Cote d'Ivoire - Guinea - Mount Nimba Strict Nature Reserve

"Located on the borders of Guinea, Liberia and Côte d’Ivoire, Mount Nimba rises above the surrounding savannah. Its slopes are covered by dense forest at the foot of grassy mountain pastures. They harbour an especially rich flora and fauna, with endemic species such as the viviparous toad and chimpanzees that use stones as tools." Source: UNESCO World Heritage

Postcard 1 - Guinea Mont Nimba

Mont Nimba is a UNESCO World Heritage in Guinea. Postmarked Feb 4, 2014. Thanks to Madeleine for mailing from Republique de Guinee with two nice stamps.

Postcard 2 - Guinea Nimba
A limited print postcard made in Europe of Guinea Nount Nimba. Thanks to Inigo of Spain.

Italy - The Dolomites

"The site of the Dolomites comprises a mountain range in the northern Italian Alps, numbering 18 peaks which rise to above 3,000 metres and cover 141,903 ha. It features some of the most beautiful mountain landscapes anywhere, with vertical walls, sheer cliffs and a high density of narrow, deep and long valleys. A serial property of nine areas that present a diversity of spectacular landscapes of international significance for geomorphology marked by steeples, pinnacles and rock walls, the site also contains glacial landforms and karst systems. It is characterized by dynamic processes with frequent landslides, floods and avalanches. The property also features one of the best examples of the preservation of Mesozoic carbonate platform systems, with fossil records." Source: UNESCO World Heritage

Postcard 1
Dolomiti - view from Rio Antermont, Italy with a nice reflection. Postmarked in Verona, Italy. Thanks to Olga of Russia who was visiting the Dolomites, Italy.

Postcard 2

I saw the Dolomites when travelling from Italy to Austria. Incredible mountain views. Beautiful Italian stamps used. Thanks to Lamberto of Belluno, Italy.

Canada - Nahanni National Park

"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." 

Source: UNESCO World Heritage

Postcard 1
The Gate, Third Canyon of Nahanni National Park. Thanks to Jean-Claude of USA.

Postcard 2

Virginia Falls of Nahanni National Park, Canada. Thanks to Jean-Claude of USA

Germany - Bauhaus and its Sites in Weimar and Dessau

"Between 1919 and 1933, the Bauhaus School, based first in Weimar and then in Dessau, revolutionized architectural and aesthetic concepts and practices. The buildings put up and decorated by the school's professors (Walter Gropius, Hannes Meyer, Laszlo Moholy-Nagy and Wassily Kandinsky) launched the Modern Movement, which shaped much of the architecture of the 20th century." Source: UNESCO World Heritage

Postcard 1 - Weimar
Bauhas Weimar. Thanks to Anja of Germany.

Postcard 2 - Dessau

Multi-view of Bauhausbauten in Dessau-Rosslau. Nice stamps used. Thanks to Brigitte of Germany.

Ethiopia - Rock-Hewn Churches, Lalibela

"The 11 medieval monolithic cave churches of this 13th-century 'New Jerusalem' are situated in a mountainous region in the heart of Ethiopia near a traditional village with circular-shaped dwellings. Lalibela is a high place of Ethiopian Christianity, still today a place of pilmigrage and devotion.

There are two main groups of churches – to the north of the river Jordan:
Biete Medhani Alem (House of the Saviour of the World), Biete Mariam (House of Mary), Biete Maskal (House of the Cross), Biete Denagel (House of Virgins), Biete Golgotha Mikael (House of Golgotha Mikael); 

and to the south of the river, 
Biete Amanuel (House of Emmanuel), Biete Qeddus Mercoreus (House of St. Mercoreos), Biete Abba Libanos (House of Abbot Libanos), Biete Gabriel Raphael (House of Gabriel Raphael), and Biete Lehem (House of Holy Bread). 

The eleventh church, Biete Ghiorgis (House of St. George), is isolated from the others, but connected by a system of trenches" 

Source: UNESCO World Heritage

Postcard 1 - House of Emmanuel
Lalibela Rock-hewn Church Bet Emmnuel, Ethiopia. Thanks to Abbas of India-Nigeria for mailing this postcard with three stamps from Ethiopia.

Postcard 2 - House of St Georges

Bet Giorgis, Lalibela is a UNESCO World Heritage in Ethiopia. Postcard written in Lalibelia on August 10, 2011 and arrived in Penang on September 15, 2011. Thanks to Jordi of Spain.

Postcard 3

Priest at Lalibela, Ethiopia. Thanks to DAO of England for this colorful Ethiopian postcard.

Poland - Ukraine - Wooden Tserkvas of the Carpathian Region in Poland and Ukraine

"Situated in the eastern fringe of eastern Europe, the transnational property numbers a selection of 16 tserkvas, churches, built of horizontal wooden logs between the 16th and 19th centuries by communities of the Eastern Orthodox and Greek Catholic faiths. They represent the cultural expression of four ethnographic groups and the formal, decorative and technical characteristics they developed over time. The tserkvas bear testimony to a distinct building tradition rooted in Orthodox ecclesiastic design interwoven with elements of local tradition, and symbolic references to their communities’ cosmogony. The tserkvas are built on a tri-partite plan surmounted by open quadrilateral or octagonal domes and cupolas. They feature wooden bell towers, iconostasis screens, and interior polychrome decorations as well as churchyards, gatehouses and graveyards.



POLAND:
- Brunary Wyżne-Tserkva of Saint Michael the Archangel
- Chotyniec-Tserkva of the Birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary
- Kwiatoń-Tserkva of Saint Paraskeva
- Owczary-Tserkva of Our Lady’s Protection
- Powroźnik-Tserkva of Saint James the Less, the Apostle
- Radruż-Tserkva of Saint Paraskeva
- Smolnik-Tserkva of Saint Michael the Archangel
- Turzańsk-Tserkva of Saint Michael the Archangel

UKRAINE:
- Drohobych-Tserkva of Saint George
- Matkiv-Tserkva of the Synaxis of the Blessed Virgin Mary
- Nyzhniy Verbizh-Tserkva of the Nativity of  Blessed Virgin Mary
- Potelych-Tserkva of the Descent of the Holy Spirit
- Rohatyn-Tserkva of the Descent of the Holy Spirit
- Uzhok-Tserkva of the Synaxis of the Archangel Michael
- Yasynia-Tserkva of Our Lord’s Ascension
- Zhovkva-Tserkva of the Holy Trinity"

Source: UNESCO World Heritage

Postcard 1 - Ukraine - Saint George

Saint George of Drohobych of Ukraine. Thanks to Olesya of Ukraine.

Postcard 2 - Poland - Turzansk - Saint Michael

Saint Michael of Turzansk Tserkva of Poland. Thanks to Joanna of Poland.

Postcard 3 - Poland - Smolnik - Saint Michael

Saint Michael of Smolnik n. Sanem. Thanks to Boguslaw of Poland.

Turkey - Great Mosque and Hospital of Divriği

"This region of Anatolia was conquered by the Turks at the beginning of the 11th century. In 1228–29 Emir Ahmet Shah founded a mosque, with its adjoining hospital, at Divrigi. The mosque has a single prayer room and is crowned by two cupolas. The highly sophisticated technique of vault construction, and a creative, exuberant type of decorative sculpture – particularly on the three doorways, in contrast to the unadorned walls of the interior – are the unique features of this masterpiece of Islamic architecture." Source: UNESCO World Heritage

A multi-view of Divrigi Great Mosque and Hospital. Thanks to Pinar of Turkey.

Chile - Sewell Mining Town

Situated at 2,000 m in the Andes, 60 km to the east of Rancagua, in an environment marked by extremes of climate, Sewell Mining Town was built by the Braden Copper company in 1905 to house workers at what was to become the world’s largest underground copper mine, El Teniente. It is an outstanding example of the company towns that were born in many remote parts of the world from the fusion of local labour and resources from an industrialized nation, to mine and process high-value natural resources. The town was built on a terrain too steep for wheeled vehicles around a large central staircase rising from the railway station. Along its route formal squares of irregular shape with ornamental trees and plants constituted the main public spaces or squares of the town. The buildings lining the streets are timber, often painted in vivid green, yellow, red and blue. At its peak Sewell numbered 15,000 inhabitants, but was largely abandoned in the 1970s. Source: UNESCO World Heritage

Postcard 1
A nice view of Sewell, Chile. Thanks to Shinta of Indonesia for this Chile postcard.

Postcard 2

View of Campamento Sewell, Chile. A limited print postcard made in Europe. Thanks to Inigo of Spain.

Chile - Historic Quarter of the Seaport City of Valparaíso

"The colonial city of Valparaíso presents an excellent example of late 19th-century urban and architectural development in Latin America. In its natural amphitheatre-like setting, the city is characterized by a vernacular urban fabric adapted to the hillsides that are dotted with a great variety of church spires. It contrasts with the geometrical layout utilized in the plain. The city has well preserved its interesting early industrial infrastructures, such as the numerous ‘elevators’ on the steep hillsides." Source: UNESCO World Heritage

Postcard 1
Nice postcard of Area Historica de la ciudad puerto de Valparaiso with UNESCO and UNESCO World Heritage logos. Thanks to Shinta for this Chile postcard.

Postcard 2

Colorful Valparaiso, Chile. Thanks to Shinta of Indonesia for this Chile postcard.

Postcard 3

Hill elevators of Valparaiso. Nice stamps used. Thanks to Hernan of Chile.





Postcard 4
Bahia de Valparaiso, Chile. View of Yungay Hill, the Bay of Valpariaso and in the background, the city of Vina del Mar. Thanks to Jenny.

Chile - Rapa Nui National Park

"Rapa Nui, the indigenous name of Easter Island, bears witness to a unique cultural phenomenon. A society of Polynesian origin that settled there c. A.D. 300 established a powerful, imaginative and original tradition of monumental sculpture and architecture, free from any external influence. From the 10th to the 16th century this society built shrines and erected enormous stone figures known as moai, which created an unrivalled cultural landscape that continues to fascinate people throughout the world." Source: UNESCO World Heritage

Postcard 1
Moais of Rapai Nui - Easter Island. Thanks to Shinta of Indonesia for this Chile postcard.

Postcard 2

Map of Rapa Nui- Easter Island. Chile. Postmarked Septeber 1, 2010 and arrived in Penang on September 22, 2010. Thanks to Norman of Arizona, USA who was visiting Rapa Nui.





Postcard 3
A wonderful postcard of Easter Island (Rupa Nui or Isla de Pascua) of Chile. It was sent on November 7, 2008 and arrived two months later in my mailbox. Worth the wait. Thanks so much to Shirene of Singapore who went to Easter Island.





Postcard 4
One of my dream postcards came true when I received this spectacular postcard sent from Easter Island in the South Pacific Ocean off Chile. Such beautiful stamps. Thanks so much Leyle.

Argentina - Ischigualasto / Talampaya Natural Parks

"These two contiguous parks, extending over 275,300 ha in the desert region on the western border of the Sierra Pampeanas of central Argentina, contain the most complete continental fossil record known from the Triassic Period (245-208 million years ago). Six geological formations in the parks contain fossils of a wide range of ancestors of mammals, dinosaurs and plants revealing the evolution of vertebrates and the nature of palaeo-environments in the Triassic Period." Source: UNESCO World Heritage

Postcard 1
Multi-view of Ischigualasto - Valley of La Luna, San Juan. Thanks to Ruben of Argentina.

Postcard 2

Valle de la Luna (San Juan) of Parque Provincial Ischigualasto, Argentina. Thanks to Nicole of Germany who visited Argentina and bought this postcard.

Postcard 3

Multi-view postcard showing La Catedral of Talampaya, La Rioja (bottom left) and El Hongo of Ischigualasto - Valle de la Luna, San Juan (bottom right). Thanks to Monica of Argentina.

Switzerland - La Chaux-de-Fonds / Le Locle, watchmaking town planning

"The site of La Chaux-de-Fonds / Le Locle watchmaking town-planning consists of two towns situated close to one another in a remote environment in the Swiss Jura mountains, on land ill-suited to farming. Their planning and buildings reflect watchmakers’ need of rational organization. Planned in the early 19th century, after extensive fires, the towns owed their existence to this single industry. Their layout along an open-ended scheme of parallel strips on which residential housing and workshops are intermingled reflects the needs of the local watchmaking culture that dates to the 17th century and is still alive today. The site presents outstanding examples of mono-industrial manufacturing-towns which are well preserved and still active. The urban planning of both towns has accommodated the transition from the artisanal production of a cottage industry to the more concentrated factory production of the late 19th and 20th centuries. The town of La Chaux-de-Fonds was described by Karl Marx as a “huge factory-town” in Das Kapital where he analyzed the division of labour in the watchmaking industry of the Jura." Source: UNESCO World Heritage

Postcards 1 - Le Locle
Aerial town view of Le Locle. Thanks to Joanna of Switzerland.

Postcard 2 - Le Chaux-de-Fonds

Aerial view of La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland. This postcard is the 10th Swiss UNESCO World Heritage site and completes my Switzerland UNESCO WHS collection. Thanks to YL who visited this watch making town and mailed this nice postcard.