How to transport things on your head in Tanzania

PostcardCarrying on the head is a common practice in many parts of the world, as an alternative to carrying a burden on the back, shoulders, and so on. People have carried burdens balanced on top of the head since ancient times, usually to do daily work. Tanzania is no exception, anything can be carried on the head, from a few coins to a bar of soap to a whole tree. But why is it that we only see women carrying thingson their head?StampsButterflies...

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Ayia Kyriaki Church, Pafos, Cyprus

PostcardPafos is a coastal city in the southwest of Cyprus. The town is included in the Unesco WHS list.The Panagia Chrysopolitissa or Ayia Kyriaki church was built in the 13th century over the ruins of the largest Early Byzantine basilica on the island.The church is surrounded by Roman ruins and old mosaics. Within the compound one can see St. Paul's Pillar, where, according to tradition, Saint Paul was bound and beaten for preaching ...

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Tatev Monastery, Armenia

PostcardThe Monastery of Tatev is a 9th-century Armenian monastery located on a large basalt plateau near the Tatev village in southeastern Armenia. The main monument is the Church of Pogos and Petros (Peter and Paul) built in 895-906. The card only shows a detail of Tatev Monastery. So you can’t see the breathtaking complex and surroundings.  The monasteries of Tatev and Tatevi Anapat and the adjacent areas...

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Monastery of Gračanica, Kosovo

PostcardMedieval Monuments in Kosovo is a World Heritage Site consisting of four Serbian Orthodox Christian churches and monasteries: Dečani Monastery, Patriarchate of Peć Monastery, Our Lady of Ljeviš and Gračanica Monastery. The monastery in the village of Gračanica (near Pristina) is one of Kosovo's best religious monuments. It was built in 1321 by the legendary king of Serbia, Milutin Nemanjic. Stamps(left)Issued...

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A Postcard from Wallis and Futuna

PostcardWallis and Futuna is a French overseas territory since 1961. Located about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand somewhere in the middle of Tuvalu, Fiji and Samoa. The three main islands of Wallis and Futuna are Uvea, Futuna and Alofi with a total population of 12,500. The first Europeans to arrive in the islands were Dutch explorers in the Futuna Islands in 1616 (Cornelius van Schouten and Jacob le Maire). But the island...

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The Virgin Gorda Baths, British Virgin Islands

PostcardThe British Virgin Islands (BVI) is a British overseas territory, part of the British West Indies, located about 60 miles east of Puerto Rico. There are about 60 islands in the BVI, many of which are uninhabited. Virgin Gorda is the third largest of the Virgin Islands, which measures eight and a half square miles.  The Virgin Gorda Baths are one of BVI’s most famous landmarks. The Baths consist of numerous great boulders, creating...

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The Pearl of the Pacific: Bora Bora Island, French Polynesia

PostcardFrench Polynesia is an overseas collectivity of France in the South Pacific. Bora Bora is one the islands that make up French Polynesia. A major international tourist destination, famous for its aqua-centric luxury resorts, located about 265 kilometers northwest of Tahiti. “A gorgeous island, with lush scenery, stunning lagoons and an idyllic motu, this place is now believed by many to be one of the last tropical paradises on earth.” StampA...

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From the heart of Polynesia: American Samoa

PostcardRight in the heart of the South Pacific, to the north of Tonga and 3700km south-west of Hawaii, lie the five islands and two atolls of American Samoa. An unincorporated territory of the United States, not to be confused with the Independent State of Samoa.Five of the main islands are volcanic, with rugged peaks, narrow coastal plains and fringing reefs. About 64,000 people live in American Samoa and Pago Pago is the capital city.It...

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A herd of Przewalski's horses in Mongolia

PostcardPrzewalski's horse is a rare and endangered subspecies of wild horse. First described in the late 19th century by Russian explorer N. M. Przewalski, the horse once freely roamed the steppe along the Mongolia-China border. Never again seen in the wild, Przewalski’s horses have since been kept and bred in captivity and have recently been reintroduced in Mongolia.StampFrom a set of 4 stamps: Wild Animals, the Yak (2011).This postcard...

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The Mambo Msiige, Stone Town, Zanzibar

PostcardZanzibar is a small tropical island about 20 miles off the coast of east Africa. As a semi-autonomous part of Tanzania, Zanzibar has its own government. The capital of Zanzibar is Zanzibar City. Its historic centre, known as Stone Town, is a World Heritage Site.The Mambo Msiige is a building located in Stone Town. It was built around 1850 by a wealthy Arab resident and the name means 'do not imitate'. Plans for Mambo Msiige...

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The map of Cape Verde

PostcardCape Verde is an island country, spanning an archipelago of 10 islands located in the central Atlantic Ocean. More than 500 kilometres (350 miles) off the coast of Western Africa (near Senegal and The Gambia). Cape Verde consists of two groups of islands: -         - the Barlavento Islands (windward islands) : Santo Antão, São Vicente, Santa Luzia, São...

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Blue Lagoon Lighthouse, São Tomé e Príncipe

PostcardFarol da Lagoa Azul (Blue Lagoon Lighthouse) is located at the north coast of the island of São Tomé.São Tomé is one of the islands in the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe, and of the Republic’s total area of 1001 km², takes up 854 km² of this. It is located about 300 kilometres west of Gabon in the Gulf of Guinea.StampsThe back of the postcard is almost a postcard in itself, covered almost entirely with the minisheet...

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The royal palaces of Abomey, Benin

PostcardThe royal palaces of Abomey are a group of earthen structures built by the Fon people between the mid-17th and late 19th centuries. The site of the royal palaces is located in southern Benin, near the town of Abomey, formerly the capital of the ancient Kingdom of Dahomey.StampBernardin Gantin (1922 – 2008) was a prominent Beninese cardinal of the Roman Catholic Chur...

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Tukuls from Ethiopia

PostcardTukuls: a cone-shaped mud hut, usually with a thatched roof, found in eastern and northeastern Africa. Tukuls are the typical housing for southern Ethiopia, a simple and basic but useful home for many Ethiopians. About 85% of its 90 million inhabitants live in rural and remote areas. Did you know that Ethiopian calendar is seven years and eight months behind the rest of the world? The time difference goes back to 1582, when the rest of the...

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A postcard from Mauritania

PostcardThe back of the postcard reads “Nouakchott, Mauritanie 2006”. Mauritania is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Western Sahara (controlled by Morocco), Algeria, Mali and Senegal. The capital and largest city of Mauritania is Nouakchott. Arabic is the official language but most of the population also speak French.The official name of Mauritania is the Islamic Republic of Mauritania. Since independence from...

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Images du...Gabon

PostcardGabon is a country located on the west coast of Central Africa. It is bordered by Equatorial Guinea, Cameroon and the Republic of the Congo. The population is estimated at 1.5 million people. The capital is Libreville (free town). Over 80 percent of Gabon is tropical rain forest. A common plant is the Hibiscus, a genus of flowering plants. Traditional medicine is still widespread in Gabon. Here we see...

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Mzee holding a stick of sugar cane in Pangani, Tanzania

PostcardThe back of the postcard reads “Swahili coast ‘Mzee’ holding a stick of sugar cane”.Pangani is a town in northeast Tanzania near the Swahili coast. The Swahili Coast is an 1,800-mile stretch of Kenyan and Tanzanian coastline. ‘Mzee’ basically means “old person” , but is also a title of respect for an older person.StampsThe bird stamp was issued in 1997. The Cactus Wren is a species of wren that is native to the southwestern...

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A Postcard from the Pacific: Samoa

PostcardSamoa Islands is an archipelago covering over 3,030 km2 in the central South Pacific, forming part of Polynesia. The islands have two jurisdictions, the independent country of Samoa in the western half of the islands, and the territory of American Samoa comprising the islands to the east. Dancing, singing and music play a big part in Samoan culture. Samoan dance, like their music, stems...

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Territoire des Terres Australes et Antarctiques Françaises (TAAF)

PostcardThe Territory of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands (T.A.A.F.) is an overseas territory of France. It consists of Kerguelen (a group of volcanic islands), St. Paul and Amsterdam islands (located north of Kerguelen), Crozet Islands (located south of Madagascar), Adélie Land (the French claim on the Antarctica continent) and the Scattered Islands (located around the coast of Madagascar).The...

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Moraine Lake in Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada

PostcardBanff National Park, Canada's first national park, consists of 6,600 square kilometres of unparalleled mountain scenery nestled in the heart of the magnificent Canadian Rockies. Moraine Lake is a glacially-fed lake in Banff National Park.Five national parks are located within the Canadian Rockies, four of which interlock and make up the Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks World Heritage site. These four parks are Banff,...

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Mount McKinley, Alaska

PostcardMount McKinley, named after the 25th President of the United States, is North America's tallest peak. It elevation exceeds 6,194m and is also known as "The Great One" or Denali. Little planes are common in Alaska. Locals like to say there are more planes than cars, even though that isn't completely true.Alaska does, however, have the highest ratio of plane owners to residents: about 11,000 registered flyers, out of more than 600,000...

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Evening rainbow, Fiji Islands

PostcardThe heart of the South Pacific, Fiji is blessed with 333 tropical islands that are home to happiness. Beautiful sunsets are a common feature in Fiji, bringing a tranquil conclusion to the day.StampIn 1995 Post Fiji issued a set of eight stamps depicting Land Birds Of Fiji. This one is a 40c overprint picturing a Mangrove Heron.&nb...

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The Al Msaylha Citadel, Lebanon

PostcardThe Al Msaylha castle is a fortified place that stands alone on top of a detached rocky spur in the center of the Nahr el-Jaouze river valley. It is the only one of Lebanon's castles to stand at the pinnacle of a sharp peak, like fairy tale castles in story books. StampLebanese singer Nouhad Wadi Haddad, known as Fayrouz (1935), the Jewel of Leban...

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