Postcards Around the World: UNESCO

Showing posts with label UNESCO. Show all posts

2013-10-31

Dubrovnik - Croatia (UNESCO WHS)

New.

"The 'Pearl of the Adriatic', situated on the Dalmatian coast, became an important Mediterranean sea power from the 13th century onwards. Although severely damaged by an earthquake in 1667, Dubrovnik managed to preserve its beautiful Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque churches, monasteries, palaces and fountains. Damaged again in the 1990s by armed conflict, it is now the focus of a major restoration programme co-ordinated by UNESCO." In: UNESCO

2013-10-24

Sydney Opera House - Australia (UNESCO WHS)

New, sent by Manuela

"Inaugurated in 1973, the Sydney Opera House is a great architectural work of the 20th century that brings together multiple strands of creativity and innovation in both architectural form and structural design. A great urban sculpture set in a remarkable waterscape, at the tip of a peninsula projecting into Sydney Harbour, the building has had an enduring influence on architecture. The Sydney Opera House comprises three groups of interlocking vaulted ‘shells’ which roof two main performance halls and a restaurant. These shell-structures are set upon a vast platform and are surrounded by terrace areas that function as pedestrian concourses. In 1957, when the project of the Sydney Opera House was awarded by an international jury to Danish architect Jørn Utzon, it marked a radically new approach to construction." In: UNESCO

2013-10-22

University of Coimbra - Portugal (UNESCO WHS)

New.

"Situated on a hill overlooking the city, the University of Coimbra with its colleges grew and evolved over more than seven centuries within the old town. Notable university buildings include the 12th century Cathedral of Santa Cruz and a number of 16th century colleges, the Royal Palace of Alcáçova, which has housed the University since 1537, the Joanine Library with its rich baroque decor, the 18th century Botanical Garden and University Press, as well as the large “University City” created during the 1940s. The University’s edifices became a reference in the development of other institutions of higher education in the Portuguese-speaking world where it also exerted a major influence on learning and literature. Coimbra offers an outstanding example of an integrated university city with a specific urban typology as well as its own ceremonial and cultural traditions that have been kept alive through the ages." In: UNESCO

2013-10-21

Ha Long Bay - Vietnam (UNESCO WHS)

New, sent by Manuela

"Ha Long Bay, in the Gulf of Tonkin, includes some 1,600 islands and islets, forming a spectacular seascape of limestone pillars. Because of their precipitous nature, most of the islands are uninhabited and unaffected by a human presence. The site's outstanding scenic beauty is complemented by its great biological interest." In: UNESCO

2013-10-16

Komodo Dragons at Komodo National Park - Indonesia (UNESCO WHS)

RR Portugal x World G42, sent by jejeirene

"These volcanic islands are inhabited by a population of around 5,700 giant lizards, whose appearance and aggressive behaviour have led to them being called 'Komodo dragons'. They exist nowhere else in the world and are of great interest to scientists studying the theory of evolution. The rugged hillsides of dry savannah and pockets of thorny green vegetation contrast starkly with the brilliant white sandy beaches and the blue waters surging over coral." In: UNESCO

2013-09-02

Fortress of Suomenlinna, Helsinki - Finland (UNESCO WHS) (Postcrossing Meeting)

UNESCO#583; © Pentti Harala Ky, Espoo

Sent by dollart from the Postcrossing Meeting in Helsinki, 14/02/2012

UNESCO#583; © ?

Sent by dollart from the International Postcrossing Meeting in Helsinki, 03/08/2013

"Built in the second half of the 18th century by Sweden on a group of islands located at the entrance of Helsinki's harbour, this fortress is an especially interesting example of European military architecture of the time."In: UNESCO

2013-08-30

The Long Corridor in the Summer Palace in Beijing - China (UNESCO WHS)

UNESCO#880; © ?

RR Portugal x World G42 sent by IreneCheng

"The Summer Palace in Beijing – first built in 1750, largely destroyed in the war of 1860 and restored on its original foundations in 1886 – is a masterpiece of Chinese landscape garden design. The natural landscape of hills and open water is combined with artificial features such as pavilions, halls, palaces, temples and bridges to form a harmonious ensemble of outstanding aesthetic value." In: UNESCO

2013-08-26

Borobudur Temple Compounds - Indonesia (UNESCO WHS)

UNESCO#592; © Photo: E. Pasquier

Unused

"This famous Buddhist temple, dating from the 8th and 9th centuries, is located in central Java. It was built in three tiers: a pyramidal base with five concentric square terraces, the trunk of a cone with three circular platforms and, at the top, a monumental stupa. The walls and balustrades are decorated with fine low reliefs, covering a total surface area of 2,500 m2. Around the circular platforms are 72 openwork stupas, each containing a statue of the Buddha. The monument was restored with UNESCO's help in the 1970s." In: UNESCO

2013-08-16

Waterfall and water channel ("levada") of Caldeirão Verde, Madeira - Portugal (UNESCO WHS)

Unused, sent by "ninocas"

"The property also contains an important testimony of human use. The settlers of Madeira constructed water channels, known as levadas, which run through the forest following the contours of the landscape, and clinging to the cliffs and steep-sided valleys. Typically 80-150 cm wide and constructed of stone or more recently concrete, they carry water from the forest to hydropower stations and to the towns of the south, where they provide essential drinking water and irrigation supplies. Along the levadas there are paths typically 1-2m wide, which allow access to the otherwise almost impenetrable forest. The impact of these features on the property is limited, and also has some benefit for conservation, since they allow access to the forest on relatively flat paths and cover only an infinitesimal area of land. None has been built for 70 years, but the present ones are carefully maintained. Apart from the levadas, and the occasional tiny hut used by those that maintain them, human development within the property is very limited and there is no habitation, no buildings, except the occasional tiny hut for those who maintain the levadas, and no cultivated land. There are limited impacts from two roads, with plans to replace one by a tunnel." In: UNESCO

2013-08-14

Architectural Ensemble of the Trinity Sergius Lavra in Sergiev Posad - Russia (UNESCO WHS)

UNESCO #657; © ?

RR Portugal x World G37 sent by "Atlantidochka"

"This is a fine example of a working Orthodox monastery, with military features that are typical of the 15th to the 18th century, the period during which it developed. The main church of the Lavra, the Cathedral of the Assumption (echoing the Kremlin Cathedral of the same name), contains the tomb of Boris Godunov. Among the treasures of the Lavra is the famous icon, The Trinity , by Andrei Rublev." In: UNESCO

2013-08-06

Oravivuori triangulation tower, Struve Geodetic Arc - Finland (UNESCO WHS)

UNESCO #1187; © Jyrki Aikas

Sent by Kilona

"The Struve Arc is a chain of survey triangulations stretching from Hammerfest in Norway to the Black Sea, through 10 countries and over 2,820 km. These are points of a survey, carried out between 1816 and 1855 by the astronomer Friedrich Georg Wilhelm Struve, which represented the first accurate measuring of a long segment of a meridian. This helped to establish the exact size and shape of the planet and marked an important step in the development of earth sciences and topographic mapping. It is an extraordinary example of scientific collaboration among scientists from different countries, and of collaboration between monarchs for a scientific cause. The original arc consisted of 258 main triangles with 265 main station points. The listed site includes 34 of the original station points, with different markings, i.e. a drilled hole in rock, iron cross, cairns, or built obelisks." In: UNESCO

2013-08-02

Confucius Mansion, Qufu - China (UNESCO WHS)

UNESCO#704; © China National Publications

RR Portugal x World G41, sent by "melowalk"

"The temple, cemetery and family mansion of Confucius, the great philosopher, politician and educator of the 6th–5th centuries B.C., are located at Qufu, in Shandong Province. Built to commemorate him in 478 B.C., the temple has been destroyed and reconstructed over the centuries; today it comprises more than 100 buildings. The cemetery contains Confucius' tomb and the remains of more than 100,000 of his descendants. The small house of the Kong family developed into a gigantic aristocratic residence, of which 152 buildings remain. The Qufu complex of monuments has retained its outstanding artistic and historic character due to the devotion of successive Chinese emperors over more than 2,000 years." In: UNESCO

2013-08-01

Hercules Tower, A Coruña - Spain (UNESCO WHS)

UNESCO#1312; © FAMA, Carlos Picallo (photo)

Unused, sent by Cláudia Ferreira

"The Tower of Hercules has served as a lighthouse and landmark at the entrance of La Coruña harbour in north-western Spain since the late 1st century A.D. when the Romans built the Farum Brigantium. The Tower, built on a 57 metre high rock, rises a further 55 metres, of which 34 metres correspond to the Roman masonry and 21 meters to the restoration directed by architect Eustaquio Giannini in the 18th century, who augmented the Roman core with two octagonal forms. Immediately adjacent to the base of the Tower, is a small rectangular Roman building. The site also features a sculpture park, the Monte dos Bicos rock carvings from the Iron Age and a Muslim cemetery. The Roman foundations of the building were revealed in excavations conducted in the 1990s. Many legends from the Middle Ages to the 19th century surround the Tower of Hercules, which is unique as it is the only lighthouse of Greco-Roman antiquity to have retained a measure of structural integrity and functional continuity." In: UNESCO

2013-07-30

Maritime Greenwich, England - United Kingdom (UNESCO WHS)

UNESCO#795; © Photos: Colin Nutt

Unused, sent by "joana122"

It shows: Canary Wharf viewed from Greenwich Park; The Royal Observatory; The Old Royal Naval College; Greenwich Park.

"The ensemble of buildings at Greenwich, an outlying district of London, and the park in which they are set, symbolize English artistic and scientific endeavour in the 17th and 18th centuries. The Queen's House (by Inigo Jones) was the first Palladian building in England, while the complex that was until recently the Royal Naval College was designed by Christopher Wren. The park, laid out on the basis of an original design by André Le Nôtre, contains the Old Royal Observatory, the work of Wren and the scientist Robert Hooke." In: UNESCO

2013-07-29

Sangiran Early Man Site - Indonesia (UNESCO WHS)

UNESCO #593; © Jaya Postcard

RR portugal x World, G41 sent by "jennifermuliadi"

"Excavations here from 1936 to 1941 led to the discovery of the first hominid fossil at this site. Later, 50 fossils of Meganthropus palaeo and Pithecanthropus erectus/Homo erectus were found – half of all the world's known hominid fossils. Inhabited for the past one and a half million years, Sangiran is one of the key sites for the understanding of human evolution." In: UNESCO

2013-07-26

Abbey of St Gall - Switzerland (UNESCO WHS)

Unused, sent by "joana122"

"The Convent of St Gall, a perfect example of a great Carolingian monastery, was, from the 8th century to its secularization in 1805, one of the most important in Europe. Its library is one of the richest and oldest in the world and contains precious manuscripts such as the earliest-known architectural plan drawn on parchment. From 1755 to 1768, the conventual area was rebuilt in Baroque style. The cathedral and the library are the main features of this remarkable architectural complex, reflecting 12 centuries of continuous activity." In: UNESCO

2013-07-24

Moon Embracing pavilion at Black Dragon Pool, Lijiang - China (UNESCO WHS)

RR Portugal x World, G32. "Huaxiaoan" sent a great view of the Moon Embracing pavilion at Black Dragon Pool and the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain in the background. It belongs to the UNESCO WHS "Old Town of Lijiang"

"The Black Dragon Pool is a charming and tranquil park and pool system in the north east of Lijinag on the northern edge of Lijiang’s famous Old Town. The Black Dragon Pool is the head waters of the Yushui River that provides water for the Old Town.

The park is one of Lijiang’s most famous and attractive tourist destinations and has been visited by famous Chinese leaders such as Jiang Zemin, Li Peng and Zu Rongji. If you are visiting Lijiang’s Old Town, the Black Dragon Pool is a must see and a great way to relax and enjoy beautiful natural scenery after the hustle and bustle of the Old Town. If the weather is good, you will also have stunning views of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountains." In: China Travel

2013-07-21

Colonial houses of Pelourinho, Salvador, Bahia - Brazil (UNESCO WHS)

RR Portugal x World, G32, sent by "Trisk"

Colorfull view of the historic center of Salvador.

"As the first capital of Brazil, from 1549 to 1763, Salvador de Bahia witnessed the blending of European, African and Amerindian cultures. It was also, from 1558, the first slave market in the New World, with slaves arriving to work on the sugar plantations. The city has managed to preserve many outstanding Renaissance buildings. A special feature of the old town are the brightly coloured houses, often decorated with fine stucco-work." In: UNESCO

2013-07-19

Santiago de Compostela - Spain (UNESCO WHS)

View over the Cathedral, sent by Claúdia Ferreira

Plaza de las Platerías, sent by Cláudia Ferreira

"This famous pilgrimage site in north-west Spain became a symbol in the Spanish Christians' struggle against Islam. Destroyed by the Muslims at the end of the 10th century, it was completely rebuilt in the following century. With its Romanesque, Gothic and Baroque buildings, the Old Town of Santiago is one of the world's most beautiful urban areas. The oldest monuments are grouped around the tomb of St James and the cathedral, which contains the remarkable Pórtico de la Gloria." In: UNESCO

2013-07-16

Köln Cathedral - Germany (UNESCO WHS)

Unused.

"Begun in 1248, the construction of this Gothic masterpiece took place in several stages and was not completed until 1880. Over seven centuries, successive builders were inspired by the same faith and a spirit of absolute fidelity to the original plans. Apart from its exceptional intrinsic value and the artistic masterpieces it contains, Cologne Cathedral testifies to the enduring strength of European Christianity." In: UNESCO