The Ancient City of Sardis and the Lydian Tumuli of Bin Tepe, Turkey (Unesco Tentative)

http://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/5829/

 

The ancient city of Sardis is located in Manisa Province in western Turkey, near the modern town of Sart. It lies at the foot of the Bozdağ Mountains and at the edge of the fertile plain of the Gediz River. This broad valley has been one of the major routes from the Aegean to central Anatolia for most of recorded history.

Sardis occupied a strategic location and drew on the fertile agricultural land of the plain, the timber and mineral resources of the mountains, the natural defenses of its impregnable citadel, fresh water from streams, springs, and lakes, trade from the coast to the interior, and gold from some of the richest sources in antiquity.
 

Town of Sart (Bottom Left)

 

Yesemek Quarry and Sculpture Workshop, Turkey (Unesco Tentative)

http://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/5732/

 

The “Yesemek Quarry and Sculpture Workshop” are located 23 km Southeast of the Islahiye district on the West hills of Karatepe (Aslanlıtepe) in the Yesemek Village. The Workshop covers an approximate area of 400x20 meters beginning from the watercourse of Yesemek brook rising upwards about 90 meters.

Karatepe, at a distance of113 kmto Gaziantep, is composed of volcanic dolerite/basalt rocks. Basalt extrusive is frequently observed on the surface ground within a large area from the Islahiye plain to the North of the Amik Plain and the surroundings of the Kirikhan District. The area is used as a quarry and a workshop probably due to the availability of high quality and thin porous basalt lodes.
 

Yesemek (Top - 3th)

 

Historic City of Ani, Turkey (Unesco Tentative)

http://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/5725/

 

The city of Ani, located on the high East Anatolian plateau, about forty two kilometers East of the city of Kars, was one of the most impressive settlements of the Medieval Period. The ruins of Ani occupy an approximately triangular site between the Arpaçay river which forms the border between Turkey and Armenia and one of its small branches called Alaca or Ani stream.

Although there is little information regarding the foundation of the city of Ani, the region was settled during the Urartian periods in the first half of the first millennium BC. After successive disputes between the Greco-Romans and Parthian-Sassanian states of Persia, the region of Ani was captured by the Kamsarankan Dynasty who built a citadel and a palace there in the fifth century AD.

Ani Cathedral (Top Middle)

 

Archeological Site of Zeugma, Turkey (Unesco Tentative)

http://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/5726/

 

Zeugma is 10 kilometers away from Nizip located within the boundaries of Gaziantep. The provincial capital of Gaziantepis 50 kilometers away in westerly direction. Nizip is the biggest town among those surrounding Gaziantep.

Situated in South-eastern Turkey, Zeugma, literally “bridge” or “crossing” in ancient Greek, owes its name to the fact that it was located at the major ancient crossing point on the river Euphrates. The ancient term Zeugma actually referred to the twin cities on the opposing banks of the river. They were Hellenistic settlements established by commander Seleucus Nicator around 300 BCE. Today the name Zeugma is usually understood to refer to the settlement on the west bank, called Seleucia after the founder, while the one on the East bank was called Apamea after his Persian wife Apama. The twin settlements were crucial in the cultural policies of the Seleucid empire aiming to achieve the integration of Greco-Macedon and Semitic cultures in the region. In 64 CE, Seleucia came under the rule of the Commagene Kingdom, and then from 72 CE, it was the major eastern frontier city of the Roman Empire. With two Roman legions based in Zeugma in the first century CE, the strategic importance and cosmopolitan nature of the city increased greatly. Due to its crucial position on commercial routes and to the volume of its traffic, Zeugma was chosen by the Romans for toll collecting. Zeugma prospered and functioned as a major commercial city as well as a military base.

Zeugma (Top Right)

 

Ancient City of Korykos, Turkey (Unesco Tentative)

http://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/5909/

 

The ancient city of Korykos extends east-west alongside the highway at a distance of 65 km from Mersin and 25 km from Silifke. It sits on the slopes of the mountain where it reaches the coast. As the mountain approaches the sea, two small bays are formed. The city lies alongside northeast and southwest axis reaching Elaiussa-Sebaste at the east and Hell-Heaven Caves at the west. It is surrounded by a natural harbor, where it has been always settled around in all periods. Remains of the ancient city are spread through 113.4 ha area reaching to the northeast of modern Kızkalesi settlement and including the fullest extent of the Necropolis valley at the west and lying 2 km alongside the coast to the east.

 

Kızkalesi (Bottom Left)

 

Studenica Monastery, Serbia (UNESCO)

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/389

 

The Studenica Monastery was established in the late 12th century by Stevan Nemanja, founder of the medieval Serb state, shortly after his abdication. It is the largest and richest of Serbia’s Orthodox monasteries. Its two principal monuments, the Church of the Virgin and the Church of the King, both built of white marble, enshrine priceless collections of 13th- and 14th-century Byzantine painting.

 

 

Sender: Renato, Sent on: 8 May, 2014, Received on: 14 Mar, 2014, Travel time: 6 days

Sent from Belgrade

Curonian Spit, Russia (UNESCO)

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/994

 

Human habitation of this elongated sand dune peninsula, 98 km long and 0.4-4 km wide, dates back to prehistoric times. Throughout this period it has been threatened by the natural forces of wind and waves. Its survival to the present day has been made possible only as a result of ceaseless human efforts to combat the erosion of the Spit, dramatically illustrated by continuing stabilisation and reforestation projects.

 

 

Sender: Hiyori, Sent on: 4 May, 2014, Received on: 14 Mar, 2014, Travel time: 10 days

Mount Watzmann, Germany

The Watzmann is a mountain in the Bavarian Alps south of the village of Berchtesgaden. It is the third highest in Germany, and the highest located entirely on German territory.

Three main peaks array on a N-S axis along a ridge on the mountain's taller western half: Hocheck (2651 m), Mittelspitze (Middle Peak, 2,713m) and Südspitze (South Peak, 2,712m).

The entire massif lies inside Berchtesgaden National Park.

 

Sender: lueneburg, Sent on: 15 Apr, 2014, Received on: 14 Mar, 2014, Travel time: 29 days

Roman Theatre and its Surroundings and the "Triumphal Arch" of Orange, France (UNESCO)

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/163

 

Situated in the Rhone valley, the ancient theatre of Orange, with its 103-m-long facade, is one of the best preserved of all the great Roman theatres. Built between A.D. 10 and 25, the Roman arch is one of the most beautiful and interesting surviving examples of a provincial triumphal arch from the reign of Augustus. It is decorated with low reliefs commemorating the establishment of the Pax Romana.

 

 

Sender: Sebastien, Sent on: 5 May, 2014, Received on: 14 Mar, 2014, Travel time: 9 days

Place Stanislas, Place de la Carrière and Place d'Alliance in Nancy, France (UNESCO)

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/229

 

Nancy, the temporary residence of a king without a kingdom – Stanislas Leszczynski, later to become Duke of Lorraine – is paradoxically the oldest and most typical example of a modern capital where an enlightened monarch proved to be sensitive to the needs of the public. Built between 1752 and 1756 by a brilliant team led by the architect Héré, this was a carefully conceived project that succeeded in creating a capital that not only enhanced the sovereign's prestige but was also functional.

 

 

Sender: Sebastien, Sent on: 5 May, 2014, Received on: 14 Mar, 2014, Travel time: 9 days

Jurisdiction of Saint-Emilion, France (UNESCO)

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/932

 

Viticulture was introduced to this fertile region of Aquitaine by the Romans, and intensified in the Middle Ages. The Saint-Emilion area benefited from its location on the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela and many churches, monasteries and hospices were built there from the 11th century onwards. It was granted the special status of a 'jurisdiction' during the period of English rule in the 12th century. It is an exceptional landscape devoted entirely to wine-growing, with many fine historic monuments in its towns and villages.

 

 

Sender: Sebastien, Sent on: 5 May, 2014, Received on: 14 Mar, 2014, Travel time: 9 days

Historic Fortified City of Carcassonne, France (UNESCO)

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/345

 

Since the pre-Roman period, a fortified settlement has existed on the hill where Carcassonne now stands. In its present form it is an outstanding example of a medieval fortified town, with its massive defences encircling the castle and the surrounding buildings, its streets and its fine Gothic cathedral. Carcassonne is also of exceptional importance because of the lengthy restoration campaign undertaken by Viollet-le-Duc, one of the founders of the modern science of conservation.

 

 

Sender: Sebastien, Sent on: 5 May, 2014, Received on: 14 Mar, 2014, Travel time: 9 days

Wulingyuan Scenic and Historic Interest Area, China (UNESCO)

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/640

 

A spectacular area stretching over more than 26,000 ha in China's Hunan Province, the site is dominated by more than 3,000 narrow sandstone pillars and peaks, many over 200 m high. Between the peaks lie ravines and gorges with streams, pools and waterfalls, some 40 caves, and two large natural bridges. In addition to the striking beauty of the landscape, the region is also noted for the fact that it is home to a number of endangered plant and animal species.

 

 

Sender: Shell, Sent on: 15 Apr, 2014, Received on: 14 Mar, 2014, Travel time: 30 days

Historic Monuments of Dengfeng in “The Centre of Heaven and Earth”, China (UNESCO)

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1305

 

Mount Songshang is considered to be the central sacred mountain of China. At the foot of this 1500 metre high mountain, close to the city of Dengfeng in Henan province and spread over a 40 square-kilometre circle, stand eight clusters of buildings and sites, including three Han Que gates - remains of the oldest religious edifices in China -, temples, the Zhougong Sundial Platform and the Dengfeng Observatory. Constructed over the course of nine dynasties, these buildings are reflections of different ways of perceiving the centre of heaven and earth and the power of the mountain as a centre for religious devotion. The historical monuments of Dengfeng include some of the best examples of ancient Chinese buildings devoted to ritual, science, technology and education.

 

 

Sender: Linus, Sent on: 4 Apr, 2014, Received on: 14 Mar, 2014, Travel time: 40 days

Joggins Fossil Cliffs, Canada (UNESCO)

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1285

 

The Joggins Fossil Cliffs, a 689 ha palaeontological site along the coast of Nova Scotia (eastern Canada), have been described as the “coal age Galápagos” due to their wealth of fossils from the Carboniferous period (354 to 290 million years ago). The rocks of this site are considered to be iconic for this period of the history of Earth and are the world’s thickest and most comprehensive record of the Pennsylvanian strata (dating back 318 to 303 million years) with the most complete known fossil record of terrestrial life from that time. These include the remains and tracks of very early animals and the rainforest in which they lived, left in situ, intact and undisturbed. With its 14.7 km of sea cliffs, low bluffs, rock platforms and beach, the site groups remains of three ecosystems: estuarine bay, floodplain rainforest and fire prone forested alluvial plain with freshwater pools. It offers the richest assemblage known of the fossil life in these three ecosystems with 96 genera and 148 species of fossils and 20 footprint groups. The site is listed as containing outstanding examples representing major stages in the history of Earth.

 

 

 Sender: Emilie, Sent on: 2 May, 2014, Received on: 14 Mar, 2014, Travel time: 12 days

2014 Ice Hockey World Championship, Minsk, Belarus

 

Sender: Lizzzam, Sent on: 5 May, 2014, Received on: 14 Mar, 2014, Travel time: 9 days

Archaeological site of Laodikeia, Turkey (Unesco Tentative)

http://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/5823/

 

Laodikeia is located within the borders of the villages of Eskihisar, Goncalı, Korucuk and Bozburun, six km north of the modern city of Denizli. The site is on the road to Pamukkale (Hierapolis), which is approximately ten km to the north.

Laodikeia is also situated at the crossroads of main routes that connect western, central and southern Anatolia with each other. Set amid the fertile plains of the Lycos River, Laodikeia lies on a high plateau surrounded on three sides by rivers: the Lycos (modern Çürüksu) to the northeast, the Kapros (modern Başlıçay) to the southeast and the Asopos (modern Gümüşçay - Goncalı Deresi) to the northwest.

Laodikeia is one of the important archaeological remains for the region along with Hierapolis (Pamukkale) and Tripolis. Excavations at Laodikeia show that the city was settled continuously from the Chalcolithic Period (Copper Age, 5500 BCE) to 7th century CE. The name of the settlement was, in turn, Rhoas (Asopos Hill), Diopolis (City of Zeus) and finally Laodikeia.

Ancient Cities of Lycian Civilization, Turkey (Unesco Tentative)

http://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/5408/

 

The ancient geographical region of Lycia situates on the Teke Peninsula on the Mediterranean region of Turkey. Ancient Lycia was surrounded by Mediterranean Sea on the south, Caria on the west and Pamphylia on the east. Lycian Civilization is well-known by many remains in this area dated to 5th and 4th century B.C. belonging to Hellenistic and Roman Period. The written Egyptian and Hittite sources of dated back to the 2th millennium B.C. mentions a tribe called "Luka" or "Lukka" and Hittite king Suppiluliuma mentions his conquer the "Lycia Country" in 14th century B.C. Also, written sources about the Kadesh Battle calls these people as "Lukkies the sea people". According to the historians "Lukka" means "Land of the Light". Lycia was ruled by Syrian king Antiochus III starting from the end of the 2nd century B.C. until mid 2nd century B.C. In the mid 1st century B.C. "Lycian League" was established which comprised of 23 cities. This union was the first known democratic federation in the history which inspired the modern day democratic systems. In this system, principle cities had 3 votes while the others had 2 votes or 1 depending on their size.

 

Major cities of this federation were Patara (being the capital city), Xanthos, Pinara, Olympos, Myra and Tlos which had three votes later joined Phaselis. Teke Peninsula also holds the other cities of Lycian League, many of those are well known from the systematic excavations, also form the coins and inscriptions namely Andriake, Sura, Kyaenai, Limyra, Theimmusa, Simena, Istlada, Trebende, Aperlae.

 

1- Myra

 

 

2- Olympos

 

3- Patara

 

4- Phaselis

I Love Oslo, Norway

 

Sender: Ertan, Sent on: 30 Apr, 2014, Received on: 06 Apr, 2014, Travel time: 7 days

Škocjan Caves, Slovenia (UNESCO)

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/390

 

This exceptional system of limestone caves comprises collapsed dolines, some 6 km of underground passages with a total depth of more than 200 m, many waterfalls and one of the largest known underground chambers. The site, located in the Kras region (literally meaning Karst), is one of the most famous in the world for the study of karstic phenomena.

 

 

Sender: Tina, Sent on: 29 Apr, 2014, Received on: 06 Apr, 2014, Travel time: 8 days

Giant's Causeway and Causeway Coast, United Kingdom (UNESCO)

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/369

 

The Giant's Causeway lies at the foot of the basalt cliffs along the sea coast on the edge of the Antrim plateau in Northern Ireland. It is made up of some 40,000 massive black basalt columns sticking out of the sea. The dramatic sight has inspired legends of giants striding over the sea to Scotland. Geological studies of these formations over the last 300 years have greatly contributed to the development of the earth sciences, and show that this striking landscape was caused by volcanic activity during the Tertiary, some 50–60 million years ago.

 

 

Sender: Leekyboo, Sent on: 26 Apr, 2014, Received on: 06 Apr, 2014, Travel time: 10 days

Sent from Northen Ireland

West Norwegian Fjords – Geirangerfjord and Nærøyfjord, Norway (UNESCO)

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1195

 

Situated in south-western Norway, north-east of Bergen, Geirangerfjord and Nærøyfjord, set 120 km from one another, are part of the west Norwegian fjord landscape, which stretches from Stavanger in the south to Andalsnes, 500 km to the north-east. The two fjords, among the world’s longest and deepest, are considered as archetypical fjord landscapes and among the most scenically outstanding anywhere. Their exceptional natural beauty is derived from their narrow and steep-sided crystalline rock walls that rise up to 1,400 m from the Norwegian Sea and extend 500 m below sea level. The sheer walls of the fjords have numerous waterfalls while free-flowing rivers cross their deciduous and coniferous forests to glacial lakes, glaciers and rugged mountains. The landscape features a range of supporting natural phenomena, both terrestrial and marine, such as submarine moraines and marine mammals.

 

Postcard 1 : Geirangerfjord

 

 

Sender: Ertan, Sent on: 01 May, 2014, Received on: 06 Apr, 2014, Travel time: 5 days

Bordeaux, Port of the Moon, France (UNESCO)

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1256

 

The Port of the Moon, port city of Bordeaux in south-west France, is inscribed as an inhabited historic city, an outstanding urban and architectural ensemble, created in the age of the Enlightenment, whose values continued up to the first half of the 20th century, with more protected buildings than any other French city except Paris. It is also recognized for its historic role as a place of exchange of cultural values over more than 2,000 years, particularly since the 12th century due to commercial links with Britain and the Low Lands. Urban plans and architectural ensembles of the early 18th century onwards place the city as an outstanding example of innovative classical and neoclassical trends and give it an exceptional urban and architectural unity and coherence. Its urban form represents the success of philosophers who wanted to make towns into melting pots of humanism, universality and culture.

 

 

Sender: Sebastien, Sent on: 16 Apr, 2014, Received on: 06 Apr, 2014, Travel time: 20 days

Nahanni National Park, Canada (UNESCO)

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/24

 

Located along the South Nahanni River, one of the most spectacular wild rivers in North America, this park contains deep canyons and huge waterfalls, as well as a unique limestone cave system. The park is also home to animals of the boreal forest, such as wolves, grizzly bears and caribou. Dall's sheep and mountain goats are found in the park's alpine environment.

 

 

Sender: Emilie, Sent on: 01 May, 2014, Received on: 06 Apr, 2014, Travel time: 5 days

Miguasha National Park, Canada (UNESCO)

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/686

 

The palaeontological site of Miguasha National Park, in south-eastern Quebec on the southern coast of the Gaspé peninsula, is considered to be the world's most outstanding illustration of the Devonian Period known as the 'Age of Fishes'. Dating from 370 million years ago, the Upper Devonian Escuminac Formation represented here contains five of the six fossil fish groups associated with this period. Its significance stems from the discovery there of the highest number and best-preserved fossil specimens of the lobe-finned fishes that gave rise to the first four-legged, air-breathing terrestrial vertebrates – the tetrapods.

 

 

Sender: Emilie, Sent on: 01 May, 2014, Received on: 06 Apr, 2014, Travel time: 5 days