Have a great new year 2017!

Hope you have a great new year 2017

    Let the celebration begin.

May all your dreams come true.. !

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Felix Romuliana | Serbia

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This Late Roman fortified palace compound and memorial complex, in the east of Serbia, was commissioned by Emperor Caius Valerius Galerius Maximianus, in the late 3rd and early 4th centuries. It was known as Felix Romuliana, named after the emperor’s mother.

The complex is a UNESCO World Heritage site, inscribed under the name Gamzigrad-Romuliana, Palace of Galerius.

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Stećci Medieval Tombstones Graveyards is a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2016. The tombstones are located Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro and Serbia.

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Islamabad, capital of Pakistan

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Islamabad is the capital city of Pakistan since the 1960's. When Pakistan gained independence in 1947, the southern port city of Karachi was its first national capital. To break with its colonial past, a new capital was founded.

The Margalla Hills is a hill range part of the foothills Himalayas located within the Margalla Hills National Park, north of Islamabad.

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Sea Aquarium Beach | Curacao

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"Curacao offers visitors fine beaches, world-class diving, a rich cultural heritage, duty-free shopping and plenty of Caribbean charm, all with a Dutch accent. You couldn't have picked a better spot for your vacation."

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Gjirokastra | Albania

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The old town of the Albanian city of Gjirokastra is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, described as an outstanding example of an Ottoman merchant town and one of the few still surviving in the Balkans.

Gjirokastra  is a World Heritage site together with the town of Berat.

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Gebel Barkal | Sudan

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Gebel Barkal is a very small mountain located about 400km north of Khartoum, capital of Sudan. The mountain is 98 m tall, has a flat top, and apparently was used as a landmark by the traders in the important route between central Africa, Arabia, and Egypt.

Together with the Sites of the Napatan Region, Gebel Barkal is a UNESCO World Heritage site, comprising five archaeological sites. They include tombs, with and without pyramids, temples, burial mounds and chambers, living complexes and palaces.

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The Most Medieval Street in England

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas!

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The Shambles is an old street located in the heart of the city of York, England. You can find many characteristic overhanging timber-framed buildings, some dating back as far as the fourteenth century.

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Part of a set of six stamps depicting the beginning, the spread and the end of the fire (2016).

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St. Mary's Islands | India

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The St. Mary’s Islands are a group of four small islands in the Arabian Sea, off the coast of Karnataka, India. The island of St Mary is known for its distinctive geological formation of columnar basaltic lava.

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The stamp has a St. Mary's Islands postmark. St. Mary’s Islands  are about 20 minutes by boat from Malpe Beach.

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Val d'Orcia, the Tuscany of Your Dreams | Italy

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The Val d’Orcia is a region of Tuscany, central Italy. This area boasts of endless rolling hills covered with grain or sunflowers, a rich green valley which encompasses the Orcia river, from which the zone derives its name. This territory is protected as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

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Boat lift on the Canal du Centre | Belgium

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The Canal du Centre is a canal in Belgium, which, with other canals, links the waterways of the Meuse and Scheldt rivers. Some section of this canal climbs 66m over a distance of 6790m. Therefore this section contains four hydraulic boat lifts.

Of the eight hydraulic boat-lifts built at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century, the only ones in the world which still exist in their original working condition are these four lifts on the Canal du Centre. The four lifts are a UNESCO World Heritage site.

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Hirsholm Island | Denmark

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Hirsholmene is an archipellago of 10 islands and islets located in the Kattegat waters in Denmark. The main island is Hirsholm, a very small island with a lighthouse, a church and about 20 houses. It is the only inhabited island, with 6 permanent residents.

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The Puszta | Hungary

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The cultural landscape of the Hortobágy Puszta consists of a vast area (nearly 75,000 ha) of plains and wetlands in eastern Hungary. Traditional forms of land use, such as the grazing of domestic animals, have been present in this pastoral society for more than two millennia.

Hortobágy National Park - the Puszta is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

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Solovetsky Islands | Russia

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The Solovetsky Islands are six islands located in the forbidding waters of the White Sea in northern Russia, just 165km from the Arctic Circle. Known for their scenic beauty but difficult to access even today, the islands have long been used for both retreat and exile.

Founded in the 15th century, Solovetsky Monastery was one of Russia's most famous and holy monasteries, and became a major pilgrimage destination. But it was also a place of exile, and in the 20th century it was used as a brutal Soviet prison camp. Over a million prisoners are estimated to have died here, many of whom were priests, artists and writers. The prison was closed in 1939.

Today, Solovetsky Monastery is a World Heritage Site, museum, and home to a handful of monks.

(source: http://www.sacred-destinations.com/russia/solovki-solovetsky-monastery)

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Zvartnots Cathedral ruins | Armenia

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Zvartnots is a complex of structures built in the middle of the 7th century near Echmiatsin in Armenia.

Zvartnots remained standing until the end of the 10th century, but historical sources are silent as to the cause of its collapse. The ruins of Zvartnots remained buried until its remains were uncovered at the start of the 20th century. The site was excavated between 1901 and 1907.

The temple ruins are part of Unesco World heritage site inscribed under the name Cathedral and Churches of Echmiatsin and the Archaeological Site of Zvartnots.

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Château d'Azay-le-Rideau | France

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Château d'Azay-le-Rideau is located on an island in the Indre River, built between 1518 and 1527. The château is considered a masterpiece of architecture and sculpture of the earliest French Renaissance.

The Loire Valley between Sully-sur-Loire and Chalonnes is a Unesco World Heritage site. The chateau is located in this area and part of the Unesco Whs site.

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Guimaraes, the first capital of Portugal

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Guimarães is one of Portugal’s most historic cities. Portugal’s first king, Afonso Henriques, chose this former Roman city to be the administrative capital of the Portuguese kingdom after his victory at the Battle of São Mamede in 1128.

The historic town center of Guimarães is listed as UNESCO World Heritage site since 2001.

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Frontiers of the Roman Empire | Germany

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From the beginning of the 2nd century AD for approximately the next 150 years, the Limes marked the frontier between Rome’s Empire and the Germanic tribal territories. In Roman times, the Saalburg fort kept watch over a section of the Limes in the Taunus hills.

This fort is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site 'Frontiers of the Roman Empire'.

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Abbey of Corvey, Unesco World Heritage site from Germany. The pictures on the left are not stamps

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Banjul, capital city of The Gambia

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Banjul is the capital of the Republic of The Gambia. The port city has a population of about 35,000. The city is actually located on Saint Mary's Island in the Gambia River.

The July 22nd Arch is a monument that spans the Independence Drive which is the road that leads into the city.

Thank you very much Chris!!

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Port Louis, capital of Mauritius

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Port Louis is the capital city of Mauritius, located on the island's north-west coast. The Caudan Waterfront  is a commercial development in Port Louis. It includes shops, banking facilities, casinos, cinemas, restaurants, a marina and a five star hotel.

"At Le Caudan Waterfront, one can meet friends for a drink, take a walk along the harbour, watch the latest movie, listen to music, enjoy a meal, try one’s luck at the casino and admire artists’ work while enjoying shopping. Its ability to offer such a dynamic and diverse environment confers a strong sociological dimension to Le Caudan.."

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Isle of Iona | United Kingdom - Scotland

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Iona is a tiny island off the southwest coast of Mull in the Inner Hebrides. It is only 1.5 miles wide by 3 miles long, with a population of around 120 permanent residents.

Located on the island is Iona Abbey, which origins date back to as early as the year 563.

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Mountainous Kazakhstan

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Belukha is a three-peaked mountain massif that rises along the border of Russia and Kazakhstan. This massif is located in the heart of the Altai.

The Altai mountains occupy an area that stretches 1,000 km from east to west and nearly 500 km from north to south. This area straddles four countries: Russia, Kazakhstan, China and Mongolia.

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Kapalai Island | Malaysia

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Kapalai Island is located off the east coast of Sabah (Borneo), Malaysia's easternmost state. About 45 minutes from Semporna by speedboat. Kapalai island is one of the many beautiful scuba diving havens in this part of the world.

The island of Kapalai, just 15 kilometres off Sipadan, was a beautiful island a few hundred years ago, but now it is only a sand bar. Erosion has reduced the island to sea level and the village now sits on the edge of the extensive Ligitan Reefs. All of the buildings are on stilts resting on the underwater reef.

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Doñana National Park | Spain

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Doñana National Park has a biodiversity that is unique in Europe. The park is one of Europe's most important wetland reserves and a major site for migrating birds.

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By the looks of it, one of the stamps is missing.

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Mamutik Island | Malaysia

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Tunku Abdul Rahman Park is a Marine Park with a cluster of islands: Gaya, Sapi, Manukan, Mamutik and Sulug.

Mamutik Island is the smallest of the lot and therefore less crowded than the other islands. There are no hotels, resorts or chalets on the island so the only way to spend a night is to make use of camping.

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The island of Martinique

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The island of Martinique is a France overseas region with a population of about 400,000. This Carribean island is located somewhere between Saint Lucia and Dominica. Martinique is your typical paradise island, with unspoiled coastline and pristine beaches.

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Being a French overseas region, martinique uses French stamps. The geographical locations are not mentioned on the postmark, only the ROC code. The ROC code on the postmark reads 19640A, referring to Fort-de-France, capital of Martinique.

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