The Lion of Babylonia | Iraq

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The archaeological site of Babylon is located 85 km south of Baghdad. The Lion of Babylon is a stone sculpture that can be found in this ancient city. The statue was built by the Chaldean Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar II (605-562 BC) and is made out of black basalt stone.

Babylon is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Genghis Khan Statue Complex | Mongolia

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The equestrian statue of Genghis Khan was built in 2008 on the occasion of the eight-hundredth anniversary of the foundation of the Mongolian Empire, in honor of its founder, Genghis Khan.

The largest equestrian statue in the world! The 40 metres high statue stands on a 10-metres high base that is surrounded by 36 columns representing the 36 kings Mongolia experienced during its history.

Canal du Midi | France

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The Canal du Midi is considered a masterpiece of French engineering, linking Toulouse to the Mediterranean via a waterway running for almost 250 kilometres.

Canal du Midi is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Versailles | France

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The Palace of Versailles was the principal residence of the French kings from the time of Louis XIV to Louis XVI. Embellished by several generations of architects, sculptors, decorators and landscape architects, it provided Europe with a model of the ideal royal residence for over a century. (source: whc.unesco.org/en/list/83)

Palace and Park of Versailles is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Xieng Khouane Buddha Park | LAOS

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Xieng Khouane, meaning 'spirit city', is a sculpture park located near Vientiane, capital of Laos. Forget the typical Buddha images seen in temples across Southeast Asia; the Buddha Park near contains over 200 sometimes-menacing statues. A 390-foot-long reclining Buddha is the crown jewel of the collection.

(Thank you SANDD for adding this beautiful non-removable-label!)

Fireworks from Mongolia

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July 1921. In the center of Ulaan-Baatar, the ”hero of the revolution” Damdin Sukhbaatar declares the independence of Mongolia from China.

The Square now bears his name and features a statue of him astride his horse.

==> Wishing you a Happy 2018!!! <==

Senegalese Tirailleurs monument | Senegal

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The Senegalese Tirailleurs were a corps of colonial infantry in the French Army. They were initially recruited from Senegal. Tirailleur means something like riflemen.

The first Senegalese Tirailleurs were formed in 1857 and served France in a number of wars, including World War I

Hanseatic city Helmstedt | Germany

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Helmstedt is a town on the eastern edge of the German state of Lower Saxony. This hitoric city, first mentioned in the year 952, joined the hanseatic league in 1426. For over 400 years, the Hanseatic League played a major role in shaping economies, trade and politics in the North Sea and Baltic Sea.

The University of Helmstedt was a university in Helmstedt that existed from 1576 until 1810. The university was built in the Weser Renaissance style (just like the town hall of Paderborn in the previous post).

Thank you Dustin!  

Holy Trinity Column in Olomouc | Czech

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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.

Genghis Khan Rides Again | Mongolia

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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.

Hanseatic city of Rostock | Germany

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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.’

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

Batu Cave Temple Comlex | Malaysia

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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.

Hanseatic city of Gdansk | Poland

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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.

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Europa stamps 2005 and 2007. 

The Hanseactic city of Braunschweig | Germany

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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.   

The giant Buddha of Kamakura | Japan

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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!

Lantau Island, the Giant Buddha | Hong Kong

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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.

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

Cathedral of Our Lady, Antwerp

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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. 

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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. 

Sofia | София, capital of Bulgaria

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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. 

Porta Macedonia, a triumphal arch in Skopje

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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. 

Easter Island | Isla de Pascua

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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.

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