Greece: Molivddoskepastou Monastery

The Monastery of Panagia Molyvdoskepastos is a male Greek Orthodox monastery at Molyvdoskepastos, near Konitsa, Epirus, in North Western Greece. According to an inscription of 1561, the monastery was founded in the 7th century by Emperor Constantine Pogonatos (r. 641–668), to whom the establishment of the Archbishopric of Pogoniani is also attributed.

 Thanks to Monika who was visiting Greece.

Greece: Philippi

Philippi was a major Greek city northwest of the nearby island, Thasos. Its original name was Crenides after its establishment by Thasian colonists in 360/359 BC. The city was renamed by Philip II of Macedon in 356 BC and abandoned in the 14th century after the Ottoman conquest. The archaeological site was classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2016 because of its exceptional Roman architecture, its urban layout as a smaller reflection of Rome itself, and its importance in early Christianity.

 Thanks to Ms Monika who was visiting Greece.

Spain: Menorca

Menorca is one of the Balearic Islands located in the Mediterranean Sea belonging to Spain. The island is known for its collection of megalithic stone monuments: navetes, taules and talaiots, which indicate very early prehistoric human activity. Some of the earliest culture on Menorca was influenced by other Mediterranean cultures, including the Greek Minoans of ancient Crete.

 

Thanks to Ms Jordi

South Korea: Namhansanseong

Namhansanseong is a historic Korean fortress city in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the fortress lies atop the mountain Namhansan and stretches 12 km in length. It served as an emergency capital city during the 1392–1910 Joseon period.

 Thanks to Ms Ainu.

Belgium: Tyne Cot Cemetry

Tyne Cot Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery and Memorial to the Missing is a Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) burial ground for the dead of World War I in the Ypres Salient on the Western Front. It is the largest cemetery for Commonwealth forces in the world, for any war. The cemetery and its surrounding memorial are located outside Passendale, near Zonnebeke in Belgium.

Thanks to Ms Gerda

 

Tunisia: Thysdrus

Thysdrus was a Carthaginian town and Roman colony near present-day El Djem, Tunisia. Under the Romans, it was the center of olive oil production in the provinces of Africa and Byzacena and was quite prosperous. The surviving amphitheater is a World Heritage Site.

Thanks to Ms Veerle.

 

South Korea: Seowon

Seowon were the most common educational institutions of Korea during the Joseon Dynasty. They were private institutions, and combined the functions of a Confucian shrine and a Confucian school. In educational terms, the seowon were primarily occupied with preparing young men for the national civil service examinations. In most cases, seowon served only pupils of the aristocratic yangban class. On 6 July 2019, UNESCO recognized a collection of nine seowon as World Heritage Sites.

 

Thanks to Ms Ainu.

Tunisia: Carthage

Carthage was an ancient city in Northern Africa, on the eastern side of the Lake of Tunis in what is now Tunisia. Carthage was one of the most important trading hubs of the Ancient Mediterranean and one of the most affluent cities of the classical world. It became the capital city of the civilization of Ancient Carthage and later Roman Carthage. The open-air Carthage Paleo-Christian Museum has exhibits excavated under the auspices of UNESCO from 1975 to 1984. The site of the ruins is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

 

Thanks to Ms Veerle.

Russia: The Zolotoy Bridge

The Zolotoy Bridge ('Golden Bridge') is a cable-stayed bridge across the Zolotoy Rog (Golden Horn Bay) in Vladivostok, Russia. This bridge over Golden Horn Bay made it possible to travel from the centre of Vladivostok to the remote Churkin Cape in only 5–10 minutes instead of the usual 1.5–2 hours.

 Thanks to Ms Irina

Peru: Lima

Lima, the capital of Peru, lies on the country's arid Pacific coast. Though its colonial center is preserved, it's a bustling metropolis and one of South America’s largest cities. It's home to the Museo Larco collection of pre-Columbian art and the Museo de la Nación, tracing the history of Peru’s ancient civilizations. The Plaza de Armas and the 16th-century cathedral are the heart of old Lima Centro.

 Thanks to Ms Cery.

Costa Rica: Three Toed Sloth

The three-toed or three-fingered sloths are arboreal neotropical mammals. They are the only members of the genus Bradypus (meaning "slow-footed") and the family Bradypodidae. The five living species of three-toed sloths are the brown-throated sloth, the maned sloth, the pale-throated sloth, the southern maned sloth, and the pygmy three-toed sloth.

Thanks to Shirley.

Slovenia: Ptuj

Ptuj is the oldest recorded city in Slovenia, it has been inhabited since the late Stone Age and developed from a Roman military fort, located at a strategically important crossing of the Drava River along a prehistoric trade route between the Baltic Sea and the Adriatic.

 Thanks to Ms Vesna

Sri Lanka: Polonnaruwa

The second-oldest of all Sri Lanka's kingdoms, Polonnaruwa was first established as a military post by the Sinhalese kingdom. It was renamed Jananathamangalam by the Chola dynasty after their successful invasion of the country's then capital, Anuradhapura, in the 10th century. The Ancient City of Polonnaruwa has been declared a World Heritage Site.

 

France: Maison Carree

The Maison carrée is an ancient Roman temple in Nîmes, southern France; it is one of the best-preserved Roman temples to survive in the territory of the former Roman Empire. It is a mid-sized Augustan provincial temple of the Imperial cult, a caesareum.

 

Thanks to Ms Nadia

South Korea: Wanggung-ri

The Archaeological Site in Wanggung-ri  refers to the remains of a Baekje-era palace and temple in Wanggung-ri, Wanggung-myeon, Iksan, South Korea. In 2015, it was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as part of the item Baekje Historic Areas.

 Thanks to Ms Ainu. Stamp used. Extreme Right- 2010: Saekdongeolgul (Visit Korea). Center- 1991:Korean Mouth Organ. 

Chile: Aymara women and Llama

The Aymara or Aimara people are an indigenous people in the Andes and Altiplano regions of South America. Approximately 2.3 million Aymara live in northwest Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, and Peru.

The llama is a domesticated South American camelid, widely used as a meat and pack animal by Andean cultures since the pre-Columbian era. In Aymara mythology, llamas are important beings. The Heavenly Llama is said to drink water from the ocean and urinates as it rains.

Thanks to Hernan. He has used

Left        2021     Antarctic Nation                          Taken from set of two

Top        2014     50 years of Nuclear Energy         Taken from Set of 2

Center    2013    Cartography, Map of Santiago     Taken from set of 6       

Chile: Artillería Funicular Railway

The Ascensor Artillería is one of the 16 funicular railways located in the Chilean city of Valparaíso. It links the "plan" (flat area) of the city with the Artillería hill, and is privately owned. The line runs all year.

Thanks to Hernan. He has used four attractive stamps on the card. 

1. Extreme right     2021    Antarctic Nations                                   one from set of 2

2. Blue stamp        2014   50 years of Nuclear Energy in Chile       one from set of 2

3. Top center         2013    Cartography, Map of Santiago                one from set of 6

4. Left                   2018   Christmas                                                 one from set of 5

SriLanka: Cave Temple, Dambulla

Dambulla is the largest and best-preserved cave temple complex in Sri Lanka. The rock towers 160 m over the surrounding plains. There are more than 80 documented caves in the surrounding area. Major attractions are spread over five caves, which contain statues and paintings. These paintings and statues are related to Gautama Buddha and his life. There are a total of 153 Buddha statues, three statues of Sri Lankan kings and four statues of gods and goddesses. The latter include Vishnu and the Ganesha.

Thanks to Ms Pritika. She has used two stamps. One on the right is 2024 stamp on '150 years of UPU'and one on the left is taken from set of 8 on SriLankan Flowers showing Schumacheria Alnifolia.
This flower is endemic to SriLanka and critically endangered.

Slovenia: Julian Alps

The Julian Alps are a mountain range of the Southern Limestone Alps that stretch from northeastern Italy to Slovenia, where they rise to 2,864 m at Mount Triglav, the highest peak in Slovenia. A large part of the Julian Alps is included in Triglav National Park.

Thanks to Dr Kiran Acharya who visited Slovenia. He has used one stamp from set of 4 on Lilies.The stamp shows Madonna Lily.

Switzerland: Musuem of Design, Zurich

The Museum of Design, Zürich is a museum for industrial design, visual communication, architecture, and craft in Zurich, Switzerland. The museum is part of the Department of Cultural Analysis of the Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK). The museum's four extensive collections (Poster, Graphics, Design and Applied Art) are of international importance.

 Thanks to Dr Kiran Acharya who was visiting Switzerland. He has used a definitive from Dawn by Nature series with airmail attach label. The stamp features Old world Swallowtail butterfly.