Cathedral of St. Peter and Paul - Peterhof

This is a wonderful card, i just love it. It was sent by Alena "nastroeniya" and it shows the Catedral of St. Peter and Paul in Peterof.

"The cathedral of St. Peter and paul is an architectural monument in the Russian style. The construction project was ordered by Emperor Alexander III and the construction lasted from 1894 to 1905. The pyramidal building, which is 70 metres tall, is encircled with a covered gallery and crowned with five hip domes, holding 800 people. The walls are faced with dark red and light yellow bricks and embellished with sandstone columns and glazed tiles, and the apse features decorative arches. Earlier the facades had been adorned with icons of saints and patrons of the members of the Imperial family. The hip-roofed belfry and a chapel are located near the entrance. The main altar boasts a five-tier iconostasis made of glazed tiles; the other iconostases are from white marble. In 1938, SS. Peter and Paul Cathedral was closed down. During the Great Patriotic War of 1941-45, it was damaged and used as a storehouse. In the 1970s-80s, the Cathedral was restored and in 1989 - returned to the eparchy." - in: http://www.encspb.ru/en/article.php?kod=2804010255

More Unesco cards

Niina "bessie" pruposed me a unesco private trade, i've sent her 3 spanish unesco cards and she sent me these from Albania, Armenia and Lebanon. I'll post here the albanian and armenian cards.

Gjirokastra and Berat are was among the few Albanian cities preserved in the 1960s and 1970s from modernizing building programs. Both cities gained the status of "museum town" and are Unesco World Heritage Sites since 2005 as "a rare example of well-preserved Ottoman cities".

"Cathedral and Churches of Echmiatsin and the archaeological remains at Zvartnots are World Heritage Sites in Armenia. They provide a glimpse into the evolution of the architecture of Armenian churches. It is from these medieval churches that the central-domed, cross-hall design of Armenian churches was derived, influencing the architectural style of the region." - in: http://www.worldgreatestsites.com/cathedral-churches-of-echmiatsin-archaeological-site-of-zvartnots_armenia.htm
The card shows the Zvartnots Cathedral, a ruined seventh century circular Armenian cathedral built by order of the Catholicos Nerses the Builder from 641-653. It is located at the edge of the city of Echmiadzin. Zvartnots was built at a time when much of Armenia was found under Byzantine control and during the early invasions of srmenia by the Muslim Arabs. Zvartnots remained standing up until the end of the tenth century; afterwards, historical sources are silent as to the cause of its collapse. Zvartnots remained buried until its remains were uncovered at the start of the 20th century.

Australian Unesco cards

Phillipa "crankypants" was offering Unesco cards from Australia and i decided to trade with her twice. The first time she sent me the Tasmania card with the Port Arthur, one of the 11 Australian Convict Sites and the second time, a Parnululu National Park card.

Besides de Port Arthur, the card also shows the Dove Lake and Cradle Mountain and Wineglass Bay.

Port Arthur is a small town and former convict settlement on the Tasman Peninsula. Port Arthur is one of Australia's most significant heritage areas and the open air museum is officially Tasmania's top tourist attraction. It is located approximately 60 km south east of the state capital, Hobart.

"The Port Arthur penal settlement began life as a small timber station in 1830. Originally designed as a replacement for the recently closed timber camp at Birches Bay, Port Arthur quickly grew in importance within the penal system of the colonies.
The initial decade of settlement saw a penal station hacked from the bush, and the first manufactories - such as ship building, shoemaking, smithing, timber and brick making - established. The 1840s witnessed a consolidation of the industrial and penal nature of the settlement as the convict population reached over 1100. In 1842 a huge flour mill and granary (later the penitentiary) was begun, as well as the construction of a hospital.

1848 saw the first stone laid for the Separate Prison, the completion of which brought about a shift in punishment philosophy from physical to mental subjugation. Port Arthur also expanded geographically as the convicts pushed further into the encircling hills to extract the valuable timber." - in: http://www.portarthur.org.au/index.aspx?base=2559

"Bungle Bungle Range is the landform that is the major component of the Purnululu National Park in Western Australia - it is often used as a direct synonym for the national park area.

The distinctive beehive-shaped towers are made up of sandstones and conglomerates (rocks composed mainly of pebbles and boulders and cemented together by finer material). These sedimentary formations were deposited into the Ord Basin 375 to 350 million years ago, when active faults were altering the landscape. The combined effects of wind from the Tanani Desert and rainfall over millions of years shaped the domes.

Purnululu is the name given to the sandstone area of the Bungle Bungle Range by the kija Aboriginal people.
Purnululu National Park was declared a World Heritage Site in 1987. " - in: wikipedia

Great Ocean Road

Almost a week without any updates, that's because i've getting a lot of cards and i don't have much time to take care of my collection properly. I'll try to put everything in order this week.

To start the week, i've this beautiful card from Australia sent by Jo "joko". My very 1st card of the Great Ocean Road.

"The Great Ocean Road is a 243-kilometre (151 mi) stretch of road along the south-eastern coast of Australia between the Victorian cities of Torquay and Warrnambool. The road was built by returned soldiers between 1919 and 1932, and is the world's largest war memorial; dedicated to casualties of World War I. It is an important tourist attraction in the region, which winds through varying terrain alongside the coast, and provides access to several prominent landmarks; including the nationally significant Twelve Apostles limestone stack formations." - in: wikipédia

Maldives

I'm sleepy but, finally, this is the last card sent by Emerich. After the czech and polish cards, now i've this one from the Maldives with a typical boat from the Maldives.

"Dhoni is a multi-purpose sil boat with a motor or lateen sails that is used in the Maldives. It is handcrafted and its use within the multi-island nation has been very important.

The traditional dhoni is one of the oldest known sea vessels in the Maldives. Many of these traditional sailing vessels were, of necessity, built using coconut palm timber. The sailing dhoni was used in earlier days by Maldivian fishermen. During the industrial revolution many fisherman changed to a mechanized dhoni." - in: wikipedia

Cards from Poland

These 4 polish cards, like the previous Prague cards, have been sent by Emerich.

Basilica of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Krzeszów is a Roman Catholic church and abbey of the Order of St. Benedict in Krzeszów. Built around 1728-1735, it is a notable baroque church in Silesia. It is a shrine to the Virgin Mary, with a 13th old painting. It is a basilica since 1998.

"Toruń is an ancient city in northern Poland. Toruń is one of the oldest cities in Poland. The medieval old town of Toruń is the birthplace of the astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus.

In 1997 the medieval part of the city was designated a UNESCO's World Heritage Site. In 2007 the Old Town in Toruń was added to the list of Seven Wonders of Poland.

The Old Town Hall, begun in 1274, extended and rebuilt between 1391 and 1399, and extended at the end of the 16th century; one of the most monumental town halls in Central Europe.

The Lublin Castle is a medieval castle situated in Lublin, adjacent to the Old Town district and close to the city center. It is one of the oldest preseved Royal residencies in Poland, established by king Casimir II the Just.

The Wawel Cathedral, also known as the Cathedral Basilica of Sts. Stanisław and Vaclav, is a church located on Wawel Hill in Kraków-Poland's national sanctuary. It has a 1,000-year history and was the traditional coronation site of Polish monarchs.

Pope john Paul II offered his first Mass as a priest in the Crypt of the Cathedral on 2 November 1946.

The current, gothic cathedral, is the third edifice on this site: the first was constructed and destroyed in the 11th century; the second one, constructed in the 12th century, was destroyed by a fire in 1305. The construction of the current one begun in the 14th century on the orders of bishop Nanker." - in: wikipedia

Prague

Prague is probably the city i want to visit the most and for the 3rd year in a row, is one of my options for my holidays. Who knows, it may happen this year.

"Old Town Square is a historic square in the Old Town quarter of Prague. Located between Wenceslas Square and the Charles Bridge, Prague's Old Town Square is often bursting at the seams with tourists in the summer. Featuring various architectural styles including the gothic Tyn Cathedral and baroque St. Nicholas Church, the square is an oasis for travelers wearied by Prague's narrow streets. Among many churches, tourists may find the Astronomical Clock on this square, while the tower at the Old Town Hall offers a panoramic view of Old Town.

The Prague Astronomical Clock or Prague Orloj is a medieval astronomical clock located in Prague.

The Orloj is mounted on the southern wall of Old Town City Hall in the Old Town Square and is a popular tourist attraction.

The Orloj is composed of three main components: the astronomical dial, representing the position of the Sun and Moon in the sky and displaying various astronomical details; "The Walk of the Apostles", a clockwork hourly show of figures of the Apostles and other moving sculptures; and a calendar dial with medallions representing the months." - in: wikipedia

Prague Old Town and Charles Bridge.