Hattusa - Turkey

Thanks to Leslie "ctrekoza" i've got this new, kinda hard-to-get, unesco card from Turkey. I believe this is the 1st card i see from Hattusa, the capital of the Hittite Empire, in the late Bronze Age. The card shows the Lion Gate in the Upper City.

The site is located near modern Bogazkale, in the Black Sea region of Turkey. Hattusa was added to the Unesco World Heritage lista in 1986.

"The archaeological site of Hattusha, former capital of the Hittite Empire, is notable for its urban organization, the types of construction that have been preserved (temples, royal residences, fortifications), the rich ornamentation of the Lions' Gate and the Royal Gate, and the ensemble of rock art at Yazilikaya. The city enjoyed considerable influence in Anatolia and northern Syria in the 2nd millennium B.C." - in: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/377

Indian Unesco WHS

In the same envelope sent by Ahmed "ahmedvnit", i've received these 4 new unesco cards from India, a precious help to my unesco collection. The received sites are: Konark Sun Temple; Ajanta Caves, Ellora Caves and Elephanta Caves.

"The Konark Sun Temple (also spelled Konarak) is a 13th-century Hindu temple dedicated to the sun god. Shaped like a giant chariot, the temple is known for the exquisite stone carvings that cover the entire structure.

The Konark Sun Temple is the most popular tourist destination in Orissa and has been a World Heritage Site since 1984. It is located in the village of Konark, which is 35km north of Puri on the coast of the Bay of Bengal." - in : http://www.sacred-destinations.com/india/konark-sun-temple

On the card there's a warrior Pingala with devotee, part of western parsva-devata.

"The Ajanta Caves are a series of 29 Buddhist cave temples in Ajanta, India, some of which date from the 2nd century BC. Encompassing both Theravada and Mahayana Buddhist traditions, the Ajanta caves preserve some of the best masterpieces of Buddhist art in India.

The Ajanta Caves were carved in the 2nd century BC out of a horseshoe-shaped cliff along the Waghora River. They were used by Buddhist monks as prayer halls (chaitya grihas) and monasteries (viharas) for about nine centuries, then abruptly abandoned. They fell into oblivion until they were rediscovered in 1819." - in: http://www.sacred-destinations.com/india/ajanta-caves
The card shows a painting of Vajrapani in cave number 1, the most popular of the monastery caves at Ajanta.

"The Ellora Caves are an impressive complex of Buddhist, Hindu and Jain cave temples built between the 6th and 10th centuries AD near the ancient Indian village of Ellora. The caves have a slightly less dramatic setting than those at Ajanta, but more exquisite sculptures. Ellora is a World Heritage Site and the most visited ancient monument in Maharashtra State.

The caves at Ellora were carved out of the vertical face of the Charanandri hills between the 6th and 10th centuries. The carving work began around 550 AD, about the same time the Ajanta Caves (100km northeast) were abandoned. The Ellora Caves were built at time when Buddhism was declining in India and Hinduism was beginning to reassert itself. The Brahmanical movement was especially powerful under the patronage of the Chalukya and Rashtrakuta kings, who oversaw most of the work at Ellora - including the magnificent Kailasa Temple built in the 700s. 

The last period of building activity took place in the 10th century, when the local rulers switched allegiance from Shaivism (Hinduism devoted to Shiva) to the Digambara sect of Jainism.The coexistence of structures from three different religions serve as a splendid visual representation of the prevalent religious tolerance of India. For this reason and others, the Ellora Caves were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983." - in: http://www.sacred-destinations.com/india/ellora-caves 

This card shows one of the Hindu Caves, cave 16, that actually is not a cave at all, but a magnificent temple carved from the solid rock, patterned closely on the freestanding temples of the time. It represents Mount Kailash, the abode of Lord Shiva, and is called the Kailashnath, Kailash, or Kailasa Temple.

This last card shows the enormous Mahesamurti statue in Elephanta Caves. "At 6.3m (18 ft.), the remarkable sculpture depicts Shiva in his three-headed aspect: as Creator (facing right), Protector (the crowned face at the center), and Destroyer (facing left, with serpents for hair). The Elephanta Caves are a complex of ancient cave temples on Elephanta Island, an hour-long ferry ride from Mumbai. Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987, Elephanta Island is not only a worthy destination in itself, it also provides a great view of Mumbai's skyline and an escape from the chaos of the city. 

The origins of the temple caves, thought to date from about the 7th century, are obscure. It is known, however, that the island was originally called Gharapuri - the Portuguese renamed it Elephanta after they found a large stone elephant near their landing place. The figure collapsed in 1814 and was subsequently moved to the far-off Victoria Gardens and reassembled.

Shortly before the Elephanta temples were created, Bombay had experienced the golden age of the late Guptas, under whom the arts flourished. Sanskrit had been finely polished, and Kalidasa and other writers had helped incite a Hindu religious revival under the court's liberal patronage. Shaivism, the worship of Shiva, inspired the building of these temples. 

Many of Elephanta's priceless statues were damaged or destroyed by the Portuguese, who apparently used the Hindu gods for target practice." - in: http://www.sacred-destinations.com/india/elephanta-caves

Alejandro Humboldt National Park - Cuba

These last days UNESCO added new sites to the World Heritage List. That means the list is bigger again but at least i've got new unesco cards lately. This cuban card sent by Sylwia from Poland, arrived today.

"Parque Nacional Alejandro de Humboldt is a national park in the Cuban provinces of Holguín and Guantánamo. It is named after the german scientist Alexander von Humboldt who visited the island in 1800 and 1801. The park was inscribed as a Unesco World Heritage Site
in 2001 for of its size, altitude range, complex lithology, landform diversity, and wealth of endemic flora and fauna.

The rivers that flow off the peaks of the park are some of the largest in the insular Caribbean. The park is said to be the most humid place in Cuba and this causes a high biological diversity. The park has an area of 711.38 km² (274.67 sq mi), of which 685.72 km² (264.76 sq mi) land area and 22.63 km² (8.74 sq mi) marine area. Elevation ranges from sea level to 1,168 m (3,832 ft) on El Toldo Peak.

16 of Cuba's 28 endemic plant species are protected in the park including such fauna as Dracaena cubensis and Podocarpus ekman. Fauna present in the park includes various species of parrots, lizards, hummingbirds, the endangered Cuban Solenodon (endemic), hutia and snails." - in: wikipedia

DE-948671

One or two weeks i've got this nice surprise in my mailbox, 2 new mexican unesco sites sent as officials by Claus "elbe" from Germany. It was a double surprise because i love getting new unesco cards and i really enjoy officials from someone i already "know". In this case, i've already received way to many cards from Claus :D

DE-948671, sent by Claus.

"The ensemble of buildings, sports facilities and open spaces of the Central University City Campus of the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), was built from 1949 to 1952 by more than 60 architects, engineers and artists who were involved in the project. As a result, the campus constitutes a unique example of 20th-century modernism integrating urbanism, architecture, engineering, landscape design and fine arts with references to local traditions, especially to Mexico’s pre-Hispanic past. The ensemble embodies social and cultural values of universal significance and is one of the most significant icons of modernity in Latin America." - in: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1250 It was declared a World Heritage Site in 2007.

The Castillo (or castle in Spanish) is the monument that people think of when they think of Chichén Itzá. It is mostly Toltec construction, and it probably dates to the period of the first combination of cultures in the 9th century AD at Chichén. El Castillo is centrally located on the south edge of the Great Plaza. The pyramid is 30 meters high and 55 meters on a side, and it was built with nine succeeding platforms with four staircases. The staircases have balustrades with carved feathered serpents, the open-jawed head at the foot and the rattle held high at the top. The last remodel of this monument included one of the fanciest jaguar thrones known from such sites, with red paint and jade insets for eyes and spots on the coat, and flaked chert fangs. The principal stairway and entrance is on the north side, and the central sanctuary is surrounded by a gallery with the main portico.
Information about the solar, Toltec, and Maya calendars is carefully built into el Castillo. Each stairway has exactly 91 steps, times four is 364 plus the top platform equals 365, the days in the solar calendar. The pyramid has 52 panels in the nine terraces; 52 is the number of years in the Toltec cycle. Each of the nine terraced steps are divided in two: 18 for the months in the yearly Maya calendar. Most impressively, though, is not the numbers game, but the fact that on the autumnal and vernal equinoxes, the sun shining on the platform edges forms shadows on the balustrades of the north face that look like a writhing rattle snake." - in: http://archaeology.about.com/od/archaeologic7/ig/Chichen-Itza/El-Castillo.htm
Today "El Castillo" is one of the most recognized and widely visited pre-Columbian structures in present-day Mexico.
As one of the buildings the Chichen Itza archaeological site, El Castillo, also known as the Temple of Kukulkan, is on the World Heritage List since 1988.

EE-106277

This is my 2nd official from Estonia and it shows some view in Kuressaare.

EE-106277, sent by Lea.

Kuressaare is a town on Saaremaa island, situated on the coast of Gulf of Riga.

FI-1118917

A view of the Linnansaari National Park in Finland.

FI-1118917, sent by Pirjo.

"Linnansaari National Park is a national park in the Southern Savonia and Northern Savonia regions of Finland. It lies in the middle of the lake Haukivesi, a part of greater Saimaa. The National Park was established to conserve the valuable natural features of the Finnish lakeland.

On the main island there's an old croft. Field burning is still practised on its fields to protect old forms of culture. A large part of the island is natural-state coniferous forest, with some herb-rich parts.

The critically endangered Saimaa Ringed Seal inhabits the park." - in: wikipedia

BY-195554

An official from Belarus.

BY-195554, sent by Olga.

The card shows the Savetskaya Street in Brest, a city at the border with Poland.