOR, Sent on: 13 Mar, 2014, Received on: 25 Mar, 2014, Travel time: 12 days

Taos Pueblo, USA (UNESCO)

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/492

Situated in the valley of a small tributary of the Rio Grande, this adobe settlement – consisting of dwellings and ceremonial buildings – represents the culture of the Pueblo Indians of Arizona and New Mexico.

Sender: zimorodek, Sent on: 14 Mar, 2014, Received on: 25 Mar, 2014, Travel time: 11 days

Chaco Culture, USA (UNESCO)

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/353

For over 2,000 years, Pueblo peoples occupied a vast region of the south-western United States. Chaco Canyon, a major centre of ancestral Pueblo culture between 850 and 1250, was a focus for ceremonials, trade and political activity for the prehistoric Four Corners area. Chaco is remarkable for its monumental public and ceremonial buildings and its distinctive architecture – it has an ancient urban ceremonial centre that is unlike anything constructed before or since. In addition to the Chaco Culture National Historical Park, the World Heritage property includes the Aztec Ruins National Monument and several smaller Chaco sites managed by the Bureau of Land Management.

Sender: zimorodek, Sent on: 14 Mar, 2014, Received on: 25 Mar, 2014, Travel time: 11 days

Flag of New Mexico, USA

The flag of the state of New Mexico consists of a red sun symbol of the Zia on a field of yellow. The colors honor the flag of Aragon Realm and was brought by the conquistadors. (Note that the red and yellow Cross of Burgundy flag used by the conquistadors, was the military flag of Spain in those years.)

It is one of only four US State Flags to not contain blue.

The Daughters of the American Revolution pushed New Mexico to design a contemporary and unique flag in 1920. A contest to design the new state flag was won by Dr. Harry Mera of Santa Fe, New Mexico. Mera was an archaeologist who was familiar with the Zia Sun Symbol found at Zia Pueblo on a 19th-century pot. The symbol has sacred meaning to the Zia. Four is a sacred number which symbolizes the Circle of Life: the four directions, the four times of day, the four stages of life, and the four seasons. The circle binds the four elements of four together. His winning design is the flag that the state uses today. The salutation, “I salute the flag of the State of New Mexico and the Zia symbol of perfect friendship among united cultures," was many years ago commonly recited in New Mexico public schools after the United States pledge of allegiance.

Sender: zimorodek, Sent on: 14 Mar, 2014, Received on: 25 Mar, 2014, Travel time: 11 days

Ogasawara Islands, Japan (UNESCO)

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1362

The property numbers more than 30 islands clustered in three groups and covers surface area of 7,939 hectares. The islands offer a variety of landscapes and are home to a wealth of fauna, including the Bonin Flying Fox, a critically endangered bat, and 195 endangered bird species. Four-hundred and forty-one native plant taxa have been documented on the islands whose waters support numerous species of fish, cetaceans and corals. Ogasawara Islands' ecosystems reflect a range of evolutionary processes illustrated through its assemblage of plant species from both southeast and northwest Asia, alongside many endemic species.

Sender: cococaby, Sent on: 11 Mar, 2014, Received on: 21 Mar, 2014, Travel time: 10 days

Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara, Japan (UNESCO)

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/870

Nara was the capital of Japan from 710 to 784. During this period the framework of national government was consolidated and Nara enjoyed great prosperity, emerging as the fountainhead of Japanese culture. The city's historic monuments – Buddhist temples, Shinto shrines and the excavated remains of the great Imperial Palace – provide a vivid picture of life in the Japanese capital in the 8th century, a period of profound political and cultural change.

Sender: cococaby, Sent on: 11 Mar, 2014, Received on: 21 Mar, 2014, Travel time: 10 days

Himeji-jo, Japan (UNESCO)

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/661

Himeji-jo is the finest surviving example of early 17th-century Japanese castle architecture, comprising 83 buildings with highly developed systems of defence and ingenious protection devices dating from the beginning of the Shogun period. It is a masterpiece of construction in wood, combining function with aesthetic appeal, both in its elegant appearance unified by the white plastered earthen walls and in the subtlety of the relationships between the building masses and the multiple roof layers.

Sender: cococaby, Sent on: 11 Mar, 2014, Received on: 21 Mar, 2014, Travel time: 10 days

Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range, Japan (UNESCO)

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1142

Set in the dense forests of the Kii Mountains overlooking the Pacific Ocean, three sacred sites – Yoshino and Omine, Kumano Sanzan, Koyasan – linked by pilgrimage routes to the ancient capital cities of Nara and Kyoto, reflect the fusion of Shinto, rooted in the ancient tradition of nature worship in Japan, and Buddhism, which was introduced from China and the Korean Peninsula. The sites (495.3 ha) and their surrounding forest landscape reflect a persistent and extraordinarily well-documented tradition of sacred mountains over 1,200 years. The area, with its abundance of streams, rivers and waterfalls, is still part of the living culture of Japan and is much visited for ritual purposes and hiking, with up to 15 million visitors annually. Each of the three sites contains shrines, some of which were founded as early as the 9th century.

Sender: cococaby, Sent on: 11 Mar, 2014, Received on: 21 Mar, 2014, Travel time: 10 days

Shrines and Temples of Nikko, Japan (UNESCO)

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/913

The shrines and temples of Nikko, together with their natural surroundings, have for centuries been a sacred site known for its architectural and decorative masterpieces. They are closely associated with the history of the Tokugawa Shoguns.

Sender: cococaby, Sent on: 11 Mar, 2014, Received on: 21 Mar, 2014, Travel time: 10 days

Historic Town of Sukhothai and Associated Historic Towns, Thailand (UNESCO)

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/574

Sukhothai was the capital of the first Kingdom of Siam in the 13th and 14th centuries. It has a number of fine monuments, illustrating the beginnings of Thai architecture. The great civilization which evolved in the Kingdom of Sukhothai absorbed numerous influences and ancient local traditions; the rapid assimilation of all these elements forged what is known as the 'Sukhothai style'.

Sender: SL Liew, Sent on: 8 Mar, 2014, Received on: 21 Mar, 2014, Travel time: 13 days

Historic City of Ayutthaya, Thailand (UNESCO)

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/576

Founded c. 1350, Ayutthaya became the second Siamese capital after Sukhothai. It was destroyed by the Burmese in the 18th century. Its remains, characterized by the prang (reliquary towers) and gigantic monasteries, give an idea of its past splendour.

Sender: SL Liew, Sent on: 8 Mar, 2014, Received on: 21 Mar, 2014, Travel time: 13 days

Ban Chiang Archaeological Site, Thailand (UNESCO)

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/575

Ban Chiang is considered the most important prehistoric settlement so far discovered in South-East Asia. It marks an important stage in human cultural, social and technological evolution. The site presents the earliest evidence of farming in the region and of the manufacture and use of metals.

Sender: SL Liew, Sent on: 8 Mar, 2014, Received on: 21 Mar, 2014, Travel time: 13 days

Dorset and East Devon Coast, United Kingdom (UNESCO)

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1029

The cliff exposures along the Dorset and East Devon coast provide an almost continuous sequence of rock formations spanning the Mesozoic Era, or some 185 million years of the earth's history. The area's important fossil sites and classic coastal geomorphologic features have contributed to the study of earth sciences for over 300 years.

Sender: mousytrap, Received on: 21 Mar, 2014

Wooden Tserkvas of the Carpathian Region in Poland and Ukraine (UNESCO)

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1424

Situated in the eastern fringe of Central Europe, the transnational property numbers a selection of sixteen tserkvas (churches). They were built of horizontal wooden logs between the 16th and 19th centuries by communities of Orthodox and Greek Catholic faiths. The tserkvas bear testimony to a distinct building tradition rooted in Orthodox ecclesiastic design interwoven with elements of local tradition, and symbolic references to their communities’ cosmogony.  The tserkvas are built on a tri-partite plan surmounted by open quadrilateral or octagonal domes and cupolas. Integral to tserkvas are iconostasis screens, interior polychrome decorations, and other historic furnishings. Important elements of some tserkvas include wooden bell towers, churchyards, gatehouses and graveyards.

1- Drohobych - Tserkva of Saint George

2- Matkiv - Tserkva of the Synaxis of the Blessed Virgin Mary

3- Nyzhniy Verbizh - Tserkva of the Nativity of  Blessed Virgin Mary

4- Potelych - Tserkva of the Descent of the Holy Spirit

5- Rohatyn - Tserkva of the Descent of the Holy Spirit

6- Uzhok - Tserkva of the Synaxis of the Archangel Michael

7- Yasynia - Tserkva of Our Lord’s Ascension

8- Zhovkva - Tserkva of the Holy Trinity

Postcard 1 : Uzhok - Tserkva of the Synaxis of the Archangel Michael

Sender: tashillia, Sent on: 14 Mar, 2014, Received on: 21 Mar, 2014, Travel time: 7 days

Bauhaus and its Sites in Weimar and Dessau, Germany (UNESCO)

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/729

Between 1919 and 1933, the Bauhaus School, based first in Weimar and then in Dessau, revolutionized architectural and aesthetic concepts and practices. The buildings put up and decorated by the school's professors (Walter Gropius, Hannes Meyer, Laszlo Moholy-Nagy and Wassily Kandinsky) launched the Modern Movement, which shaped much of the architecture of the 20th century.

Sender: mani2265, Sent on: 12 Mar, 2014, Received on: 21 Mar, 2014, Travel time: 9 days

Landau's large main square (Rathausplatz), Germany

Landau's large main square (Rathausplatz) is dominated by the city hall (Rathaus) and the market hall (Altes Kaufhaus). in the 19th-century, the former fortifications gave way to a ring road that encircles the old town centre, from which the old industrial buildings have been excluded. A convention hall, the Festhalle, was built in Art Nouveau style, 1905–07 on a rise overlooking the city park and facing the modernist Bundesamt, the regional government building. The "Protestant Collegiate Church" in Landau in der Pfalz is one of the oldest buildings in the city.

Sender: Landau, Sent on: 12 Mar, 2014, Received on: 23 Mar, 2014, Travel time: 11 days

Boya Tower, Beijing, China

When people mention about Pekin University, Weiming Lake and Boya Tower would be the first coming to their mind. It has become one of the symbolic architecture in Pekin University.

Sender: Susi_Yuan, Sent on: 26 Feb, 2014, Received on: 23 Mar, 2014, Travel time: 25 days

Old Town of Lijiang, China (UNESCO)

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/811

The Old Town of Lijiang, which is perfectly adapted to the uneven topography of this key commercial and strategic site, has retained a historic townscape of high quality and authenticity. Its architecture is noteworthy for the blending of elements from several cultures that have come together over many centuries. Lijiang also possesses an ancient water-supply system of great complexity and ingenuity that still functions effectively today.

Sender: Wonglingchih, Sent on: 8 Feb, 2014, Received on: 21 Mar, 2014, Travel time: 43 days

Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor, China (UNESCO)

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/441

No doubt thousands of statues still remain to be unearthed at this archaeological site, which was not discovered until 1974. Qin (d. 210 B.C.), the first unifier of China, is buried, surrounded by the famous terracotta warriors, at the centre of a complex designed to mirror the urban plan of the capital, Xianyan. The small figures are all different; with their horses, chariots and weapons, they are masterpieces of realism and also of great historical interest.

Sender: Wonglingchih, Sent on: 10 Feb, 2014, Received on: 21 Mar, 2014, Travel time: 41 days

Wooden Tserkvas of the Carpathian Region, Poland (UNESCO)

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1424

Situated in the eastern fringe of Central Europe, the transnational property numbers a selection of sixteen tserkvas (churches). They were built of horizontal wooden logs between the 16th and 19th centuries by communities of Orthodox and Greek Catholic faiths. The tserkvas bear testimony to a distinct building tradition rooted in Orthodox ecclesiastic design interwoven with elements of local tradition, and symbolic references to their communities’ cosmogony.  The tserkvas are built on a tri-partite plan surmounted by open quadrilateral or octagonal domes and cupolas. Integral to tserkvas are iconostasis screens, interior polychrome decorations, and other historic furnishings. Important elements of some tserkvas include wooden bell towers, churchyards, gatehouses and graveyards.

1- Brunary Wyżne-Tserkva of Saint Michael the Archangel 

2- Chotyniec-Tserkva of the Birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary 

3- Kwiatoń-Tserkva of Saint Paraskeva 

4- Owczary-Tserkva of Our Lady’s Protection 

5- Powroźnik-Tserkva of Saint James the Less, the Apostle 

6- Radruż-Tserkva of Saint Paraskeva 

7- Smolnik-Tserkva of Saint Michael the Archangel 

8- Turzańsk-Tserkva of Saint Michael the Archangel

Postcard 1 : Smolnik - Tserkva of Saint Michael the Archangel

Sender: Frutina, Sent on: 7 Mar, 2014, Received on: 14 Mar, 2014, Travel time: 7 days

Postcard 2 : Turzańsk - Tserkva of Saint Michael the Archangel

Sender: Frutina, Sent on: 7 Mar, 2014, Received on: 14 Mar, 2014, Travel time: 7 days

Muskauer Park / Park Mużakowski, Poland and Germany (UNESCO)

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1127

 

A landscaped park of 559.9 ha astride the Neisse River and the border between Poland and Germany, it was created by Prince Hermann von Puckler-Muskau from 1815 to 1844. Blending seamlessly with the surrounding farmed landscape, the park pioneered new approaches to landscape design and influenced the development of landscape architecture in Europe and America. Designed as a ‘painting with plants’, it did not seek to evoke classical landscapes, paradise, or some lost perfection, instead using local plants to enhance the inherent qualities of the existing landscape. This integrated landscape extends into the town of Muskau with green passages that formed urban parks framing areas for development. The town thus became a design component in a utopian landscape. The site also features a reconstructed castle, bridges and an arboretum.

 

Postcard 1 : Muskauer Park, Germany

 

 

Sender: ri-tu, Sent on: 7 Apr, 2014, Received on: 10 Apr, 2014, Travel time: 3 days

 

 

Postcard 2 : Park Mużakowski, Poland

 

 

Sender: Frutina, Sent on: 7 Mar, 2014, Received on: 14 Mar, 2014, Travel time: 7 days