Rideau Canal, Ottawa, Canada

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Ottawa is the capital of Canada. The city is situated on the south bank of the Ottawa River, and contains the mouths of the Rideau River and the Rideau Canal. The canal was opened in 1832 as a precaution in case of war with the United States. It remains in use today primarily for pleasure boating. It is the oldest continuously operated canal system in North America, and in 2007 it was registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Stamps

The two corner stamps are from an 2013 issue “ Canadian Pride”. The stamp in the middle is a Queen Elizabeth II definitive. 

Public Transport in Cyprus

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At least until the late 1980s, villages in parts of Cyprus were served by old Bedford buses. Nowadays still in use for weddings or events.

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London olympics 2012.

Arc de Triomphe.... from Moldova

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Chișinău is the capital and largest city of the Republic Moldova. Built of white stone this triumphal arch is similar in design to Paris’ Arc de Triomphe but much smaller. The triumphal arch was built in 1841 as a gift from the Russian Tsar Nikolai I. It is a symbol of the victory of Russia over Turkey in the war of 1806-1812 and the liberation of the territory between the Dniester and Prut rivers.

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In 2013 Moldova isseud two Europa stamps themed “postal vehicles”.

Mansouri Great Mosque, Tripoli, Lebanon

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The Great Mosque of Tripoli was built around the year 1300. The Mansouri Mosque was named after the Mamluk sultan al-Mansur Qalawun, who conquered Tripoli from the Crusaders in 1289.

Mamlūk, also spelled Mameluke, are slave warriors of medieval Islam who overthrew their masters, defeated the Mongols and the Crusaders and established a dynasty that lasted three hundred years.

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Lebanese singer Nouhad Wadi Haddad, known as Fayrouz (1935), the Jewel of Lebanon.

Bishkek, capital of Kyrgyzstan

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Kyrgyzstan, is a landlocked republic in the eastern part of Central Asia which is bordered in the north by Kazakhstan, in the east by China, in the south by China and Tajikistan, and in the west by Uzbekistan. Bishkek is the capital and largest city. Kyrgyzstan is a mountainous country,  more than half of Kyrgyzstan lies at an elevation higher than 2,500 m.

Ala-Too Square is Bishkek`s square located in the heart of the city, where all the important urban agencies and organizations are concentrated: the Government House, the city council, universities, business centers.

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2006 FIFA World Cup Germany.

Peel Castle, Isle of Man

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The Isle of Man is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland. The Isle of Man is home to about 80,000 people.

Peel Castle is situated on St Patrick’s Isle. Originally a place of worship before becoming the fort of Magnus Barefoot – an 11th century Viking King of Mann.

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A label.

Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque | جامع الشيخ زايد الكبير , Abu Dhabi

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The majestic Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is located in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. This architectural work of art is one of the world’s largest mosques, with a capacity for an astonishing 41,000 worshippers. It features 82 domes, over a 1,000 columns, 24 carat gold gilded chandeliers and the world's largest hand knotted carpet. The mosque was initiated by the late President of UAE, HH Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. 

 

Stamps

Joint stamp set commemorating Arab Postal Day 2008, which highlights cooperation and communication among Arab States in the field of postal services.

Thx Salah, his blog: http://asdfpostcrossing.blogspot.nl/

Temple of Heaven | 天坛: an Imperial Sacrificial Altar in Beijing

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The Temple of Heaven in the southern part of Beijing is China's largest existing complex of ancient sacrificial buildings.

Built in 1420, the complex was visited by the Emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties for annual ceremonies of prayer to Heaven for good harvest. The principle buildings include the Altar of Prayer for Good Harvests, Imperial Vault of Heaven and Circular Mound Altar.

The Temple of Heaven is a UNESCO WHS site.

 

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(left) Xinjiang Ground Jay

(right) The stamp is one out of a set of eight stamps about fish that live only in the South China Sea. 

A postcard from... the Marshall Islands

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The Marshall Islands covers nearly a million square miles of picturesque islands, thriving coral atolls, and crystal clear blue waters. Located in the northern Pacific Ocean, the islands share maritime boundaries with the Federated States of Micronesia to the west, Wake Island to the north, Kiribati to the south-east, and Nauru to the south.

Bikini Atoll is one of the 29 atolls and five islands that compose the Marshall Islands. In 1946, Bikini Atoll was the first site in the Marshall Islands used for nuclear-weapon testing by the United States.

  

Marshall Islanders are known throughout the Pacific and the world for their friendly and peaceful nature. A large part of the Marshallese culture is reflected in their traditional handicrafts (Amimono). These handicrafts are very unique and are produced by some of the finest weavers in the Pacific. Handicrafts are an important part of the economy of Marshall Islands.

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In January 2012, the Marshall Islands Postal Service issued seven stamps featuring Marine Animals. This one pictures a Long-nosed Butterflyfish.

A city for everyone: Parakou, Benin

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Benin is a country in West Africa. The postcard is sent from Parakou, the largest city in eastern Benin. The word Parakou means ‘a city for everyone’ and is derived from a local tribal word.

Some of the industries that are the foundation of Parakou’s economy are the cotton, textile and peanut oil industries.

Throughout Benin there are many open-air markets where people sell all kinds of goods, fruits and vegetables.

 

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The Zinkaka monkey, a severely endangered endemic species from South Benin.

Japan's highest mountain: Mount Fuji | 富士山

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Mount Fuji is with 3,776 meters Japan's highest mountain is located outside Tokyo on the island of Honshu. The nearly perfectly shaped volcano has been worshiped as a sacred mountain throughout the centuries. Mount Fuji is an active volcano, which most recently erupted in 1708.

The nickname of Mount Fuji is Konohana-Sakuahime which means "causing the blossom to bloom brightly," which referring to pink cherry blossoms which frame the snow-white mountain in the spring season.

In June 2010 Mt. Fuji was recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

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Hanshin Koshien Stadium. The stadium was built to host the national high school baseball tournaments, and opened on August 1, 1924.

Elephants at Mount Kilimanjaro

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With 6,000 meters, Mount Kilimanjaro is both Africa’s tallest mountain and the world's highest solitary peak. Mt Kilimanjaro is composed of three distinct volcanic cones. The 756-square-kilometer Kilimanjaro National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and is one of the few places on earth that encompasses every ecological life zone including tropical jungle, savannah, and desert to montane forests, subalpine plants, and the alpine zone above timberline.

 

Since 1912 the mountain has lost 82% of its ice cap and since 1962 55% of its remaining glaciers. The mountain is forecast to lose its ice cap within 20 years. This may be local evidence of climate warming but may also be due to the loss of humidity caused by deforestation and clearing for farms.

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Zanzibar attractions Series II, Ngalawa sailing off the Jambian coast. The Ngalawa is a traditional, double-outrigger canoe of the Swahili people living in Zanzibar and the Tanzanian coast.  

St Barnabas Monastery, Famagusta, Northern Cyprus

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Famagusta is a city on the east coast of Cyprus. It is the ‘de facto’ capital of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, which is only recognized by Turkey.

St Barnabas, a Cypriot Jew, was one of the earliest Christian disciples in Jerusalem. He was one of the founders of the independent Greek Orthodox church, and is the patron saint of Cyprus.

The building that we see today dates from the 1750s. Once the centre of the Cyprus Orthodox church, the monastery is still in good condition. The monastery of St Barnabas is very important to the Orthodox Church, and is considered a place of pilgrimage. 

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In 2012 Northern Cyprus issued a set of two Europa stamps. Stamps issued by Northern Cyprus aren't recognized on an international level. Mail sent from TRNC is handled by Turkish mail.

The Island of Lefkada | Lefkas: Katsiki beach

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The Ionian Islands are a group of islands in Greece. The seven main islands are Corfu, Paxos,  Lefkada, Ithaca, Kefalonia, Zakynthos and Cythera. But the group includes many smaller islands.

One of the most famous beaches on Lefkada island, Porto Katsiki is really unique for the strange shape and formation of its coast. An amazing white-sand beach is hidden right below the steep slopes.

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In 2012 Greek post issued a set of 6 stamps about popular outdoor activities. This stamp pictures kayaking on the Acheron River.