Claus tagged me on "portuguese speaking countries tag" and he knows i'm addicted to unesco cards, that's why he sent these 3 new unesco places. Like most of the tags, it was supposed to send 1 card but sending 1 card is never enough for Claus. He sent cards from Japan, Australia and Israel.

Vielen Dank.

"Hōryū-ji is a Buddhist temple in Ikaruga, Nara Prefecture, Japan. Its full name is Hōryū Gakumonji (法隆学問寺), or Learning Temple of the Flourishing Law, the complex serving as seminary and monastery both.

The temple's pagoda is widely acknowledged to be of the oldest wooden buildings existing in the world, underscoring Hōryū-ji's place as one of the most celebrated temples in Japan. In 1993, Hōryū-ji was inscribed together with Hokki-ji as a Unesco World Heritage Site under the name Buddhist Monuments in the Horyu-ji Area. The Japanese government lists several of its structures, sculptures and artifacts as National Treasures.

The temple was originally commissioned by Prince Shotoku; at the time it was called Ikaruga-dera (斑鳩寺), a name that is still sometimes used. This first temple is believed to have been completed by 607. Hōryū-ji was dedicated to Yakushi Nyorai, the Buddha of healing and in honor of the prince's father." - in: wikipedia

"The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in Sydney, NSW, Australia. It was conceived and largely built by Danish architect Jorn Utzon, who, in 2003, received the Pritzker Prize, architecture's highest honour.

The Sydney Opera House was made a Unesco World Heritage Site on 28 June 2007. Currently, it is the most recently constructed World Heritage Site to be designated as such. It is one of the 20th century's most distinctive buildings and one of the most famous performing arts centres in the world.

Contrary to its name, the building houses multiple performance venues. As one of the busiest performing arts centres in the world, hosting over 1,500 performances each year attended by some 1.2 million people, the Sydney Opera House provides a venue for many performing arts companies including the four key resident companies Opera Australia, The Australian Ballet, the Sydney Theatre Company and the Sydney Symphony, and presents a wide range of productions on its own account. It is also one of the most popular visitor attractions in Australia, with more than seven million people visiting the site each year, 300,000 of whom take a guided tour." - in: wikipedia

"With over half a million visitors a year, the Bahá’í Gardens in Haifa and ‘Akko are among the most popular sites in the Middle East. Their unique design, combining geometrical shapes and exquisite detailing with loving conservation of natural and historic landscape features, leaves an indelible impression on visitors.

In July 2008, the Bahá’í Gardens in Haifa and ‘Akko were inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List, in recognition of their “outstanding universal value” as holy places and places of pilgrimage for the followers of the Bahá’í Faith.

The Bahá'í Gardens in Haifa, located in the heart of Haifa, comprise a staircase of nineteen terraces extending all the way up the northern slope of Mount Carmel. The golden-domed Shrine of the Báb, the resting place of the Prophet-Herald of the Bahá’í Faith, stands on the central terrace, looking across the bay towards ‘Akko.

While different parts of the gardens offer a variety of experiences, they speak in a common language of graveled paths, hedges and flower beds groomed and nurtured by dedicated gardeners. The gardens frame panoramic views of the city, the Galilee Hills and the Mediterranean Sea." - in: http://www.ganbahai.org.il/en/