1525 RU - Assumption Cathedral and Monastery of the town-island of Sviyazhsk (2017)

Assumption Cathedral and Monastery of the town-island of Sviyazhsk

"The Assumption Cathedral is located in the town-island of Sviyazhsk and is part of the monastery of the same name. Situated at the confluence of the Volga, the Sviyaga and the Shchuka rivers, at the crossroads of the Silk and Volga routes, Sviyazhsk was founded by Ivan the Terrible in 1551. It was from this outpost that he initiated the conquest of the Kazan Khanate. The Assumption Monastery illustrates in its location and architectural composition the political and missionary programme developed by Tsar Ivan IV to extend the Moscow state. The cathedral’s frescoes are among the rarest examples of Eastern Orthodox mural paintings."

Source UNESCO WH website http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1525

Courtesy of verooro from postcrossing forum

981 RU - Bolgar Historical and Archaeological Complex (2014)

Bolgar Historical and Archaeological Complex  

"This property lies on the shores of the Volga River, south of its confluence with the River Kama, and south of the capital of Tatarstan, Kazan. It contains evidence of the medieval city of Bolgar, an early settlement of the civilization of Volga-Bolgars, which existed between the 7th and 15th centuries AD, and was the first capital of the Golden Horde in the 13th century. Bolgar represents the historical cultural exchanges and transformations of Eurasia over several centuries that played a pivotal role in the formation of civilizations, customs and cultural traditions. The property provides remarkable evidence of historic continuity and cultural diversity. It is a symbolic reminder of the acceptance of Islam by the Volga-Bolgars in AD 922 and remains a sacred pilgrimage destination to the Tatar Muslims."

Source UNESCO WH website http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/981

Courtesy of verooro from postcrossing forum

1513 IN - Khangchendzonga National Park (2016)

Khangchendzonga National Park
"Located at the heart of the Himalayan range in northern India (State of Sikkim), the Khangchendzonga National Park includes a unique diversity of plains, valleys, lakes, glaciers and spectacular, snow-capped mountains covered with ancient forests, including the world’s third highest peak, Mount Khangchendzonga. Mythological stories are associated with this mountain and with a great number of natural elements (caves, rivers, lakes, etc.) that are the object of worship by the indigenous people of Sikkim. The sacred meanings of these stories and practices have been integrated with Buddhist beliefs and constitute the basis for Sikkimese identity."

Source UNESCO WH website http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1513

Courtesy of kraghavendrabhat from postcrossing forum

340 IN - Keoladeo National Park (1985)

Keoladeo National Park
"This former duck-hunting reserve of the Maharajas is one of the major wintering areas for large numbers of aquatic birds from Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, China and Siberia. Some 364 species of birds, including the rare Siberian crane, have been recorded in the park."

凯奥拉德奥国家公园
"凯奥拉德奥国家公园位于默哈拉杰。以前这里是猎鸭地区，现在是大批水禽鸟类冬季栖息的重要地区。这些水禽来自阿富汗、土库曼斯坦、中国和西伯利亚。364种鸟在公园里已经记录在册，其中包括稀有的西伯利亚鹤。"

Source UNESCO WH website http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/340
 

Courtesy of kraghavendrabhat from postcrossing forum

1502 IN - Archaeological Site of Nalanda Mahavihara at Nalanda, Bihar (2016)

Description

"The Nalanda Mahavihara site is in the State of Bihar, in north-eastern India. It comprises the archaeological remains of a monastic and scholastic institution dating from the 3rd century BCE to the 13th century CE. It includes stupas, shrines, viharas (residential and educational buildings) and important art works in stucco, stone and metal. Nalanda stands out as the most ancient university of the Indian Subcontinent. It engaged in the organized transmission of knowledge over an uninterrupted period of 800 years. The historical development of the site testifies to the development of Buddhism into a religion and the flourishing of monastic and educational traditions."

那烂陀寺考古遗址（那烂陀大学），比哈尔邦那烂陀
“那烂陀寺遗址位于印度东北部的巴哈尔邦。遗址由公元前3世纪至公元13世纪存在于此的寺庙和佛学院遗留下的古迹组成，包括窣堵坡（坟冢），舍利塔，寺庙（僧房学舍），以及重要的墙画、石刻、金属器物等艺术作品。那烂陀作为印度次大陆上最古老的大学而引人注目，其作为有序的知识传递场所存续长达800年，发展的历史见证了佛学宗教化的过程，以及寺院和教育传统的繁荣。”

Source UNESCO WH website http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1502

Courtesy of kraghavendrabhat from postcrossing forum

CN5324 City Walls of the Ming and Qing Dynasties available for swap

CN5324-4 The City Wall in Xi'an (1 available)

CN5324-3 The City Wall in Jingzhou (1 available)

1416 DK - Stevns Klint (2014)

Description

"This geological site comprises a 15 km-long fossil-rich coastal cliff, offering exceptional evidence of the impact of the Chicxulub meteorite that crashed into the planet at the end of the Cretaceous, about 65 million years ago. Researchers think that this caused the most remarkable mass extinction ever, responsible for the disappearance of over 50 per cent of all life on Earth. The site harbours a record of the cloud of ash formed by the impact of the meteorite – the exact site being at the bottom of the ocean off the coast of Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula. An exceptional fossil record is visible at the site, showing the complete succession of fauna and micro-fauna charting the recovery after the mass extinction."

Source UNESCO WH website http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1416

Courtesy of Christa from postcrossing forum

1553 DE - Archaeological Border complex of Hedeby and the Danevirke (2018)

Description

"The archaeological site of Hedeby consists of the remains of an emporium – or trading town – containing traces of roads, buildings, cemeteries and a harbour dating back to the 1st and early 2nd millennia CE. It is enclosed by part of the Danevirke, a line of fortification crossing the Schleswig isthmus, which separates the Jutland Peninsula from the rest of the European mainland. Because of its unique situation between the Frankish Empire in the South and the Danish Kingdom in the North, Hedeby became a trading hub between continental Europe and Scandinavia and between the North Sea and the Baltic Sea. Because of its rich and well preserved archaeological material, it has become a key site for the interpretation of economic, social and historical developments in Europe during the Viking age."

Source UNESCO WH website http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1553

Courtesy of Christa from postcrossing forum

1430 NA - Namib Sand Sea (2013)

Description
 
"Namib Sand Sea is the only coastal desert in the world that includes extensive dune fields influenced by fog. Covering an area of over three million hectares and a buffer zone of 899,500 hectares, the site is composed of two dune systems, an ancient semi-consolidated one overlain by a younger active one. The desert dunes are formed by the transportation of materials thousands of kilometres from the hinterland, that are carried by river, ocean current and wind. It features gravel plains, coastal flats, rocky hills, inselbergs within the sand sea, a coastal lagoon and ephemeral rivers, resulting in a landscape of exceptional beauty. Fog is the primary source of water in the site, accounting for a unique environment in which  endemic invertebrates, reptiles and mammals adapt to an ever-changing variety of microhabitats and ecological niches."

Source UNESCO WH website http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1430

Courtesy of Christa from postcrossing forum

 

 

149 GT - Archaeological Park and Ruins of Quirigua (1981)

Description

"Inhabited since the 2nd century A.D., Quirigua had become during the reign of Cauac Sky (723–84) the capital of an autonomous and prosperous state. The ruins of Quirigua contain some outstanding 8th-century monuments and an impressive series of carved stelae and sculpted calendars that constitute an essential source for the study of Mayan civilization."

基里瓜考古公园和玛雅文化遗址
"基里瓜从公元2世纪开始就有人居住，在考阿克·斯凯统治（723至784年）期间成为了一个自治、繁荣国家的首都。基里瓜遗址包括8世纪的一些建筑杰作，以及一系列让人叹为观止的雕刻石柱和石刻历法，这些为研究玛雅文明提供了必要的原始资料。"

Source UNESCO WH website http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/149

Courtesy of Christa from postcrossing forum

1501 ES - Antequera Dolmens Site (2016)

Description
"Located at the heart of Andalusia in southern Spain, the site comprises three megalithic monuments: the Menga and Viera dolmens and the Tholos of El Romeral, and two natural monuments: La Peña de los Enamorados and El Torcal mountainous formations, which are landmarks within the property. Built during the Neolithic and Bronze Age out of large stone blocks, these monuments form chambers with lintelled roofs or false cupolas. These three tombs, buried beneath their original earth tumuli, are one of the most remarkable architectural works of European prehistory and one of the most important examples of European Megalithism."

Source UNESCO WH website http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1501

the Menga dolmen
the Viera dolmen
the Tholos of El Romeral
La Peña de los Enamorados 
El Torcal mountainous

Courtesy of JordiMTREUS65 from postcrossing forum

El Torcal mountainous

874 ES - Rock Art of the Mediterranean Basin on the Iberian Peninsula (1998)

Description

"The late prehistoric rock-art sites of the Mediterranean seaboard of the Iberian peninsula form an exceptionally large group. Here the way of life during a critical phase of human development is vividly and graphically depicted in paintings whose style and subject matter are unique."

伊比利亚半岛地中海盆地的石壁画艺术
"伊比利亚半岛地中海盆地的史前晚期石壁画艺术遗址形成了一个独特的大规模壁画群。人类发展中一个至关重要时期的生活方式被生动形象地描于石壁画之中。这些石壁画无论从风格还是从主题来评价，都是世界独一无二的。"

Source UNESCO WH website http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/874

Courtesy of Hidalgo from postcrossing forum

874-255-257 La Sarga- Abric

 

874-277 Cova dels Cavalls

Courtesy of JordiMTREUS65 from postcrossing forum

874-605 Abrigo de los Toros del Prado del Navazo

1477 KR - Baekje Historic Areas (2015)

Description

"Located in the mountainous mid-western region of the Republic of Korea, this property comprises eight archaeological sites dating from 475 to 660 CE, including the Gongsanseong fortress and royal tombs at Songsan-ri related to the capital, Ungjin (present day Gongju), the Busosanseong Fortress and Gwanbuk-ri administrative buildings, the Jeongnimsa Temple, the royal tombs in Neungsan-ri and the Naseong city wall related to the capital, Sabi (now Buyeo), the royal palace at Wanggung-ri and the Mireuksa Temple in Iksan related to the secondary Sabi capital. Together, these sites represent the later period of the Baekje Kingdom – one of the three earliest kingdoms on the Korean peninsula (18 BCE to 660 CE) - during which time they were at the crossroads of considerable technological, religious (Buddhist), cultural and artistic exchanges between the ancient East Asian kingdoms in Korea, China and Japan."

百济遗址区
"这片遗址 位于韩国中西部山区，包括八个建于公元475——660年的考古遗址，如公山城，宋山里皇陵，雄镇（现称公州），扶苏山城，关北里行政楼群，内城城墙，泗比（现称夫馀），王宫里和益山上的弥勒寺。所有这些遗迹都展现了朝鲜半岛上最早的三个王国（公元前十八世纪——公元660年）之一——百济王朝后期的状况，这一时期这里正处于朝鲜、中国和日本等东亚古国之间技术、宗教、文化和艺术交流的必经之路上。"

Source UNESCO WH website http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1477
 
1477-001     Gongsanseong Fortress
1477-002     Royal Tombs in Songsan-ri
1477-003     Archeological Site in Gwanbuk-ri and Busosanseong Fortress
1477-004     Jeongnimsa Temple Site
1477-005     Royal Tombs in Neungsan-ri
1477-006     Naseong City Wall
1477-007     Archeological Site in Wanggung-ri
1477-008     Mireuksa Temple Site

Courtesy of PC_2 from postcrossing forum

 

1477-001 Gongsanseong Fortress

Courtesy of dore92 from postcrossing forum

1477-002     Royal Tombs in Songsan-ri, 

Gold Ornaments from No. 7 King Muryeong's tomb

1324 KR - Historic Villages of Korea: Hahoe and Yangdong (2010)

Description

"Founded in the 14th-15th centuries, Hahoe and Yangdong are seen as the two most representative historic clan villages in the Republic of Korea. Their layout and location - sheltered by forested mountains and facing out onto a river and open agricultural fields – reflect the distinctive aristocratic Confucian culture of the early part of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). The villages were located to provide both physical and spiritual nourishment from their surrounding landscapes. They include residences of the head families, together with substantial timber framed houses of other clan members, also pavilions, study halls, Confucian academies for learning, and clusters of one story mud-walled, thatched-roofed houses, formerly for commoners. The landscapes of mountains, trees and water around the village, framed in views from pavilions and retreats, were celebrated for their beauty by 17th and 18th century poets."

韩国历史村落：河回村和良洞村
"河回村和良洞村始建于14至15世纪，这两座村庄被认为是韩国最具代表性的历史村落。这两个村落背倚树木繁茂的青山，面向河流及开阔的农田，它们的布局和选址的目的在于从周围的环境中汲取物质和精神食粮，反映出朝鲜王朝（1392-1910）早期鲜明的贵族儒家文化特点。其建筑包括村落首领家族的宅第、其他家族成员的木框架结构房屋、亭台、学堂、儒家书院，以及原平民居住的单层泥墙、茅草屋顶的住宅群。河回村和良洞村山环水绕，亭台如画的美丽景致，曾被众多17和18世纪的诗人所咏颂。"

Source UNESCO WH website http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1324
 
1324-001     Hahoe Cluster: Hahoe Village
1324-002     Hahoe Cluster: Byeongsanseowon Confucian Academy
1324-003     Yangdong Cluster: Yangdong Village
1324-004     Yangdong Cluster:Oksanseowon Confucian Academy, Dongnakdang House 
1324-005     Yangdong Cluster: Donggangseowon Confucian Academy

Courtesy of dore92 from postcrossing forum

1324-001     Hahoe Cluster: Hahoe Village

Courtesy of dore92 from postcrossing forum

 1324-003     Yangdong Cluster: Yangdong Village

1068 IT - Sacri Monti of Piedmont and Lombardy (2003)

Brief Description

"The nine Sacri Monti (Sacred Mountains) of northern Italy are groups of chapels and other architectural features created in the late 16th and 17th centuries and dedicated to different aspects of the Christian faith. In addition to their symbolic spiritual meaning, they are of great beauty by virtue of the skill with which they have been integrated into the surrounding natural landscape of hills, forests and lakes. They also house much important artistic material in the form of wall paintings and statuary."

皮埃蒙特及伦巴第圣山
"位于意大利北部的这9座“圣山”，是一组修建于16世纪晚期至17世纪的小教堂建筑群，以及与之配套的其他宗教建筑物。它 们是专门为人们以不同方式向基督教表示虔诚而建造的。除了具有精神方面的象征意义之外，它们那与周围自然环境（山峦、森林、湖泊）高度和谐、融洽及统一的 精湛建筑技艺也给人以高度美的享受。这里也有许多壁画和雕像等重要艺术作品。"

Source UNESCO WH website http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1068

1068-001     Sacro Monte o “Nuova Gerusalemme” di Varallo Sesia
1068-002     Sacro Monte di S.Maria Assunta di Serralunga di Crea
1068-003     Sacro Monte di San Francesco d’Orta San Giulio
1068-004     Sacro Monte del Rosario di Varese
1068-005     Sacro Monte della Beata Vergine, Oropa
1068-006     Sacro Monte della Beata Vergine del Soccorso, Ossuccio
1068-007     Sacro Monte della SS.Trinità, Ghiffa
1068-008     Sacro Monte Calvario, Domodossola
1068-009     Sacro Monte di Belmonte, Valperga Canavese

Courtesy of chiarandino postcrossing forum

1068-001 Sacro Monte o “Nuova Gerusalemme” di Varallo Sesia

Courtesy of dore92 from postcrossing forum

1068-005     Sacro Monte della Beata Vergine, Oropa

Courtesy of MsMoney from postcrossing forum

1068-006 Sacro Monte della Beata Vergine del Soccorso, Ossuccio

Courtesy of Gosia from Italy

1068-007 Sacro Monte della SS.Trinità, Ghiffa

Courtesy of dore92 from postcrossing forum

1068-008     Sacro Monte Calvario, Domodossola