Callanish Standing Stones | Scotland

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The Callanish Stones are an arrangement of standing stones, erected in the late Neolithic era. The stones were a focus for ritual activity during the Bronze Age. They are located near the village of Callanish on the west coast of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland.

The Outer Hebrides, also known as the Western Isles, is an island chain off the west coast of mainland Scotland. Lewis is the northern part of Lewis and Harris, the largest island of the Outer Hebrides.

Great choice Steve!

Mikynes Lighthouse | Faroe Islands

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The  Faroe Islands are an archipelago of 18 islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, located roughly in the middle between Norway, Scotland, and Iceland. The islands have a total population of about 49,000.

Mykines is the westernmost of the 18 main islands. While cruise ships occasionally stop on Mykines, bringing as many as 500 people on the island at any given time, only 10 people live here year-round. There is a tiny schoolhouse, and it is attended by exactly one child.

Khao Yai National Park | Thailand

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Khao Yai National Park is the third largest national park in Thailand, covering 300 square kilometers; home to more than 800 species of fauna. The park is internationally important for its biodiversity and the conservation of globally threatened and endangered mammal, bird and reptile species.

The park is part of UNESCO World Heritage site “Dong Phayayen-Khao Yai Forest Complex”.

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The long-nosed horned frog. Part of a set of four stamps, issued 2014.

Rohtas Fort | Pakistan

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Rohtas Fort is a garrison fort built in 1541 by the Afghan king Sher Shah Suri, a strategic site in the north of what is now Pakistan. The main fortifications consist of the massive walls, which extend for more than 4 km. The fort has 12 gates and 68 bastions.

 

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Definitive stamp. Muhammad Ali Jinnah (25 December 1876 – 11 September 1948) was a lawyer, politician, and the founder of Pakistan. Jinnah served as leader of the All-India Muslim League from 1913 until Pakistan's creation on 14 August 1947.

Old port of La Rochelle | France

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The old port area of the French city of La Rochelle is dominated by three 14th and 15th century towers that stand tall at the entrance.

 

On the left you see St-Nicolas Tower, once a formidable military building. Forty-two metres high, the inside is a labyrinth of stairs and corridors. On the right, Tour de la Chaine, the oldest one, built between 1382-1390. Not shown is Tower of the Lantern. 

The city was a member of the famous Hanseatic League, an economic alliance of trading cities and their merchant guilds that dominated trade along the coast of Northern Europe. 

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Europa stamp 2016, Think Green!

Guatemala fruits and vegetables market

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Some 97% of fruit and vegetable exports were shipped to the United States, El Salvador, the UK, the Netherlands, Turkey, Italy, Japan and South Korea, according to the Central Bank of Guatemala.

The main markets for fruits were: Italy, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, where 74.3% of the products were sold.

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As you can see I already received this card more than two years ago. 

Pilgrimage Church of Wies | Germany

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The Wieskirche (Pilgrimage Church of Wies) is a beautiful rococo church in Upper Bavaria, Germany, built between 1745 and 1754.

In 1738 the miracle of a crying sculpture resulted in a pilgrimage. Soon a small chapel was built to house the statue. But it was soon too small for the number of pilgrims it attracted. So the building of this church was commissioned in 1745.   

The Church of San Giovanni degli Eremiti | Italy

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San Giovanni degli Eremiti (St. John of the Hermits) is a church in Palermo, Italy. The church is part of the UNESCO World Heritage site “Arab-Norman Palermo and the Cathedral Churches of Cefalú and Monreale”.

Located on the northern coast of Sicily, Arab-Norman Palermo includes a series of nine civil and religious structures dating from the era of the Norman kingdom of Sicily (1130-1194). 

Gelati Monastery | Georgia

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Gelati is a monastic complex in western Georgia, built between the 12th and 17th centuries. 

Together with Bagrati Cathedral, Gelati Monastery is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Both cathedral and monastery represent the flowering of medieval architecture in Georgia.

update juli 2017: UNESCO removed Bagrati Cathedral from its World Heritage sites in 2017, considering its major reconstruction detrimental to its integrity and authenticity.

Pottery from Burundi

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Burundi is famous for its pottery. The Natives of Burundi, the Batwa are the ones which are expert in pottery. The pottery are called inkono.

The potters make pots for cooking and recipients to grow plants. The pots are also used to preserve food. In Burundi, there is always food in the house for a visitor.

Bronze Age Burial Site of Sammallahdenmäki | Finland

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This is not your ordinary pile of rocks. It is actually a burial site dating back to the Bronze age.

Situated on the Gulf of Bothnia, the Bronze Age Burial Site of Sammallahdenmäki forms the largest, most varied and complete burial site from the Scandinavian Bronze Age, 1500-500 B.C.

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Matching stamp! 

City of Safranbolu | Turkey

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Safranbolu is a town located about 200 kilometers north of Ankara. The name of the town derives from 'saffron' and the Greek word 'polis'(meaning city), since Safranbolu was a trading place and a center for growing saffron.

The City of Safranbolu is a UNESCO World Heritage site because of its well preserved Ottoman era houses and architecture.

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Part of a set of four stamps about Local Food of the Eastern Region (2016).

Serra do Mar | Brazil

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Serra do Mar is a 1,500km long system of mountain ranges and escarpments in Southeastern Brazil.

Serro do Mar is part of the buffer zone of the UNESCO World Heritage site Atlantic Forest South-East Reserves. The 25 protected areas that make up the site, contain some of the best and most extensive examples of Atlantic forests. But being the buffer zone I do not mark it as Unesco.

The Grand Place, Brussels | Belgium

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The Grand Place is the central square of Brussels, Belgium. Every two years in August, an enormous "flower carpet" is set up in the Grand Place for a few days. A million colourful flowers are set up in patterns, and the display covers an area of 1,800 square metres.

The square is surrounded by a remarkably homogeneous body of public and private buildings, dating mainly from the late 17th century. La Grand-Place is a UNESCO World Heritage site.  

Hospital de Sant Pau | Spain

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The Hospital de Sant Pau in Barcelona is a complex built between 1901 and 1930. It was a fully functioning hospital until June 2009. Today it functions as a cultural center. The origins of this hospital date back to early 15th century.

Together with Palau de la Música Catalana, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Bordeaux, Place de la Bourse | France

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Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in southwestern France. Located in the historic city centre, Place de la Bourse is one of the most recognizable squares of Bordeaux. It was built from 1730 to 1775.

Did you know that Bordeaux has more protected buildings than any other French city except Paris? Some 1,810 hectares of Bordeaux are listed a UNESCO World Heritage site.

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Euromed is a regional postal union of countries in the Mediterranean area, established in 2011. Also known as the Postal Union for the Mediterranean (Euromed Postal). This year the joint issue theme is dedicated to the “Fish of the Mediterranean”. 

Greetings from Bahamas

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The Bahamas is a country consisting of more than 3,000 islands, in the Atlantic Ocean, north of Cuba and Hispaniola.

“It’s quite literally heaven on Earth here. Just take one look at any of our breathtaking beaches, said to be sandier than most beaches in the region. Miles of pink or pure white powdery sand. Endless crystal-clear turquoise waves rolling onto the shore. And when you step into the ocean, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by how clear the water is. You’ll see everything. Even your toes.”

Aksum | Ethiopia

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The ruins of the ancient city of Aksum are found close to Ethiopia's northern border. They mark the location of the heart of ancient Ethiopia, when the Kingdom of Aksum was the most powerful state between the Eastern Roman Empire and Persia.

The massive ruins, dating from between the 1st and the 13th century, include monolithic obelisks, royal tombs and the ruins of ancient castles.

Aksum is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

St Kilda islands | United Kingdom

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St Kilda is an isolated archipelago in the North Atlantic Ocean. It contains the westernmost islands of the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. The islands form the most important seabird breeding station in north-west Europe.

St Kilda was once home to Britain’s most isolated community. The St Kildans lived in a village on Hirta, the largest island in the archipelago. But the life on these islands was hard and the population declined. In 1930 the remaining 36 islanders requested evacuation to the mainland.   

                                                              Thx Steve!

The Imperial Citadel of Thang Long | Vietnam

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The Thang Long Imperial Citadel was built in the 11th century by the Ly Viet Dynasty. It was constructed on the remains of a Chinese fortress dating from the 7th century. The centre of regional political power for almost 13 centuries without interruption.

On the card you see the 33 m tall Hanoi Flag Tower, built in 1812 as an observation post to the Hanoi Citadel.

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The stamp depicts another UNESCO World Heritage site: Complex of Hué Monuments.

Fort Boyard | France

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Fort Boyard is a fort located between the islands of Aix and Oléron on the west coast of France. The fort was built to protect the harbors. Plans to build a fort date back to the 17th century but construction started in 1801 and lasted for 10 years.

In 1871 the fort was temporarily in use a prison. The fort was abandoned early 20th century. Today Fort Boyard is the location for a TV show.  

Dry Tortugas National Park | USA

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Halfway between Florida and Cuba in the Gulf of Mexico lies the remote Dry Tortugas National Park. The 100-square mile park is mostly open water with seven small islands. Spanish explorer Ponce de León gave the Dry Tortugas their name on his first visit in 1513. 

Fort Jefferson is located on Garden Key, the second largest island in the Dry Tortugas. Construction of the fort started in 1846 but was never completed. For some time the fort served as a prison.  

Lahore Fort | Pakistan

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The Lahore Fort is a citadel in the city of Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. Alamgiri Gate, in the west of the fortification wall, was build in 1673 by emperor Aurangzeb Alamgir who ruled from 1658 to 1707 AD.

The Lahore Fort is part of Unesco World Heritage site “Fort and Shalamar Gardens in Lahore”.  

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A stamp to celebrate 660th jubilee of Amir Temur (issued 1997). Read more about this fierce ruler in this blogpost. 

Echmiatsin Cathedral | Armenia

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Echmiatsin Cathedral is the mother church of the Armenian Apostolic Church, located in the city of Vagharshapat, Armenia. The city was officially known as Echmiatsin between 1945 and 1995 and is the fourth-largest city in Armenia.

The cathedral is part of the UNESCO World Heritage site inscribed as “Cathedral and Churches of Echmiatsin and the Archaeological Site of Zvartnots”.

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Khachkar of Mastara. Part of a set two stamps (2014), dedicated to Armenian cross-stones art. Khachkars are outdoor steles carved from stone by craftspeople in Armenia and communities in the Armenian diaspora. 

Mount Cook | New Zealand

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Mount Cook is New Zealand's highest mountain, with a height of 3,754 metres. The park is located on the country’s South Island.

Mount Cook National Park is part of Unesco World Heritage site “Te Wahipounamu – South West New Zealand”. The other three national parks that comprises this site are Fiordland, Mount Aspiring and Westland.