Holy Trinity Column in Olomouc | Czech

Postcard

According to whc.unesco.org, this memorial column, erected in the early years of the 18th century, is the most outstanding example of a type of monument specific to central Europe.

In the characteristic regional style known as Olomouc Baroque and rising to a height of 35 meters, it is decorated with many fine religious sculptures, the work of the distinguished Moravian artist Ondrej Zahner.

Read More

Genghis Khan Rides Again | Mongolia

Postcard

Just over thirty miles east of the Mongolian capital of Ulan Bator the old Emperor rides again.  Sat atop his horse, surveying his dominion. A huge 131 feet(!) statue of Genghis Khan dominates the steppes of Mongolia.

To the outside world, Genghis Khan, the fearsome Mongolian warrior who conquered half the known world in the 13th century, is remembered for his brutalities and destruction. Resulting in the death of forty million people. But to Mongolians, he is a national hero, a larger-than-life figure and the symbol of Mongolian culture.

Genghis Khan founded the Mongol Empire, which became the largest contiguous empire in history, revived the Silk Road, uniting warring tribes and was responsible for cementing the position of Mongols in the world’s map.

Read More

Hanseatic city of Rostock | Germany

Postcard

The history of Rostock dates back nearly 800 years. The rise of the city started early 13th century with its membership of the Hanseatic League. In the 14th century it was a powerful seaport town with 12,000 inhabitants.

 

‘A homely city or romantic fishermen"s village, Middle Age architecture or a magical coastal landscape, paintings, theatre and large ships, Rostock has something on offer for everyone.’

Stamp

Porsche 911 Targa Part of a series of stamps about (German) classic cars, issued January 2016.  

Read More

Batu Cave Temple Comlex | Malaysia

Postcard
The Batu Cave Temple in Malaysia is one of the most popular Hindu shrines outside India. The 42 metres tall statue is dedicated to Lord Murugan, the Hindu god of war. To get to the Temple Cave, you have to climb the steep 272 steps to the top of the Batu Caves.

Read More

Hanseatic city of Gdansk | Poland

Postcard

Gdansk is Poland's 6th largest city, situated in the Northern part of Poland, with a port near the Baltic Sea. Gdańsk, also known under its German name Danzig, had belonged to the Hanseatic League since the middle of the 14th century.

 

The Artus Court (Dwór Artusa), named after the famous King Arthur, was used to be the meeting place of merchants and a centre of social life. It’s origins dates back to the 14th century.

Stamps

Europa stamps 2005 and 2007. 

Read More

The Hanseactic city of Braunschweig | Germany

Postcard
Braunschweig is a city located in the state of Lower Saxony, Germany. The card shows part of Dankwarderode Castle, built between 1160 and 1175.

The city was a member of the Hanseatic League, a confederation of merchant guilds and their market towns that dominated trade along the coast of Northern Europe.   

Read More

The giant Buddha of Kamakura | Japan

Postcard

The Great Buddha of Kamakura is a monumental outdoor bronze located at the Kōtoku-in Temple in Kamakura, Japan. 

The bronze statue, the second tallest in Japan, dates from 1252. The statue was originally housed in a wooden structure, but that structure was destroyed several times. Since 1495 the statue has no roof over its head.

Thx Steve!

Read More

Lantau Island, the Giant Buddha | Hong Kong

Postcard

Lantau Island is the largest island in Hong Kong. Tian Tan Buddha, also known as the Big Buddha, is a large bronze statue of a Buddha located near the Po Lin Monastery on Lantau Island. The Buddha is 34 metres (112 ft) tall and visitors have to climb 268 steps to reach the Buddha.

This giant Buddha is named Tian Tan Buddha because its base is a model of the Altar of Heaven, part of the Unesco World Heritage site Temple of Heaven in Beijing.

Stamp

Part of a set of six stamps about Cantonese opera costumes, issue 2014. 

Read More

Cathedral of Our Lady, Antwerp

Postcard

The Cathedral of Our Lady is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Antwerp, Belgium. The cathedral is on the list of World Heritage Sites. It is one of the ‘Belfries of Belgium and France’.

The Belfries of Belgium and France are 56 bell-towers, built between the 11th and 20th centuries. They are mostly found in town centers, and connected to the local town hall or church. At their time, the Belfries represented the growing importance of cities. 

Stamp

The Royal Meteorological Institute of Belgium (IRM) celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2013. For this occasion Belgian post issued four thermo sensitive stamps depicting the four seasons of the year.

The foliage of the trees on the stamps is green if you puts a finger on the stamp and heat it up, the green layer disappears showing the tree in one of the four seasons. This stamp depicts summer. 

Read More

Sofia | София, capital of Bulgaria

Postcard

Sofia is the capital and, with a population of around 1.4 million people, the largest city of Bulgaria.

This fine bronze statue portrays the Russian Tsar Alexander II on horseback and is a gesture of gratitude to the Russian Tsar and his troops who finally liberated Bulgaria in 1878 from Ottoman rule. 

Read More

Porta Macedonia, a triumphal arch in Skopje

Postcard

The Skopje 2014 project aimed at rebuilding a city that lost many of its landmarks in a 1963 earthquake. The goal is to give the city a more monumental appearance.

The project envisages the construction of almost 20 buildings, including, museums, theatres, concert halls, hotels and administrative offices. Many more bronze and marble statues are also being erected to adorn the surroundings.

Porta Macedonia is a triumphal arch located on Pella Square, building was completed in January 2012. The arch is dedicated to 20 years of Macedonian independence. 

Read More

Easter Island | Isla de Pascua

Postcard

Easter Island covers roughly 64 square miles in the South Pacific Ocean, and is located some 2,300 miles from Chile's west coast and 2,500 miles east of Tahiti. Easter Island is one of the most remote inhabited islands in the world.

Known as Rapa Nui to its earliest inhabitants, the island was christened Paaseiland, or Easter Island, by Dutch explorer Jacob Roggeveen in honor of the day of their arrival in 1722. Easter Island is world-famous for the 887 large stone statues, or moai.

Stamps

Read More

Medellin, Colombia, a panorama from Nutibara Hill

Postcard

Nutibara Hill is a small mountainous formation located in the Colombian city of Medellín, the second largest city in the country behind Bogota.

In the valley of Aburra, where the city of Medellin is located, the powerful "Cacique Nutibara" used to reign. This native chief became legendary for leading the rebellion of the indigenous tribes against the Spanish conquistadores.

Stamps

(left) A stamp issued 2011 to commemorate historian, writer and archivist Jorge Palacios Preciado (1940-2003).

(right) To celebrate 100 year symphony band, National Police of Colombia (1912-2012).

Read More

The Church of Saint Clement of Ohrid | Соборна црква - Свети Климент Охридски

Postcard

The Cathedral St. Kliment of Ohrid located in Skopje, Macedonia is the largest Orthodox temple of the Macedonian Orthodox Church today. The construction started in 1972 and was consecrated on 12 August 1990 on the 1150th anniversary of the birth of the church patron, St. Clement of Ohrid.

The statue is the Archbishop of Ohrid and Macedonia Dositheus II (1906-1981).

Stamps

From a set of two stamps about urban architecture, a house in Skopje and  a house in Resen.

Thx Ana!

Read More

A monument from Polotsk, Belarus

Postcard

Monument to Simeon Polotsky (1625-1680) – the poet, teacher and theologian.

Polotsk is a historical city in Belarus.

Stamp

From a series of stamps about garden flowers: Zinnia.

Read More

A statue in better days: Martyrs' Square from Beirut, Lebanon

Postcard

Situated in the heart of Beirut, the square represents the location of most of the largest Lebanese public gatherings. Most political demonstrations and protests take place here. The square has undergone many changes and many names along the years. The square is known as Place des Canons because it commemorates Lebanese nationalists who were hanged during the World War I during Ottoman occupation.

The Martyrs’ square has a great significance for Lebanese people and it remains a symbol for all that was destroyed during the Lebanese civil war( 1975-1992). The bullet-ridden statue symbolizes the destruction that took place during the Lebanese civil war.

This is how the statue looks today:

Stamps

(left) Arabic League

(right) from a set of three, picturing traditional buildings

Thx for sending and foto's Steve!

Read More

A Postcard from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Postcard

Corcovado mountain bears at 704 m above sea level the town symbol of Rio the Janeiro: the well known, 1000 tons weighting Christ the Redeemer seen from every corner of the metropolis.

Stamps

(left) From a series of four stamps about historical cities of Brazil: historic city of Mariana.

(right) Costureira (sewing)

Read More

A monument in memory of the first president of Ghana

Postcard

A monument in memory of the late Dr. Kwame Nkrumah (1909 - 1972). He was a leading advocate of Pan-African unity. He aimed at rapid economic development of Ghana which until 1957 was then the Gold Coast Colony. Was active in the struggle for independence for Ghana from European colonial rule. Modern Ghana became thus the pace maker for other African countries seeking independence.   

Stamp

Dr. Kwame Nkrumah (1909 - 1972)

Read More

A postcard from Slovakia

 

Postcard

The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe.  It has a population of over five million and an area of about 49,000 square kilometres (19,000 sq mi). Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south.

Not only is Bratislava the largest city in Slovakia, it also serves as the state capital. It borders with Hungary in the south and with Austria in the west.

Stamps

(left) Cultural Heritage of Slovakia - The Church of St John the Baptist in Sedmerovec – Pominovce

(right) Supreme Audit Office of the Slovak Republic

Read More

Tuomiokirkko | The Cathedral from Helsinki, Finland

Postcard

The Lutheran Cathedral was built in 1830-1852 to replace an earlier church from 1727. The church is Greek cruciform in shape. There are statues of the Apostles made of zinc on the roof, and they are the biggest unique set of zinc sculptures in the world.

The church was called St. Nicholas church until the independence of Finland in 1917. Since 1959, it became a Cathedral, and is called Helsinki Cathedral or the Lutheran Cathedral.

Stamps

An odd-shaped € 0,05 and Christmas stamp 2011

Read More