Sukhothai Historical Park

Today, I received a lovely Facebook swap card from Idaline Jane of Malaysia. She recently visited Thailand and went to the Sukhothai Historical Park, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was inscribed onto the list in 1991, #574.

Wat Mahathat at Sukhothai Historical Park

The postcard I received featured Wat Mahathat, one of the 26 temples in the park, of which it is the most important and also the largest. The temple was founded by Sri Indraditya, between 1292 and 1347 as the main temple of the city as well as the Sukhothai Kingdom. The design based on Mandala, representing the universe with main principal stupa, built in 1345 to enshrine relics of the Buddha, surrounded by smaller stupas in eight directions. The main stupa has the graceful shape of a lotus bud, which characterizes the Sukhothai architectural arts. Its base is adorned with 168 stuccoed sculptings of Buddhist disciples walking with their hands clasped together in salutation. The eight smaller stupas, of which the four at the corners are in Mon Haripunchai - Lannastyle and the four in between show Khmer influence. At both sides of the main stupa there are two 9 metre tall standing Buddha images called Phra Attharot. The temple also comprises assembly hall (vihara), mandapa, ordination hall and 200 subodinate stupas. 

Canada Map!

Today, I have received a Flikcr swap postcard from akaroxy2 in Canada. She sent me a beautiful illustrated map card of her country. I love to get map cards and in swap I sent to her a card featuring the British Royal Family, which is one kind of card that she collects. It is always kind to be able to fulfil a wish for a fellow postcrosser!!

Canada map postcard from akaroxy2

 3 facts about Canada:

• Canada has 10 provinces and 3 territories covering 9.98 million square kilometres (3.85 million square miles), making it the 4th largest country by land area in the world. 
• The country's main languages are English and French. 
• The capital of Canada is Ottawa, with about 900,000 people living there although its largest city is Toronto with 2.6 million residents. 

Gunung Mulu National Park!

Today, I have received a great Facebook swap postcard from Bei Hao in Malaysia on the theme of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. In swap, I sent a view of the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape (UNESCO WHS #1215). In return, I have received a wonderful view of Mulu Caves in the Gunung Mulu National Park.

Mulu Caves in the Gunung Mulu National Park

Gunung Mulu National Park, on the island of Borneo in the state of Sarawak, is the most studied tropical karst area in the world. The 52,864-ha park contains seventeen vegetation zones, exhibiting some 3,500 species of vascular plants. Its palm species are exceptionally rich, with 109 species in twenty genera noted. The park is dominated by Gunung Mulu, a 2,377 m-high sandstone pinnacle. At least 295 km of explored caves provide a spectacular sight and are home to millions of cave swiftlets and bats. The Sarawak Chamber, 600 m by 415 m and 80 m high, is the largest known cave chamber in the world. It was inscribed onto the UNESCO WHS list in 2000, #1013.

Terschelling Flag!

I arranged a Facebook postcard swap with Lars van Rossum in the Netherlands in December 2014. The panoramic card which I received from him was of the Terschelling flag. 

Terschelling Flag

By decree, the flag of Terschelling was established as the flag for the municipality of Terschelling in the Netherlands on October 27, 1961. The colours are taken from the Terschelling coat of arms. 

A rhyme, in which the symbolism of the five colours of the flag is explained, was written in 1932 by Gerrit Knop. 

Read bin de wolken (red are the clouds),
Blaue is de lucht (blue are the skies)
Geel bin de helmen (yellow are the stalks), 
Griën is et ges (green is the grass)
Wyt is et sân (white is the sand) 
Dat bin de kleuren fan Schylgerlân (these are the colours of Terschelling).

Yosemite National Park!

I am part of a Facebook postcard swapping page and have swapped postcards with Stephen Chan in the United States of America. I sent him a PHQ Doctor Who card of Peter Davidson and he sent me a view card of the Yosemite National Park in California. It was inscribed on the UNESCO WHS in 1984, #308.

Yosemite National Park

Yosemite National Park is a United States National Park spanning eastern portions of Tuolumne,Mariposa and Madera counties in the central eastern portion of the U.S. state of California. The park, which is managed by the National Park Service, covers an area of 747,956 acres (3,026.87 km²⁾ and reaches across the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountain chain. Over 3.7 million people visit Yosemite each year: most spend their time in the seven square miles (18 km²) of Yosemite Valley. Yosemite is internationally recognized for its spectacular granite cliffs, waterfalls, clear streams, giant sequoia groves, and biological diversity. Almost 95% of the park is designated wilderness. Yosemite was central to the development of the national park idea. First, Galen Clark and others lobbied to protect Yosemite Valley from development, ultimately leading to President Abraham Lincoln's signing the Yosemite Grant in 1864. Later, John Muir led a successful movement to establish a larger national park encompassing not just the valley, but surrounding mountains and forests as well—paving the way for the United States national park system.

The Madara Rider!

Today I received a second UNESCO postcard, again a facebook swap, but this time from Veselin Nikolov in Bulgaia of the Madara Horserider. This site was inscribed onto the UNESCO World Heritage Site list at #43 in 1979. 

Madara Horserider (UNESCO WHS #43)

The Madara Rider, representing the figure of a knight triumphing over a lion, is carved into a 100-m-high cliff near the village of Madara in north-east Bulgaria. Madara was the principal sacred place of the First Bulgarian Empire before Bulgaria’s conversion to Christianity in the 9th century. The inscriptions beside the sculpture tell of events that occurred between AD 705 and 801.

Golden Mountains of Altai!

View cards of UNESCO sites always make me happy! Today I received of a view of Mt Belukha which is in the Golden Mountains of Altai in Russia from Oleg Tam via a Facebook swap. It was inscribed onto the UNESCO World Heritage Site list in 1998, reference #768.

Golden Mountains of Altai (UNESCO WHS #768) 

The Altai mountains in southern Siberia form the major mountain range in the western Siberia biogeographic region and provide the source of its greatest rivers – the Ob and the Irtysh. Three separate areas are inscribed: Altaisky Zapovednik and a buffer zone around Lake Teletskoye; Katunsky Zapovednik and a buffer zone around Mount Belukha; and the Ukok Quiet Zone on the Ukok plateau. The total area covers 1,611,457 ha. The region represents the most complete sequence of altitudinal vegetation zones in central Siberia, from steppe, forest-steppe, mixed forest, subalpine vegetation to alpine vegetation. The site is also an important habitat for endangered animal species such as the snow leopard.

Amiens Cathedral!

Today I received a wonderful swap card from Lexman in France of the Amiens Cathedral! I love to swap cards particularly UNESCO ones with folks from all around the world...particularly of impressive religious buildings like this Cathedral.

Amiens Cathedral

Amiens Cathedral, in the heart of Picardy, is one of the largest 'classic' Gothic churches of the 13th century. It is notable for the coherence of its plan, the beauty of its three-tier interior elevation and the particularly fine display of sculptures on the principal facade and in the south transept. It was inscribed onto the UNESCO WHS list, reference number 162, in 1981.

Pena National Palace!

Another day and another swap card received, this time from JoaoNogueira in Portugal. It is my second swap with him. I sent him a view card of Blenheim Palace, a UNESCO site he is missing, and I received a lovely card of Pena National Palace, part of the UNESCO WHS at Sintra. 

Pena National Palace at Sintra

In the 19th century Sintra became the first centre of European Romantic architecture. Ferdinand II turned a ruined monastery into a castle where this new sensitivity was displayed in the use of Gothic, Egyptian, Moorish and Renaissance elements and in the creation of a park blending local and exotic species of trees. Other fine dwellings, built along the same lines in the surrounding serra , created a unique combination of parks and gardens which influenced the development of landscape architecture throughout Europe. The Pena Palace, high on a peak in the Serra, is a work of pure Romanticism, designed by the Portuguese architect Possidónio da Silva. Within the 19th-century palace are the church, cloister and refectory of the monastery, richly decorated. It was inscribed onto the UNESCO WHS, reference 723, in 1995. 

The Great Wall of China!

Today I received another great swap card, this time from johnson21c in Hong Kong, in trade for a card of the Cornwall and West Devon Landscape. I received a wonderful view of the Great Wall of China. It looks quite a structure!

Great Wall of China

In c. 220 B.C., under Qin Shi Huang, sections of earlier fortifications were joined together to form a united defence system against invasions from the north. Construction continued up to the Ming dynasty (1368–1644), when the Great Wall became the world's largest military structure. Its historic and strategic importance is matched only by its architectural significance. It was inscribed onto the UNESCO WHS list in 1987, reference 438. 

Ohio!

Today, I have received another map card, this time of the state of Ohio in the United States of America from clarajane. I have had the pleasure of visiting the USA and enjoyed my trip a great deal. Never visited Ohio, maybe one day!

Map of Ohio

3 facts about Ohio:

• A midwestern state, also known as the Buckeye state, Ohio was admitted to the Union on 1 March 1803 as the 17th state
• The state symbols include the Scarlet Carnation (flower), Cardinal (bird) and White-tailed Deer (animal)
• Columbus is the state capital, with a metro population of 2.3 million with 11.5 million living across the entire state

The Acropolis of Athens!

So, recently I have been doing a lot of private swaps as I know many people on the Postcrossing site enjoy receiving UNESCO postcards and I visited two districts which are part of the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape (UNESCO WHS #1215) during a holiday to Cornwall. I have received many great postcards in return. Today I received this one from elena944 in Greece of the Acropolis in Athens.

The Acropolis in Athens

The Acropolis of Athens and its monuments are universal symbols of the classical spirit and civilization and form the greatest architectural and artistic complex bequeathed by Greek Antiquity to the world. In the second half of the fifth century BC, Athens, following the victory against the Persians and the establishment of democracy, took a leading position amongst the other city-states of the ancient world. In the age that followed, as thought and art flourished, an exceptional group of artists put into effect the ambitious plans of Athenian statesman Pericles and, under the inspired guidance of the sculptor Pheidias, transformed the rocky hill into a unique monument of thought and the arts. The most important monuments were built during that time: the Parthenon, built by Ictinus, the Erechtheon, the Propylaea, the monumental entrance to the Acropolis, designed by Mnesicles and the small temple Athena Nike. It was inscribed on the UNESCO WHS in 1987, reference #404. 

Map Postcard of Portugal!

I adore certain 'types' of postcard. One type of postcard I enjoy collecting is of maps! Any kind of map, country, state, region, transport, world, maritime...you name it, I like it if it is a map of some kind! Yesterday, I received a private swap card from JoaoNogueira who lives in Portugal of a map of his country.

Map of Portugal

3 facts about Portugal:

• The capital city is Lisbon, on the country's west coast and Porto is the second largest city, in the north of the country.
• Approximately 10.5 million people live in Portugal, with about three-quarters living in coastal areas.
• As of 2013, Portugal has 15 sites inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage Site list, including the culture landscape of Sintra and University of Coimbra.