Favorites from Turkey

I believe that most of my turkish cards were sent by Nihan and these two are no exception. Both were in my favorites gallery. The 1st shows Alanya's Dockyard and the 2nd the Dalyan Lycian tombs.

PTT

The construction of the dockyard started in 1227, six years later than the Sultan's conquest of the city, near Kızılkule and finished in one year. The Side of the dockyard overlooking the sea and having five cells with arches is 56.5 metres long and it is 44 metres in depth. The area selected for the dockyard was planned to have the most sunlight. 

The dockyard of Alanya was the first one of Selcuks in the Mediterranean, Alaaddin Keykubat, who had the dockyard of Sinop built before, was given the little of "the Sultan of the two seas" with the opening of the dockyard of Alanya. On one side of the dockyard there is a small mosque, and a guard room on the other. There is a well that has dried up in time in one of the cells. You can go to the dockyard by boats or on foot passing the walls near Kızılkule and can enter the dockyard without any payments. - in: http://www.alanya.cc/en/Historical-Places/88-The-Dockyard.html

Foto: Semih Kayalar

Dalyan is a riverbank town in Muğla Province located between the well-known districts of Marmaris and Fethiye on the south-west coast of Turkey. One of the most popular attractions are the Lycian Tombs. 

The six Lycian tombs on the outskirts of Kaunos are the most photographed place in the region. Standing in the cliff face, above the Dalyan River, they are seen from miles away and are the finest display of Lycian architecture, even though one was never finished.  

Dating from the 2nd to 4th century, the rock tombs were burial chambers for kings and queens of that era. Behind tall columns that stood next to the entrance, is the main chamber where royalty was buried with their possessions. Sadly over many years, looters stole the gold and expensive items that were meant to accompany the dead into the afterlife.  

Lycains believed that a winged creature would carry them into the after world and this is why most of their tombs exist on high cliff faces or hills. Sadly the high position and lack of safety has made it impossible to walk around the tombs now, however they still look majestic from afar.

While the rock tombs of Dalyan were reserved for royalty, any keen historian will tell you that Lycians who were not wealthy believed the dead should exist with the living. This is seen in Lycian sarcophagi standing in the streets of towns like nearby Kas or Patara. These should be explored if you want to see a Lycian tomb up close. - in: http://www.mydestination.com/fethiye/travel-articles/721832/the-ancient-ruins-of-kaunos-and-lycian-tombs#

Tytonidae & Strigidae

Tytonidae and Strigidae are two families of owls. Tytonidae is represented here by the barn owl (tyto alba) and the boreal owl (aegolius funereus) from Belarus. 

Last month went i've been to London, ive visited the natural History Museum and that was where bought the barn owl card. The other card was sent by Irina. 

© 2004 David Tipling

The Barn Owl (Tyto alba) is the most widely distributed species of owl, and one of the most widespread of all birds. T. alba is found almost anywhere in the world except polar and desert regions, Asia north of the Alpide belt, most of Indonesia, and the Pacific islands.

Ghostly pale and strictly nocturnal, Barn Owls are silent predators of the night world. Lanky, with a whitish face, chest, and belly, and buffy upperparts, this owl roosts in hidden, quiet places during the day. By night, they hunt on buoyant wingbeats in open fields and meadows. You can find them by listening for their eerie, raspy calls, quite unlike the hoots of other owls. Despite a worldwide distribution, Barn Owls are declining in parts of their range due to habitat loss. Barn Owls nest and roost in cavities, abandoned barns and other buildings, and dense trees. At night, Barn Owls hunt by flying low, back and forth over open habitats, searching for small rodents primarily by sound.Barn Owls require large areas of open land over which to hunt. This can either be marsh, grasslands, or mixed agricultural fields. For nesting and roosting, they prefer quiet cavities, either in trees or man-made structures such as barns or silos. - in: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/barn_owl/id

The Boreal Owl (Aegolius funereus) is a small unsociable nocturnal owl. 

The Boreal Owl breeds in dense coniferous forests across northern North America and Eurasia, and in mountain ranges such as the Alps and the Rockies. It lays 3–6 eggs in a tree hole. Across much of Europe, and to a lesser extent in Asia and North America, naturalists and biologists put up nest boxes for these and other small owls. 

These Owls can live for at least 7-8 years.

Stalker Castle - Scotland

Two other cards of another scottish castle in a very scenic location. The 1st card was also sent by Doyel and the 2nd is an official that I got not so long ago. 

 © Dennis Hardley

Stalker Castles is a four story tower house (or keep), located in a picturesque location on a tidal islet on Loch Laich off Loch Linnhe, 25 miles from Oban, on the west coast of Scotland. 

The original castle was a small fort, built around 1320 by Clan MacDougall who were then Lords of Lorn. Around 1388 the Stewarts took over the Lordship of Lorn, and it is believed that they built the castle in its present form around the 1440s. The Stewart's relative King James IV of Scotland visited the castle, and a drunken bet around 1620 resulted in the castle passing to Clan Campbell. 

© copyright www.allanwrightphoto.com

GB-503359, sent by Joan.

After changing hands between these clans a couple of times the Campbells finally abandoned the castle in about 1840, when it lost its roof. In 1908 the castle was bought by Charles Stewart of Achara, who carried out basic conservation work. In 1965 Lt. Col. D. R. Stewart Allward acquired the castle and over about ten years fully restored it. Castle Stalker remains in private ownership and is open to the public at selected times during the summer. - in: wikipedia

Kilchurn Castle - Scotland

Look at these cards, aren't they wonderful? When I get cards like these, my 1st thought is "I want to go there and take dozens of pictures." The scenic Kilchurn Castle is definitely on my list of scottish castles to visit. 

The 1st card was sent by Doyel and the 2nd by Kerstin. 

 © Mike Guy

Kilchurn Castle is a ruined 15th and 17th century structure on a rocky peninsula at the northeastern end of Loch Awe, in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. Access to the Castle is sometimes restricted by higher-than-usual levels of water in the Loch, at which times the site effectively becomes a temporary island.

Kilchurn Castle was built in about 1450 by Sir Colin Campbell, first Lord of Glenorchy, as a five storey tower house with a courtyard defended by an outer wall.

Kilchurn was used as a Government garrison during the 1715 and 1745 Jacobite risings. 

Photography © Ian Mills

In 1760, the castle was badly damaged by lightning and was completely abandoned; the remains of a turret of a tower, still resting upside-down in the centre of the courtyard, attest to the violence of the storm.

The ruin is currently in the care of Historic Scotland, and is open to the public during the summer. - in: wikipedia

Varazze - Italy

Just a few weeks ago Óscar went on a short trip to Varazze, a city in the Province of Savona in the italian region of Liguria. Óscar's son is still a baby and this was his 1st time on the beach. 

Foto: Lasagno

Varazze is an ancient medieval village, dating back to the 11th century. The walled village had five doors which opened onto the inside, both towards the suburbs that reached right up to the beach. The ancient urban layout was characterised by wide market and lemon gardens, creating a scenery that is congenial with the development of élite tourism, then transformed by both the new road network and the expansion of residential areas reaching right up to the hill. 

Today, Varazze is a famous tourist-seaside resort. The growth of the new tourist port, the many coastal beaches with 40 seaside resorts, the possibility to make excursions in the Beigua regional nature park, the beauty of the ancient medieval village, make Varazze one of the most popular tourist destinations. In fact, many tourists that visit Varazze come from the Piedmont and the Lombardy regions as well as from foreign countries (especially the French, German, Swiss and Dutch). In 2007, Varazze was awarded with the Blue Flag, for the quality of its extremely beautiful beaches. It is also known for the pleasurable climatic conditions all year round and in particular for the pleasantness of its waters: the temperature of the sea during the summer months reaches 27 degrees. - in: http://www.theitalianriviera.eu/varazze.asp

TW-1227347 & TW-1227325

Iris is from Taiwan and has 2 different postcrossing accounts and on the same day she got my address twice. She decided to send me two Rome cards.  

TW-1227347, sent by Iris.

The Colosseum is largest amphitheater in the world and is considered to be Rome´s most popular tourist attraction but some of you may not know that:

* the Coliseum in Rome has over 80 entrances and can accommodate about 50,000 spectators;

* it is thought that over 500,000 people lost their lives and over a million wild animals were killed throughout the duration of the Colosseum hosted people vs. beast games;

* the last gladiatorial fights took place in 435 AD;

* all Ancient Romans had free entry to the Colosseum for events, and was also fed throughout the show;

* festivals as well as games could last up to 100 days in the Coliseum;

* the Ancient Romans would sometimes flood the Colosseum and have miniature ship naval battles inside as a way of entertainment;

* many natural disasters devastated the structure of the Colosseum, but it was the earthquakes of 847 AD and 1231 AD that caused most of the damage you see today;

* the original name of the Coliseum was Flavian Amphitheater, after the Flavian Dynasty of Emperors;

* Rome´s most popular monument was built for three reasons. As a gift to the Roman Citizens from the Flavian Dynasty to increase their popularity, to stage various forms of entertainment, and to showcase Roman engineering techniques to the world. - in: http://www.localnomad.com/en/blog/2013/10/01/10-interesting-facts-about-the-colosseum-in-rome/

The Arch of Titus is a 1st-century honorific arch located on the Via Sacra, Rome, just to the south-east of the Roman Forum. It was constructed in c. 82 AD by the Roman Emperor Domitian shortly after the death of his older brother Titus to commemorate Titus' victories, including the Siege of Jerusalem in 70 AD.

The Arch of Titus has provided the general model for many of the triumphal arches erected since the 16th century—perhaps most famously it is the inspiration for the 1806 Arc de Triomphe in Paris, France, completed in 1836. - in: wikipedia

IT-266744

I've been to Naples almost 4 years ago and one of the things i wanted to see the most, was Mt. Vesuvius. It not everyday that we get to see a volcano. I saw it and i bought cards, one of them was this very same card. Now i've it stamped & written in italian.  

Daniele Minopoli Editore

IT-266744, sent by Betty.

Mount Vesuvius has experienced eight major eruptions in the last 17,000 years. The 79 AD eruption is one of the most well known ancient eruptions in the world, and may have killed more than 16,000 people. Ash, mud and rocks from this eruption buried the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum. Pompeii is famous for the casts the hot ash formed around victims of the eruptions. The unfortunate people suffocated on ash in the air, which then covered them and preserved amazing details of their clothing and faces. 

Starting in 1631, Vesuvius entered a period of steady volcanic activity, including lava flows and eruptions of ash and mud. Violent eruptions in the late 1700s, 1800s and early 1900s created more fissures, lava flows, and ash-and-gas explosions. These damaged or destroyed many towns around the volcano, and sometimes killed people; the eruption of 1906 had more than 100 casualties. The most recent eruption was in 1944 during World War II. It caused major problems for the newly-arrived Allied forces in Italy when ash and rocks from the eruption destroyed planes and forced evacuations at a nearby airbase. - in: http://geology.com/volcanoes/vesuvius/