SG-402354

Merlion Park is a famous Singapore landmark and a major tourist attraction, home of the mythical Merlion, a creature with a lion's head and the body of a fish that is widely used as a mascot and national personification of Singapore.

The Merlion’s fish-like body symbolises Singapore’s origins as a fishing village, known as Temasek—a name which comes from same root as the word tasek (‘lake’ in Malay).

The statue’s head represents the city’s original name of Singapura (lion city in Sanskrit). According to legend, Sang Nila Utama—a Srivijayan prince of Palembang—landed on our shores amidst a tempest at sea.

Near the mouth of the Singapore River, the prince spied a strange creature which he identified as a lion, thus giving Singapura its name.

SG-402354, sent by David.

Spouting water from its mouth, the Merlion statue stands at 8.6 metres and weighs 70 tonnes. Originally located at the mouth of the Singapore River, it was built by local craftsman Lim Nang Seng, designed by Kwan Sai Kheong, and unveiled on 15 September 1972 by then-Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew.
With the completion of Esplanade Bridge in 1997, the statue could no longer be viewed clearly from the waterfront and was relocated to the Merlion Park, which stands in front of Fullerton Hotel and overlooking Marina Bay. - in: https://www.visitsingapore.comark/

TW-3487484

Did you know that mountains have an international day? The United Nations General Assembly has designated 11 December, from 2003 onwards, as International Mountain Day. The day aims to create awareness about the importance of mountains to life, to highlight the opportunities and constraints in mountain development and to build partnerships that will bring positive change to the world’s mountains and highlands. - in: https://www.internationaldays.org

Last year, on that day, postcrossers in Taiwan had a meeting.

 

Photo by RyanMa

TW-3487484, sent by Wing Fei.

With a 3742 meter peak, Mt.Nanhu is the fifth highest mountain in Taiwan and the highest peak in Taroko National Park. Historically, the mountain range is part of the traditional territory for Atayal tribe, one of the Taiwanese aboriginal tribes. Due to its height and glacier cirque, Mt.Nanhu is dubbed as the most majestic mountain in Taiwan. - in: https://medium.com

JP-1877021

When I least expected I received a card from a new UNESCO site!! Yay. Thank you so much Fiona. 

 

The northern part of Okinawa’s main island, and Iriomote Island—along with Amami-Oshima Island and Tokunoshima Island (Kagoshima Prefecture)—were designated Natural World Heritage in 2021. The areas encompass both Iriomote-Ishigaki National Park and Yambaru National Park. Sparsely inhabited and full of lush mangrove forests, these areas are home to an incredible variety of rare, endemic flora and fauna, some of which can be found nowhere else in the world.

JP-1877021, sent by Fiona.

Yanbaru is the name of the northern area of Okinawa’s main island and means “densely forested mountains.” Much of this biodiverse region is protected within Yambaru National Park, which occupies an area of around 174 square kilometers.
Yanbaru's subtropical evergreen forests, mangroves, and limestone mountains are an important habitat for rare plants and animals, including the endemic Okinawa rail.
Cape Hedo, the northernmost cape on the main island, offers panoramas of the South China Sea and Pacific Ocean, and views of jagged limestone cliffs. The otherworldly karst rock formations of Daisekirinzan are about a 5-minute drive inland from the cape. Here, you can walk along trails amid the uniquely shaped limestone karsts that formed around 200 million years ago. - in: https://visitokinawajapan.com

Bethlehem - Palestine

The site of the Church of the Nativity is a World Heritage Site, and was the first to be listed under Palestine by UNESCO.. The site is also on UNESCO's List of World Heritage Sites in Danger.

© Copyright owner: Photo Garo M. Nalbandian

The Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem is a major Christian holy site, as it marks the traditional place of Christ's birth. It is also one of the oldest surviving Christian churches.

The first evidence of a cave in Bethlehem being venerated as Christ's birthplace is in the writings of Justin Martyr around 160 AD.

In 326, Constantine and his mother St. Helena commisioned a church to be built over the cave. This first church, dedicated on May 31, 339, had an octagonal floor plan and was placed directly above the cave. In the center, a 4-meter-wide hole surrounded by a railing provided a view of the cave. Portions of the floor mosaic survive from this period.

The Constantinian church was destroyed by Justinian in 530 AD, who built the much larger church that remains today. The Persians spared it during their invasion in 614 AD because, according to legend, they were impressed by a representation of the Magi — fellow Persians — that decorated the building. This was quoted at a 9th-century synod in Jerusalem to show the utility of religious images.

Muslims prevented the application of Hakim's decree (1009) ordering the destruction of Christian monuments because, since the time of Omar (639), they had been permitted to use the south transept for worship. 

 

US-9274934, sent by Naama.

The Crusaders took Jerusalem on 6 June 1009. Baldwin I and II were crowned there, and in an impressive display of tolerance the Franks and Byzantines cooperated in fully redecorating the interior (1165-69). A Greek inscription in the north transept records this event.

The Church of the Nativity was much neglected in the Mamluk and Ottoman periods, but not destroyed. Much of the church's marble was looted by the Ottomans and now adorns the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. An earthquake in 1834 and a fire in 1869 destroyed the furnishings of the cave, but the church again survived.

In 1847, the theft of the silver star marking the exact site of the Nativity was an ostensible factor in the international crisis over the Holy Places that ultimately led to the Crimean War (1854–56).

In 1852, shared custody of the church was granted to the Roman Catholic, Armenian and Greek Orthodox churches. The Greeks care for the Grotto of the Nativity. - in: http://www.sacred-destinations.com/israel/bethlehem-church-of-the-nativity

FOTW United Kingdom

This is the newest FOTW card in my collection. Sent from the UK but written in Portuguese by Jennyfer, a Brazilian lady living in the country since 2019. 

Side note, this card was created before the death of the Queen, it needs to be updated. 

 

© concept by Postcardsmarket.com

United Kingdom has an area of 242.495 km², a population of 65.102.385 and its capital is London. Unique: 

* British Passports - since all are issued in the Queen Elizabeth II's name, she herself doesn't have one;  * The Shortest Flight in the World -less than two minutes and just ove a mile long, between two islands of Orkney, UK; 

 Famous:

* Earth's Land Surface - the Queen of the UK is the legal owner of one-sixth of it;

* Postage Stamps Inventors - the Uk is the only country not required to name itself on its postage stamps; 

History:  

* Formation: On 1 May 1707, UK came into being as Kingdoms of England and Scotland unite;

* Largest Man-made Earthen Mound in Europe: 4750 y. o., Silburry Hill, Wiltshire, UK.

IT-688760

I rarely receive official postcards from Italy but two weeks ago I received two on the same day with consecutive IDs. This one is from Castelvechio Calvisio, town in the Province of L'Aquila in the Abruzzo region of Italy.

IT-688760, sent by Elisabetta.

The Church of San Cipriano, from the 8th century, is located near the village. It is a Romanesque construction on the remains of a pagan temple dedicated to Venus, with medieval, Roman and pre-Roman inscriptions, as well as 15th century frescoes

RS-64969

I saw this card and thought it would be from Russia or Belarus. Then I saw the ID and the stamp and realized it was sent from Serbia but google images identified this church as Basil of Ostrog Monastery in Bijeljina, a city in Bosnia and Herzegovina. 

 

RS-64969, sent by Anna.

Basil of Ostrog Monastery in the center of Bijeljina is a newly built monastery (2001.) Dedicated to St Basil of Ostrog. The bell tower with a clock of over 30 meters dominates the surroundings and a symbol of the monastery. As part of the monastery is a museum, dining room, library, hermitages for monks. Inside the temple is painted magnificent frescoes. It is particularly valuable copy Trojeručica miraculous icons, the gift from Hilandar monastery. - in: wikipedia