Monthly Fav. Surprise RR * September '24

 Here comes the 3rd post in a row with MFS RR cards.

 

 www.papersisters.de

Marena likes all kinds of music, especially 80's and 90's pop. I like music too, and I'd probably mention those 2 decades as my favorites but nowadays I'm mostly enjoying the silence.

 

www.papersisters.de

If I check the senders of my Happy Postcrossing cards, I think that Annerie is probably the person who sent me most of them.   

At over 450 kilometres long, the Dutch coastline is dotted with fantastic beaches.
Scheveningen is one of the most popular seaside resorts.
Noordwijk offers impressive beach views, with no less than 13 kilometres of sporting opportunities. Or how about Egmond aan Zee? It’s a popular family destination and a must for anyone who enjoys a slightly quieter day at the beach.
Zandvoort is one of the Netherlands' better-known seaside resorts. And not for nothing. It has vast sandy beaches, is dog-friendly and just 24 km from Amsterdam. Looking for a quiet beach? Consider the Wadden Islands. Part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, these pristine islands offer wide sandy beaches, unique dune landscapes and plenty of quiet family beaches. - in: https://www.holland.com

 

When I first saw this card, I thought for a few seconds that it was another Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius card. But no, Nataliya sent a beautiful snowy view of Tolgsky Monastery. The monastery was founded by the Rostov Bishop Prokhor in 1314 on the banks of the River Volga in the village of Tolga which has since been incorporated into Yaroslavl. It was founded on the site where an icon of the Virgin Mary and the infant Christ miraculously appeared. This icon is now known as the Our Lady of Tolga Icon and was said to be wonder-working. 

The monastery was closed in 1917.  All services were completely stopped at the monastery in 1928. During the Soviet era the former monastery was used as a children's colony and its buildings were left in ruins. In 1987 it was reopened, but as a convent rather than a monastery, and underwent large-scale reconstruction work. In 2003 the Our Lady of Tolga Icon was returned to the convent and has since became the largest convent in Russia and a popular place of pilgrimage in Russia. - in: https://rusmania.com

lookphotos / Konrad Wothe

All these cards are great but Beate made me super happy with this card of an UNESCO site in Lybia. It was a wonderful surprise.

Leptis Magna is one of Libya's crown jewels in terms of its ancient ruins and heritage sites. Located in the northwestern part of the country, it was once the largest city of the ancient region of Tripolitania. Leptis Magna was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1982.
Originally founded in the 7th century BCE by the Phoenecians, it was later taken over by Carthaginians in the latter part of the 6th century BCE. With the natural harbor of Wadi Labdah, the city grew to become a major Mediterranean and trans-Saharan center of trade.
Leptis Magna later became a Roman colonia - a community with full rights and citizenship - with Leptis-born Emperor Septimius Severus (193-211 CE) conferring upon the city legal freedom from property and land taxes. Over the following centuries, Leptis Magna began to witness its decline due to increasing insecurities at the Roman Empire’s frontiers - ultimately leading to an incursion in 363 CE and further economic difficulties for the empire.
In 642 CE, the Arab conquest that swept across the Middle East and North Africa brought the final conclusion of Leptis Magna’s decline.
Today, Leptis Magna can attribute its preservation to being buried by sand until the early 20th century, where early Punic structures can be seen near the excavated amphitheater and forum - the heart of the Roman city during its height. Other well-preserved buildings include Roman baths, erected by Emperor Hadrian (117-138 CE), along with a circus (racecourse) - a popular venue for entertainment during the empire. These, among many other structures, paintings, and sculptures, are just some many examples of the grandeur of Leptis Magna. - in: https://www.embassyoflibyadc.org