Monthly Fav. Surprise RR - May '25

 No, I didn't forget April's cards, one is still missing, so let's move on to May.

 

It may look centuries old but the White Mosque is a relatively new architectural monument in Bolgar. Built in 2012 near the city entrance, the grandeur of the building attracts visitors, and the mosque’s oriental design creates a fairy-tale atmosphere. Inspiration for the White Mosque came from some of the world’s best Islamic architecture. The mosque complex includes a prayer area with an elegant arcade of 88 oriental columns, refined minaret towers, and a main dome adorned with intricate stained glass. Inside, the prayer hall features tall columns with crescent-topped crowns, while the walls display verses from the Koran in elegant Arabic script.  - in: https://visit-tatarstan.com

Card sent by Yuliya. 

 This is not my 1st card of this church in Gierviaty. This one was sent by Anastasiya.

The Church of the Holy Trinity in Gierviaty was built at the beginning of the 20th century, on the site of a former wooden Catholic church of the 16th century.
5 Interesting Facts about the Church of the Holy Trinity:
* The church in Gierviaty is one of the top three tallest temples in Belarus.
 * A brick factory was specially built near the village for the construction of the structure, which supplied the material for the building erection.
 * No less than 70 people worked daily on the construction.
 * For enhancing the strength of the building mixture, raw chicken eggs, collected from local residents, were added.
  * The church has astonishing acoustics. Its walls house an antique organ from 1882, made by a Vilnius musical craftsman specifically for the acoustical capabilities of the church. Nowadays, organ music concerts are held here, which are attended by guests from Belarus and abroad. - in: https://en.belarus.travel

Not my 1st card of this church either. 

Mission San Xavier del Bac is a historic Spanish Catholic mission about 16 km south of downtown Tucson, Arizona. 

A National Historical Landmark, this mission was founded as a Catholic mission by Father Eusebio Kino in 1692. Construction of the current church began in 1783 and was completed in 1797. The oldest intact European structure in Arizona, the church's interior is filled with marvelous original statuary and mural paintings. It is a place where visitors can truly step back in time and enter an authentic 18th century space. 

Card sent by Karissa.

www.papersisters.de

I've said many times that I really like Happy Postcrossing cards but my favorites are definitely those of the countries. I was a lovely surprise to get this one from Lara, new to my collection. 

Eiffel Tower, Nimes, Pont du Gard, Mont Saint Michel, baguette and croissant, wine and champagne, etc, there's no doubt this is a french card.

Monthly Fav. Surprise RR - March '25

 A few moonths have passed since I last posted cards from this RR. That's only because a few cards are still missing but now started to arrive. One of these from China, only arrived 2 or 3 weeks ago. Better later than never.

 Pilsum Lighthouse is probably the only German lighthouse I can recognize immediately. The card was sent by Katharina.

The Pilsum Lighthouse  was built in 1889 in order to provide a beacon for the Emshorn channel on Germany’s North Sea coast.
It has guided ships through the narrow channel until 1915. In the First World War its light was extinguished in order that enemy ships could not navigate the route.  After that it was no longer needed, because the channel was changed.  The height of the structure is 11 metres  the height of the light about sea level is 15 metres. Today the tower is one of the best-known symbols of East Frisia. - in: https://www.thewanders.eu

Even though Tanya is from Belarus, she often sends Russian cards. This one depicts Ivan the Great Bell Tower and the Cathedral of the Assumption in Moscow's Kremlin. 

The Ivan the Great Bell Tower is a church tower inside the Moscow Kremlin complex. With a total height of 81 metres (266 ft), it is the tallest tower and structure of the Kremlin. It was built at the beginning of the 16th century by Italian architect Bon Fryazin, as the cent on Cathedral Square for the three Russian Orthodox cathedrals, namely the Assumption (closest to the tower), the Archangel and the Annunciation, which do not have their own belfries.  

The cathedral of the Assumption was originally constructed in 1326 under Ivan I. The cathedral was rebuilt between 1475 and 1479 at the behest of the grand prince Ivan III to a design by the Italian architect Aristotele Fioravanti. From 1547 to 1896, the coronation of Russian monarchs took place here. In addition, the cathedral is the burial place for most of the Moscow Metropolitans and Patriarchs of the Russian Orthodox Church; it also serves as a part of the Moscow Kremlin Museums. - in: wikipedia

 It took more than 3 months for this card to travel from China to may mailbox. I'm sure Mandy was a bit worried but it finally reached me. 

The Longhua Pagoda, located near the Longhua Temple in Shanghai, is celebrated as the best-preserved pagoda of a multi-story pavilion type from the Song Dynasty (960-1279) in the region. It was praised by Ming Dynasty poet Feng Qian as the "flying pagoda of a thousand years".

The seven-story octagonal pagoda stands over 40 meters high. Inside are four doors and four niches in the walls on each floor. - in: https://english.shanghai.gov.cn

 

Qian also sent a card of a pagoda.

Located on the top of the back mountain of Manfeilong Village, Menglong Town, Jinghong, Manfeilong Pagodas were originally built in 1203. It is composed of 9 pagodas – 1 big pagoda in the center surrounded by 8 small ones. They look like big bamboo shoots. They embody the style of Myanmar’s pagodas. - in: https://www.wendyweitours.com

Hassan Tower - Morocco

 One last card bought at the book fair but not the only one I got from Morocco. 

This beautiful tower is Hassan's Tower, one of Rabat’s great landmarks. It has been included as part of the Rabat, Modern Capital and Historic City: a Shared Heritage, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

 

 It was part of a colossal architectural project, surrounded by gardens, commissioned by Sultan Ya’qub al-Mansur in the 12th century near the estuary of the Bou Regreg River. The building was originally intended to be part of what was to be the second-largest mosque in the world after the Samarra Mosque in Iraq. However, the sultan died before seeing his pharaonic work completed, and in 1755 an earthquake destroyed everything that had been built. Today, only the monumental Hassan Tower and the architectural structure of the planned mosque remain as a testament to the grandeur of al-Mansur’s dream in 1195. Some say that the sultan intended to make Rabat his new imperial capital, as the great mosque of which the tower formed part was out of proportion to the sparse population of Rabat at the time. Others say that it was merely intended to rival the magnificent Mosque of Córdoba, the former capital of the Islamic kingdom in the West. - in: https://www.barcelo.com

Hwange National Park - Zimbabwe

 Is not everyday that one gets cards from African countries and I was lucky to find a few in that book fair. This one from Zimbabwe is also from a National Park. 

The iconic Hwange National Parkis Zimbabwe’s largest national parklocated in the northwestern part of Zimbabwe. It covers 14,650 square kilometers.
 It is home to the largest population of elephants in Zimbabwe and Africa’s largest population of the endangered wild dog and one may find rare species such as roan and sable.
In addition to four of the big 5: elephant, lion, leopard and buffalo; Hwange has 100 mammal species and nearly 400 bird species.          
The area is mostly covered with savanna grasslands and teak and mopane woodlands. - in: https://www.zimparks.org

 

The roan antelope is one of Africa’s largest bovids, only exceeded in size by the African buffalo and eland.
It is a rare and endangered antelope species, which has a patchy distribution in savannah ecosystems south of the Sahara Desert. Due to past hunting pressures, it now occurs only in areas where rigorous conservation is applied.

Gorongosa National Park - Mozambique

 Book fairs, collectors fairs, flea markets can be great places to find some nice cards. It's always worth to go through all the boxes. These two cards are from a national park in Mozambique and I bought them in the book fair in Coimbra and in my ctiy's collectors fair. Nice findings.

 

 Gorongosa National Park is at the southern end of the Great African Rift Valley in the heart of central Mozambique. 

Seasonal flooding and waterlogging of the valley, which is composed of a mosaic of soil types, creates a variety of distinct ecosystems. Grasslands are dotted with patches of acacia trees, savannah, dry forest on sands and seasonally rain-filled pans, and termite hill thickets. The plateaus contain miombo and montane forests and a spectacular rain forest at the base of a series of limestone gorges.

This combination of unique features at one time supported some of the densest wildlife populations in all of Africa, including charismatic carnivores, herbivores, and over 500 bird species. But large mammal numbers were reduced by as much as 95% and ecosystems were stressed during the Mozambican Civil War (1977-1992). - in: wikipedia

Gorongosa National Park (GNP) in Mozambique is perhaps Africa’s greatest wildlife restoration story. In 2008, the Government of Mozambique and the Carr Foundation formed the “Gorongosa Project”, a  to protect and restore the ecosystem of Gorongosa National Park and to develop an ecotourism industry to benefit local communities.  

 Gorongosa has between 800 and 1000 elephants today. Each family is led by the oldest, wisest female: the Matriarch. She’s usually the one leading her family back to the forest in the morning or leading them to water in the afternoon.
Gorongosa’s elephants play an important role in the park’s ecosystem, and every creature here somehow depends on them. By knocking down trees and eating tall grass, they act like gardeners, keeping the bush open and clear, accessible to other grazers. They spend 16 hours a day eating to satisfy their huge appetite, and you can spot the telltale signs of their presence everywhere: enormous balls of poop that fertilize the soil and spread seeds. Their dung is also a delicious treat for Gorongosa’s dung beetles.
Our elephants are truly wild. They haven’t spent as much time near tourists as elephants in other parks. As humans have always been a natural predator, they sometimes react to vehicles by running away or making defensive displays like trumpeting and mock-charging. Mostly, this is just their way of telling you to keep your distance.

 

 In 1965, 339 different bird species were recorded within Gorongosa National Park alone – not including Mount Gorongosa or surrounding areas.  This is an indication of the exceptional biodiversity of the Gorongosa ecosystem.
The array of birds that you can see on a Mozambique safari in Gorongosa is simply breath taking. The best time of the year to see birds is November, when migratory birds arrive in Mozambique and resident birds have bright plumage for the breeding season. Over 150 different species may be recorded in a single day at this time of year. If you’re a serious birder, you know that Gorongosa is home a special bird that is found nowhere else in the world – the Green-headed Oriole. - in: https://gorongosa.org/

Ein es-Sultan Spring - Palestine

 Last wednesday I've been to a book fair in Coimbra but to be honest, didn't pay attention to the books because I saw boxes full os postcards and that caught all my attention. I didn't have much time but I found some older but nice cards and my supreme joy was when I realized I found this card from a missing UNESCO site. Well, I wasn't sure when I bought it but I confirmed later that Elisha Spring, also known as Ein es-Sultan, is part of the Palestine site Ancient Jericho/Tell es-Sultan, classified in 2023.

 

 Ancient Jerico/Tell es-Sultan is located northwest of present-day Jericho in the Jordan Valley in Palestine, the property is an oval-shaped Tell, or mound, that contains the prehistorical deposits of human activity, and includes the adjacent perennial spring of ‘Ain es-Sultan. - in: https://whc.unesco.org

 

Elisha's Spring, also known as Ein es-Sultan or the Prophet's Fountain, is a freshwater spring in Jericho, near the Tell es-Sultan archaeological site. It's renowned for its biblical association with the prophet Elisha, who is said to have healed the spring's waters. The spring is a significant historical and religious site. - in: AI

Prague - Czech Republic

 I'm on holidays and I'm about to pack for my trip to Czech Republic. I'm finally visiting this beautiful country again, 11 years after my 1st visit. That 1st visit in 2014 is still one of my favorites trips so far. I can't wait to visit Prague again and some new places aswell. 

This card of Novy Svet, of the most romantic Prague streets, was sent by Heidi. 

 

Located just a few steps from the crowded Loretanska Square, it is hard to believe that you are still in the capital city.

Houses which we can see here today were built mostly in the 17th and 18th centuries. Residents of Novy Svet were not very wealthy people. We can guess it looking at their small and simply decorated houses. Therefore they look even more attractive now.
The residents tried to compensate for the modesty of their houses by giving them pompous names. Almost all houses have the word "golden" in their names: The Golden Sun, The Golden Pheasant, The Golden Lamb. And many famous people lived in Novy Svet. For example, Tycho Brahe, Danish astronomer, lived in the house №76/1. Santini family owned a house The Golden Acorn (№79/1). Jan Blazej Santini is one of the most famous baroque architects in the Czech republic. - in: https://www.guide-prague.org