Hassan Tower - Morocco

 One last card bought at the book fair but not the only one I got from Morocco. 

This beautiful tower is Hassan's Tower, one of Rabat’s great landmarks. It has been included as part of the Rabat, Modern Capital and Historic City: a Shared Heritage, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

 

 It was part of a colossal architectural project, surrounded by gardens, commissioned by Sultan Ya’qub al-Mansur in the 12th century near the estuary of the Bou Regreg River. The building was originally intended to be part of what was to be the second-largest mosque in the world after the Samarra Mosque in Iraq. However, the sultan died before seeing his pharaonic work completed, and in 1755 an earthquake destroyed everything that had been built. Today, only the monumental Hassan Tower and the architectural structure of the planned mosque remain as a testament to the grandeur of al-Mansur’s dream in 1195. Some say that the sultan intended to make Rabat his new imperial capital, as the great mosque of which the tower formed part was out of proportion to the sparse population of Rabat at the time. Others say that it was merely intended to rival the magnificent Mosque of Córdoba, the former capital of the Islamic kingdom in the West. - in: https://www.barcelo.com

Hwange National Park - Zimbabwe

 Is not everyday that one gets cards from African countries and I was lucky to find a few in that book fair. This one from Zimbabwe is also from a National Park. 

The iconic Hwange National Parkis Zimbabwe’s largest national parklocated in the northwestern part of Zimbabwe. It covers 14,650 square kilometers.
 It is home to the largest population of elephants in Zimbabwe and Africa’s largest population of the endangered wild dog and one may find rare species such as roan and sable.
In addition to four of the big 5: elephant, lion, leopard and buffalo; Hwange has 100 mammal species and nearly 400 bird species.          
The area is mostly covered with savanna grasslands and teak and mopane woodlands. - in: https://www.zimparks.org

 

The roan antelope is one of Africa’s largest bovids, only exceeded in size by the African buffalo and eland.
It is a rare and endangered antelope species, which has a patchy distribution in savannah ecosystems south of the Sahara Desert. Due to past hunting pressures, it now occurs only in areas where rigorous conservation is applied.

Gorongosa National Park - Mozambique

 Book fairs, collectors fairs, flea markets can be great places to find some nice cards. It's always worth to go through all the boxes. These two cards are from a national park in Mozambique and I bought them in the book fair in Coimbra and in my ctiy's collectors fair. Nice findings.

 

 Gorongosa National Park is at the southern end of the Great African Rift Valley in the heart of central Mozambique. 

Seasonal flooding and waterlogging of the valley, which is composed of a mosaic of soil types, creates a variety of distinct ecosystems. Grasslands are dotted with patches of acacia trees, savannah, dry forest on sands and seasonally rain-filled pans, and termite hill thickets. The plateaus contain miombo and montane forests and a spectacular rain forest at the base of a series of limestone gorges.

This combination of unique features at one time supported some of the densest wildlife populations in all of Africa, including charismatic carnivores, herbivores, and over 500 bird species. But large mammal numbers were reduced by as much as 95% and ecosystems were stressed during the Mozambican Civil War (1977-1992). - in: wikipedia

Gorongosa National Park (GNP) in Mozambique is perhaps Africa’s greatest wildlife restoration story. In 2008, the Government of Mozambique and the Carr Foundation formed the “Gorongosa Project”, a  to protect and restore the ecosystem of Gorongosa National Park and to develop an ecotourism industry to benefit local communities.  

 Gorongosa has between 800 and 1000 elephants today. Each family is led by the oldest, wisest female: the Matriarch. She’s usually the one leading her family back to the forest in the morning or leading them to water in the afternoon.
Gorongosa’s elephants play an important role in the park’s ecosystem, and every creature here somehow depends on them. By knocking down trees and eating tall grass, they act like gardeners, keeping the bush open and clear, accessible to other grazers. They spend 16 hours a day eating to satisfy their huge appetite, and you can spot the telltale signs of their presence everywhere: enormous balls of poop that fertilize the soil and spread seeds. Their dung is also a delicious treat for Gorongosa’s dung beetles.
Our elephants are truly wild. They haven’t spent as much time near tourists as elephants in other parks. As humans have always been a natural predator, they sometimes react to vehicles by running away or making defensive displays like trumpeting and mock-charging. Mostly, this is just their way of telling you to keep your distance.

 

 In 1965, 339 different bird species were recorded within Gorongosa National Park alone – not including Mount Gorongosa or surrounding areas.  This is an indication of the exceptional biodiversity of the Gorongosa ecosystem.
The array of birds that you can see on a Mozambique safari in Gorongosa is simply breath taking. The best time of the year to see birds is November, when migratory birds arrive in Mozambique and resident birds have bright plumage for the breeding season. Over 150 different species may be recorded in a single day at this time of year. If you’re a serious birder, you know that Gorongosa is home a special bird that is found nowhere else in the world – the Green-headed Oriole. - in: https://gorongosa.org/

Ein es-Sultan Spring - Palestine

 Last wednesday I've been to a book fair in Coimbra but to be honest, didn't pay attention to the books because I saw boxes full os postcards and that caught all my attention. I didn't have much time but I found some older but nice cards and my supreme joy was when I realized I found this card from a missing UNESCO site. Well, I wasn't sure when I bought it but I confirmed later that Elisha Spring, also known as Ein es-Sultan, is part of the Palestine site Ancient Jericho/Tell es-Sultan, classified in 2023.

 

 Ancient Jerico/Tell es-Sultan is located northwest of present-day Jericho in the Jordan Valley in Palestine, the property is an oval-shaped Tell, or mound, that contains the prehistorical deposits of human activity, and includes the adjacent perennial spring of ‘Ain es-Sultan. - in: https://whc.unesco.org

 

Elisha's Spring, also known as Ein es-Sultan or the Prophet's Fountain, is a freshwater spring in Jericho, near the Tell es-Sultan archaeological site. It's renowned for its biblical association with the prophet Elisha, who is said to have healed the spring's waters. The spring is a significant historical and religious site. - in: AI

Prague - Czech Republic

 I'm on holidays and I'm about to pack for my trip to Czech Republic. I'm finally visiting this beautiful country again, 11 years after my 1st visit. That 1st visit in 2014 is still one of my favorites trips so far. I can't wait to visit Prague again and some new places aswell. 

This card of Novy Svet, of the most romantic Prague streets, was sent by Heidi. 

 

Located just a few steps from the crowded Loretanska Square, it is hard to believe that you are still in the capital city.

Houses which we can see here today were built mostly in the 17th and 18th centuries. Residents of Novy Svet were not very wealthy people. We can guess it looking at their small and simply decorated houses. Therefore they look even more attractive now.
The residents tried to compensate for the modesty of their houses by giving them pompous names. Almost all houses have the word "golden" in their names: The Golden Sun, The Golden Pheasant, The Golden Lamb. And many famous people lived in Novy Svet. For example, Tycho Brahe, Danish astronomer, lived in the house №76/1. Santini family owned a house The Golden Acorn (№79/1). Jan Blazej Santini is one of the most famous baroque architects in the Czech republic. - in: https://www.guide-prague.org

AT-795873

 Baden didn't mean anything to me but Baden bei Wien rang the bell. After reading the unofficial name of the city, I knew immediately that this was a card from one of the Spa Towns of Europe, classified as UNESCO site in 2021. 

Baden bei Wien is a spa town in Austria. It serves as the capital of Baden District in the state of Lower Austria.

AT-795873, sent by Heinrich.

The church St. Stephan is a Catholic church in Baden in Lower Austria. The official name is Stadtpfarrkirche St. Stephan. The present building began in Gothic style in the 15th century. It was remodeled Baroque in the 17th century, and an attempt made to restore Gothic features from 1880.
The church has a notable organ, played by Mozart and probably also Beethoven. Mozart's motet Ave verum corpus was premiered in St. Stephan in 1791. The church is a registered monument and an active parish church. - in: https://www.smart-guide.org

IT-801491

 It's always a pleasure to get official cards from Italy, especially when they're this beautiful. 

On this view from South Tyrol province, in northern Italy, we can see the small town of Longomoso with the earth pyramids on the letf and the Maria Saal Church on the center.

 

IT-801491, sent by Sabrina.

Near Longomoso, as in many other places on the Renon valley, stand impressive Earth Pyramids. These particular formations, located in the Rio Fosco Gorge, have a pinkish-red hue. The bizarre columns of easily eroded rock, protected by capstones, are a unique natural monument.