Colonia del Sacramento - Uruguay

 Colonia del Sacramento, is one of the three UNESCO sites in Uruguay and is of Portuguese origin.

These postcards have been sent by Atali.

Colonia del Sacramento is one of the most important tourist references in Uruguay, receiving thousands of visitors throughout the year. Just an hour from Buenos Aires by boat and two hours from Montevideo by road, this is a place where the visitor meets the culture, history and magic of a wonderful destination on the Rio de la Plata. The city's charm is linked to the particularity of its history.

 

Founded in 1680 by the Portuguese Manoel Lobo, the city passed from the Portuguese domain to the Spanish domain several times.

Throughout the successive destructions and occupations of its territory, the Historic Quarter acquired the urban and architectural heterogeneity that characterizes it:  to the contributions of the Portuguese and Spanish, were added those of the artisans who emigrated there during the second half of the 19th century.

All of its modest buildings, in regard both to their dimensions and their appearance, are a particularly interesting testimony to the singular fusion of the Portuguese and Spanish traditions. in: https://whc.unesco.org

The building on the card is a museum, the Regional Historical Archive Museum, a portuguese house that dates back to 1750. The walls, beams and tiles are all original as are parts of the floor. The museum hold all the important documentation about the city and the region that has been brought back from Spain, Portugal, England, France and neigbouring countries. These includes old maps, police records (1876-1898) and water color paintings from 1840 to 1865.

Byblos - Lebanon

When I saw this card I realized immediately that it was from a UNESCO site but I didn't understand why I was receiving a postcard from Lebanon, it's not a country one often receives postcards from. Diana sent it as a prize for being the winner of the month of December. It was a wonderful surprise. 

Byblos, located on a cliff of sandstone 40 km North of Beirut, is one of the oldest cities in the world. Its ancient inhabitants did not call it Byblos, but rather "Jubla" and later "Jebal". Around 1200B.C. the Greeks named it Byblos or "Papyrus", because it traded in this product.

Continuously inhabited since Neolithic times, Byblos bears outstanding witness to the beginnings of the Phoenician civilization. The evolution of the town is evident in the structures that are scattered around the site, dating from the different periods, including the medieval town intra-muros, and antique dwellings. Byblos is a testimony to a history of uninterrupted construction from the first settlement by a community of fishermen dating back 8000 years, through the first town buildings, the monumental temples of the Bronze Age, to the Persian fortifications, the Roman road, Byzantine churches, the Crusade citadel and the Medieval and Ottoman town. Byblos is also directly associated with the history and diffusion of the Phoenician alphabet. The origin of our contemporary alphabet was discovered in Byblos with the most ancient Phoenician inscription carved on the sarcophagus of Ahiram. - in: https://whc.unesco.org

A beautiful Romanesque church, Eglise Saint Jean Marc is the cathedral church of Jbail-Byblos. The Church is dedicated to Saint Jean Mark, the patron saint of the town (...) The church itself was built in 1115 A.D by the Crusaders, originally as the Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist. After their departure, earthquakes, invasions and other disasters have repeatedly damaged the structure, and for a few centuries it remained disused. In 1764, Emir Youssef Chehab, of the Druze dynasty that ruled a semi- autonomous Lebanon under the Ottomans, donated the church to L’Ordre Libanais Maronite (Lebanese Maronite Order) which subsequently restored and reopened in 1776 after re-dedicating it to St Jean Marc. British bombardments of Lebanon in 1840 caused further damage, but the church was restored yet again. Eglise Saint Jean Marc continues to serve the Maronite Christian community. One interesting feature in the church is its open- air domed baptistery on the northern side which dates from the original construction in 1115 A.D, The church is situated on Rue de Port, between the port and the archaeological area. - in: https://www.jbail-byblos.gov.lb

Wānaka - New Zealand

Happy New Year postcrossers and postcards collectors in general. 

Have you already received your 1st cards of the year? My 1st one arrived last monday after almost a month traveling all the way from New Zealand. My pal Hans went on an epic trip in a few Asian and Oceania countries and was so kind to send me this card. 

This is a view of the milky way above Wānaka and Treble Cone.

Photo Copyright © 2015 Mike Mackinven

Wānaka is town in the Otago region of the South Island of New Zealand. As one of the most beautiful places of New Zealand’s South Island, you can find some breathtaking views of blue lakes, the vast Southern Alps, or cool evergreen forests.
With naturally clear, dark skies, very little light pollution and a spectacular landscape as a backdrop Wānaka is a great place to capture night sky photographs of the stars, Milky Way, and – if you’re lucky – the Aurora Australis (otherwise known as the Southern Lights). - in: https://www.lakewanaka.co.nz

Salamanca's Cathedral - Spain

Last month's meeting  was not the first meeting between the Portuguese and Spanish in Salamanca. In October 2009 the city was invaded by a small group of Portuguese, myself included, and 2 Spanish girls, who mercilessly attacked all the souvenir shops with postcards in sight :) 

This year's meeting was on November 23rd, my birthday, and Miguel sent me a postcard of the beautiful cathedral to wish me a happy birthday. The other card, with the river view, was sent by me in 2009.

 

IMAGEN SA. 17 * Fotografia: Carlos Santiago

 

When we speak of the Cathedral of Salamanca in fact we are referring to two churches joined together. First, there is the old cathedral dating from the 12th-13th centuries; and then the new one from the 16th century. 

 The Old Cathedral is in the Romanesque style with the outstanding Gallo Tower. Inside this temple, the construction of which began at the end of the 12th century, is the San Martín or Oil Chapel. The main reredos, which dates from the 15th century and was created by several painters with Dello Delli at the head, is also worthy of note. 

 The mural painting which covers the vault is the work of Nicolás Florentino. In this great pictorial work it is possible to see the image of Christ at the Last Judgement. The Old Cathedral attracts the eye of the visitor due to the beautiful tombs of the bishops' and members of the nobility to be found inside. 

 

 The New Cathedral, built in the 16th century and completed in the 18th century by Churriguera, houses the image of the Virgin of the Assumption, carved in 1624 by the sculptor Esteban de Rueda. In the New Cathedral, the choir stalls designed by Joaquín Churriguera in 1727 are of particular notice. The temple's baroque choir screen is beautiful, featuring Renaissance images such as the Virgin of Loreto and those of Saint John the Baptist. - in: https://www.spain.info

Christmas Meeting in Salamanca - Spain

A month ago postcrossers from Portugal and Spain met in Salamanca to celebrate Christmas, postcards, postcrossing and the Iberian Peninsula.

 

The Postcrossing logo is a registred trademark * by pensilcard

I didn't attend this meeting but someone remembered me. Thank you Miguel.

Sado Gold Mine - Japan

 This may not be a typical postcard but, as I've said many times, one can not be too picky when it comes to UNESCO sites. It was sent by Rachelle. 

Sado Gold Mine is the newest Japan's site, added to the WHS list a few months ago. 

Sado Island is a remote island on the Sea of Japan, 45 kilometers west of Niigata City. The island has long been called The Island of Gold due to the existence of many mines. The gold dust began to be mined around the 12th century. A total of 78 tons of gold and upwards of 2,330 tons of silver were produced.

 

Sado Gold and Silver Mines is a general term for the gold and silver mines on Sado Island, one of which is the Aikawa Gold and Silver Mine. Full scale development began in 1601, and a large amount of gold and silver was produced for nearly 400 years until mining stopped in 1989. Here, everything from mining to koban coin manufacturing was carried out. Today, the site has been developed as a tourist facility, Historic Site Sado Gold Mine, where you can learn about the changes in mining technology and production methods while observing heritage sites such as the remains of mine shafts and ore dressing facilities. - in: https://www.japan.travel

CN-3842054

 Look how beautiful this natural reflection is. 

 

The Qiantang River is a river in East China. An important commercial artery, it runs for 459 kilometers (285 mi) through Zhejiang, passing through the provincial capital Hangzhou before flowing into the East China Sea via Hangzhou Bay south of Shanghai.

 

CN-3842054, sent by Xu.

The river is known, along with Hangzhou Bay, for having what is called by locals as the "Silver Dragon", the world's largest tidal bore, a phenomenon where the leading edge of the incoming tide forms a wave (or waves) that can rise to a height of 9 meters (30 ft) and travels up the river or narrow bay at top speeds of 40 km/h (25 mph; 11 m/s) against the direction of the river or bay's current, and can be seen from miles away. - in: wikipedia