Kizkalesi Castle - Turkey

I absolutely love this card. It was in my favorites for so long, I'm glad I finally got it. Teşekkür ederim Helen.

Kizkalesi means Maiden’s Castle which is a romantic name for the crusader Castle situated on a small island in Mersin Province of Turkey. The total area of the island is about 15,000 square metres (160,000 sq ft) and the castle covers most of this area. 

The fortress on the sea was built in 1104 by the Byzantine admiral Eustathious. It is about 200 yards away from the shore and was initially connected to the mainland by a land bridge. Here, you can find watch towers on its walls, a reservoir and in the courtyard you will see a Byzantine basilica. The castle of Kizkalesi has an interesting tale just like most of the castles here in Turkey. 

The tale of the castle started when a fortune teller told the king of Korykos that his only and most loved daughter would be killed through a bite of a snake. The king decided to built his castle in the sea and let his daughter live in the castle in order to prevent the dreadful fate of his daughter. But unfortunately even the king can’t change what is destined to happen. A snake was brought into the island through a basket filled with fruits bit his daughter and died. - in: http://www.bigloveturkey.com/pages/kizkalesi.asp

St. Mark's Church, Zagreb

I've been to Zagreb but I didn't get to see this church ☹ I'm pretty sure I'll visit Zagreb again and then, I'll definitely see St. Mark's Church. The card was sent by Antonella.

This 13th-century church is one of Zagreb’s most emblematic buildings. Its colourful tiled roof, constructed in 1880, has the medieval coat of arms of Croatia, Dalmatia and Slavonia on the left side, and the emblem of Zagreb on the right. - https://www.lonelyplanet.com/croatia/zagreb/attractions/st-marks-church/a/poi-sig/425175/358800

From the Romanesque period, in the 13th century, when it was originally built, only a window in the south wall and the bell-tower foundation are preserved. Gothic arches and the shrine were built in the second half of the 14th century, when the church got its most valuable part - luxurious Gorhic south portal. In terms of figures it contains, that Gothic portal is one of the most beautiful one in Croatia. It was made in the Parler workshop, one of the most famous medieval sculpting workshops. The north - western wall contains the oldest known coat - of - arms of Zagreb from 1499.

The church was thoroughly reconstructed in the second half of the 19th century, based on the designs of Viennese architects Friedrich Schmidt and Hermann Bolle. It underwent another reconstruction in the first half of the 20th century. At that time, renowned painter Jozo Kljakovic (1888 - 1969) painted its walls, while the altar was decorated with works of famous sculptor Ivan Mestrovic. - in: http://www.infozagreb.hr/explore-zagreb/attractions/architectural-monuments/st-marks-church

Brown Bear

The Fauna of Belarus collection is so beautiful. This week I've got this brown bear card sent by Tanya. 

The awe-inspiring brown bear lives in the forests and mountains of northern North America, Europe, and Asia. It is the most widely distributed bear in the world.

These omnivorous giants tend to be solitary animals, except for females and their cubs, but at times they do congregate. Dramatic gatherings can be seen at prime Alaskan fishing spots when the salmon swim upstream for summer spawning. In this season dozens of bears may gather to feast on the fish, craving fats that will sustain them through the long winter ahead. In fall a brown bear may eat as much as 90 pounds of food each day, and it may weigh twice as much before hibernation as it will in spring.

Brown bears dig dens for winter hibernation, often holing up in a suitable hillside. Females, or she-bears, den while pregnant and give birth during this winter rest, usually to a pair of cubs. Brown bear cubs nurse on their mother's milk until spring and stay with her for some two and a half years—so females only reproduce once every three years.

Adult brown bears are powerful, top-of-the-food chain predators, but much of their diet consists of nuts, berries, fruit, leaves, and roots. Bears also eat other animals, from rodents to moose.

Despite their enormous size, brown bears are extremely fast, having been clocked at speeds of 30 miles per hour. They can be dangerous to humans, particularly if surprised or if a person gets between a mother bear and her cubs. - in: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/b/brown-bear/

LT-580238

When I first saw this card I thought it was from Kaunas but it actually is from Jonava. 

LT-580238, sent by Ieva. 

Jonava is the ninth largest city in Lithuania with a population of ca 30,000. It is located in Kaunas County in central Lithuania, 30 km (19 mi) north east of Kaunas. 

The bridge on the card crosses river Neris. 

Landscapes of Dauria - Russia

Landscapes of Dauria is the other russian site added to the WHS list. This site, shared by Russia and Mongolia is one of the habitats of  the near-threatened Pallas Cat. 

Shared between Mongolia and the Russian Federation, this site is an outstanding example of the Daurian Steppe eco-region, which extends from eastern Mongolia into Russian Siberia and northeastern China. Cyclical climate changes, with distinct dry and wet periods lead to a wide diversity of species and ecosystems of global significance. The different types of steppe represented, such as grassland and forest, as well as lakes and wetlands serve as habitats for rare species of fauna (...). - in: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1448

Assumption Cathedral in Sviyazhsk - Russia

This year Russia added two sites to the UNESCO WHS list. One of them was the Assumption Cathedral and Monastery of the town-island of Sviyazhsk. Thanks to Vera it wasn't difficult to get cards from both sites.

The Assumption Cathedral is located in the town-island of Sviyazhsk and is part of the monastery of the same name. Situated at the confluence of the Volga, the Sviyaga and the Shchuka rivers, at the crossroads of the Silk and Volga routes, Sviyazhsk was founded by Ivan the Terrible in 1551. It was from this outpost that he initiated the conquest of the Kazan Khanate. The Assumption Monastery illustrates in its location and architectural composition the political and missionary programme developed by Tsar Ivan IV to extend the Moscow state. The cathedral’s frescoes are among the rarest examples of Eastern Orthodox mural paintings. - in: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1525

Ferapontov Monastery - Russia

Beautiful cards of the Ferapontov Monastery in Russia, sent by Natalia, Vera and Alyona. 

The Ensemble of the Ferapontov Monastery is a UNESCO WHS since 2000. 

The Ensemble of Ferrapontov Monastery is situated in the Vologda region, in the north-western part of the Russian Federation on a small hill, between Borodaevskoe and Paskoe lakes, 120 km northwest of the city of Vologda.

The Moscow monk Ferrapont founded the monastery in 1398. The Ensemble of the Monastery was formed in the 15th-17th centuries. The core of the Ensemble is the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin (1490), which is especially remarkable among the six surviving buildings of the Monastery. The others are the Church of the Annunciation, with a refectory chamber, the Treasury Chamber, the St. Martinian Church, the Churches of Epiphany and St. Pherapont above the Holy Gate, and the Bell Tower. In the 19th century the monastery territory was enclosed with a stone fence.

The history of Ferrapontov Monastery was linked with important events at some crucial points during the conformation of the centralized Russian state, such as the approval authority of the first "Emperor of All Russia" Ivan III, the reign of the first Russian tsar Ivan IV and the exile of Patriarch Nikon. In the 15th-16th centuries, Ferrapontov Monastery became a major cultural and ideological centre of the region, and was one of the main monasteries that considerably influenced the policy of Muscovy.

The architecture of the monastery, a remarkable example of the Rostov architectural style, is outstanding in its inventiveness and purity. The buildings of the monastery retained all the characteristic features and interior decoration. The Ensemble of the Ferrapontov Monastery is also a vivid example of the harmonious unity with the natural surrounding landscape that has changed little from the 17th century, emphasizing the unique spiritual system of northern monks, while at the same time revealing features of economic structure of northern peasantry.

The murals of the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin have a special significance for Russian culture and other cultures worldwide. The murals of the Cathedral are the only paintings of the greatest Russian master Dionisy the Wise, which have been entirely preserved to this day in their original form. The Ensemble of the Ferrapontov Monastery, with the most valuable and completely preserved frescos of Dionisy, is a unique example of the integrity and unity of the Russian style of the northern monastery ensemble of the 15th-17th centuries. - in: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/982