Postcards of UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List

Bahrain - Saar Heritage Park

The following monuments are located with this area: Early Dilmun town South Burial Complex (the "Honeycomb" complex) * North Burial Complex * Late Dilmun temple * Single Burial mounds To maximize their appeal to the general public, these monuments should be promoted collectively as a single attraction. This should be done by creating a Saar Heritage Park to protect and develop all the monuments listed above. * Early Dilmun town The Dilmun Town covers an area of 2.25 hectares. The main characteristics of the town are: a wide street with subsidiary alleyways running off approximately at right angles; a temple on the highest point; housing blocks sometimes arranged around an open square; and two-and three roomed houses with regular suites of domestic installations. The buildings are remarkably well-preserved, with walls standing over 3m high in places and domestic ovens and hearths intact. The settlement is the only one on Bahrain to have been excavated extensively and visitors are afforded a unique glimpse of daily life in Bahrain 4,000 years ago. * South Burial Complex The so-called 'Honeycomb Cemetery-lies less than half-a-kilometre to the south of the Dilmun town.

Source: Unesco World Heritage Tentative List

A private house of the Dilmun period in Ancient Saar, Bahrain (2000 BC). Thanks to Marcel of Germany.

Greece - Minoan Palatial Centres (Knossos, Phaistos, Malia, Zakros, Kydonia)

"Knossos - Phaistos - Malia - Zakros -Kydonia"

"Crete, prominently and strategically located in the East Mediterranean Basin, formed the bridge between the peoples and cultures of three continents, Europe, Africa and Asia, and was the cradle of a splendid prehistoric civilisation in the land of Greece, the Minoan civilisation.

The civilisation was named “Minoan” by Arthur Evans, the excavator of Knossos, which, according to myths preserved by ancient writers, was the seat of King Minos. The Minoan civilisation is connected to a great chapter in Greek mythology: the abduction of Europa by Zeus in the form of a bull, the ingenious Daedalus and his son Icarus, the Minotaur and the Labyrinth, the seven youths and seven maidens sent from Athens as tribute to Minos, the Athenian hero Theseus - who, with the assistance of Ariadne, rid his city of this blood-tax - the bronze giant Talus and the Argonauts, are all inextricably linked with the civilisation of Crete and its palaces, and have been a source of inspiration not only for ancient Greek culture but also for world art, music and literature."

Source: UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List

Postcard 1

The Palace of Knossos and the Prince with the Lilies. Thanks to Anne of Finland.

Postcard 2
View of Festos (Phaisto) archaelogical site, in Crete, Greece. Thanks to Dustin of Germany.

Postcard 3
The Queen's Hall with frescos of dolphins, Palace of Knossos, Crete with matching frescos of dolphins stamp. Thanks to Dustin of Germany.

Postcard 4
Gold Jewel from Malia 1800 BC in Archaelogical Museum of Herakleion, Greece. A great addition to my museum postcard collection worldwide. Thanks to Dustin of Germany.

Georgia - Gremi Church of Archangels and Royal Tower

City of Gremi, capital of vanished Kachetian Kingdom of Georgia, located on the Gilian-Shemakha branch of the Great Silk Road, was destroyed by the army of Shah Abbas in XVI c. and never been restored since then. The ruins of Gremi city are now important Late Medieval archaeological site with ruins of churches, trading arcades, baths and dwellings. Gremi attracts visitors with the well-preserved architectural complex: Church of Archangels Michael and Gabriel and the Royal Tower.

The Gremi Church was built and painted upon the order of King Leon in 1565. Peculiar relation of proportions to separate volumes of Gremi Church attaches new features to traditional structure of Georgian cross-cupola churches. The main cross of the building is very high and narrow. The arches are arrowed and have not capitals or tractions. The dome is supported on two free-standing piers and the extensions of the apse. The fabric is of so-called Georgian brick. The façades are samples of developed brick church decorative system characteristic to late feudal epoch in Georgia. The forms of décor are achieved through deepening of planes and turquoise fittings. The wall painting of construction period is preserved inside the Church. The Gremi Church has become a prototype for a whole group of other church buildings in Georgia.

Source: UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List

Gremi, 16th-century architectural monument, consists of the royal citadel and the Church of the Archangels located n Kakheti, Georgia. Thanks to Uli of Austria.

Turkey - The Bodrum Castle

"The Bodrum Castle (Castle of St. Peter) is located on a small rocky peninsula set between two sheltered bays in Bodrum, on the south- west coast of Anatolia. This peninsula inhabited and known in the ancient world as Zephyrion and was probably used as a rear base by the Byzantines in the early Middle Ages and then by the Turks. The Castle was built by the Order of St. John of Jerusalem (also called Knights of St.John, Knights Hospitallers, Knights of Rhodes) under the mastership of The Grand Master Philibert de Naillac, at the beginning of 15th century A.D., and ruled by them almost 120 years until the conquest of Rhodes by Suleiman I (Suleiman The Magnificent) in 1522. In Ottoman Period, the Bodrum Castle is used as a small garrison base and in 1895 it was transformed into a prison. During the 1st World War, the castle was bombed on the 26th of May 1915 by a French battleship. This caused great damage to the castle, the prisoners were moved inland and the castle was evacuated. Then the Italians invaded Bodrum and they posted their soldiers at the castle and used it as their headquarters. Following the success of the Turkish War of Independence under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal on the 5th of July 1921, the Italian military forces were dispersed. Between the years 1939-1945 during the 2nd World War, the Castle was yet again used as a military base but was evacuated at the end of the war. Today, the Bodrum Castle is home to the Museum of Underwater Archaeology, which is unique in Turkey, and one of the most significant Underwater Archaeology Museums in the world."

Source: UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List

Bodrum Castle (Castle of St.Peter) in Bodrum, a seaport in southwestern Turkey. It is nominated in the Tentative List of UNESCO World Heritage. Thanks to Marcel of Germany.

United Arab Emirates - Ed-Dur Site

Ed-Dur Site is one of the of the largest archaeological sites in the United Arab Emirates, overlooks Al Beidha Lake. It is naturally surrounded by a series of high sand dunes that protect it from the northern offshore wind prevailing in the region. The site is associated with Meliha site in the Emirate of Sharjah, with which it had strong ties. It was considered the food supplier by using marine transport, while Meliha was concerned with agricultural products that were not available in Ed-Dur. These transactions led to the existence of a unified economy with its own currency . The location of Ed-Dur represents a junction between "Shrax" in southern Mesopotamia and the "north-west of India that serves in supplying water and other items, facilitating the commercial trips. This is indicated in the wells found by the archaeological Mission of Belgium, in addition to many goods imported such as coins, pottery and stone vessels.

Source: UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List

Nice Ed Dur archaelogical site postcard with matching stamps. Thanks to Jean-Pierre of France.

India - Tamil Nadu - Temples of Kanchipuram

Another aspect of Kanchi is its rich political legacy. Kanchi was an important city mentioned in the Sangam literature under the rule of the Cholas. However, with the rise of the Pallavas under Simhavishnu about sixth century CE, who made Kanchi as his capital, it gained more political clout and importance. It remained the capital city of the Pallavas for next two centuries. It continued to be a secondary capital under the Cholas as always, they took pride in possessing it and embellishing it with many temples. After the end of Chola rule in thirteenth century and till toady it never lost its pre-eminence as a centre of culture, religion and sacredness. The ensemble of religious, cultural, social and political efflorescence for several centuries made Kanchipuram a vibrant centre of built heritage, particularly temples dedicated to Siva and Vishnu, in all more than one hundred and fifty temples. The 11 temples are identified under this nomination, are as follows:

The Rajasimhesvaram or Kailasanatha Temple
Piravatnesvara temple
Iravathanesvara temple
Paramesvara Vinnagaram or Vaikuntaperumal temple
Muketswara temple
Arulala or Varadharaja Perumal temple
Ekambaresvara temple (Thirukachiekambam)
Jvaraharesvara temple
Pandava Dootha Perumal Temple
Yathothkari Perumal Temple
Ulagalanda Perumal Temple

Sri Vaikuntaperumal Temple at Kanchipuram. Thanks to Michael of Germany.

Ethiopia - Simien Mountains National Park (SMNP)

"The Simien Mountains National Park (SMNP) is a world heritage property located some 800km north of Addis Ababa in Amhara National Regional State in the northern Ethiopia highland massif. The property area was only 136 square kilometers when it was originally established under the Negarit Gazetta No 4 of 31st October 1969, Order No 59 of 1969. More recently, the Simien Mountains National Park boundary had been extended in order to secure larger areas of suitable habitat for the Walia ibex and Ethiopian wolf and to protect the entire afro-alpine and afro-montane vegetation communities on a scenic landscape in the year 20010-2013. In the effort of the participatory re-demarcation process of the national Park, important sites including Mesarerya and Limalimo Wildlife Reserves; and the Silki, Kidus Yared and Ras Dejen Mountains with the interconnecting corridors had become part of the property and exclude some villages situated on the edge of the park and some areas under cultivation based on the need to comply with the national conservation laws and policies that prohibit settlements and cultivation; and regulate extractive use of resources in national parks. Thus, the current Simien Mountains National park extends from 37051'26.36''E to 38029’27.59’’E longitude and from 13006'44.09 '' N to 13023'07.85'' N latitude with a total area of about 412 square kilometers and formally gazetted in the national law in the year 2014 with the regulation No 337/2014."

Source: UNESO World Heritage Tentative List

A cool postcard of Simien Mountains of Ethiopia. Simien National Park is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A nice bushbuck deer stamp used. Thanks to Anna who is living in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia.

Sao Tome and Principe - Volcanic Islands of Sao Tome and Principe

"Located off the coasts of Equatorial Guinea and Gabon, the volcanic islands of the Gulf of Guinea include the islands of Principe, Sao Tomé (together forming the Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe), Bioko and Annobon (part of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea), which all join the volcanic line of Cameroon. The nominated property includes the islands of Sao Tome and Principe. The island of Sao Tome, with a total area of 857 square kilometers, lies 255 km west of Gabon and has several islets, the largest of which are llha das Cabras in the north, Santana in the east and Sete Pedras and Rolas to the south. The equator passes through the center of the Rolas islet. The highest point, Pico de Sao Tomé, is 2024 meters above sea level. The island of Principe, with a total area of 139 square kilometers, lies 220 km west of the island. continental Africa. Pr[ncipe Island is associated with six main satellite islets: Pedra da Galé, Mosteiros and Born-Born to the north, Caroço to the southeast, and Tinhosa Grande and Tinhosa Pequena which lie about 20 km to the south. The highest point, Pico do Principe, is 942 meters above sea level. In 2006, Parque Natural "Obô" de Sao Tomé and Parque Natural "Obô" de Principe were created, with areas of 19,500 ha and 8,500 ha on the respective islands (a total area of approximately one-third of the country) to protect their representative forest, coastal and marine ecosystems. The “Obô” Natural Park of Sao Tomé and Principe is the nominated property of the State Party of Sao Tomé and Principe."

Source: UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List

Pico Cão Grande (Great Dog Peak) of Obo National Park is a landmark needle shaped volcanic plug in the south of Sao Tome island. Thanks to Uli of Austria who visited Sao Tome and Principe.

Singapore - The Padang Civic Ensemble

"The Padang (Malay for ‘field’) is a multi-use open green space set at the heart of the historic Singapore settlement that combines the features and functions of a playing field, ceremonial parade ground, and tropical civic square. As one of the oldest open spaces in Singapore, the Padang is a seemingly nondescript yet dynamic green that has evolved organically and accrued diverse functions since its formation in the early 1820s. Shortly after the establishment of a British trading post in Singapore in 1819, the Padang originated as a military parade ground within the larger cantonment which served as the settlement’s military and governing centre. It also served as a defensive esplanade and provided a clear field of fire to defend the fledgling British settlement against foreign naval invasions and internal uprisings. Once the military threat subsided, the site soon gained new and overlapping functions –developing over time into a playing field for British sports like cricket, the town’s municipal and civic centre, and a commemorative venue for pageantries, royal celebrations and Singapore’s independence day parade. Continuously activated over two centuries, the Padang has been a mainstay in Singapore’s urban and social fabric since the colonial era till present.

The Padang is the focal point of a British colonial civic square which was developed by the former colonial administration as its municipal headquarters, and subsequently appropriated by the post-independence government. Sharing the evolutionary trajectory of similar open spaces and civic squares found in former British settlements, the property bears testament to the widespread phenomenon of decolonisation and the globally significant transition of long-held British territories to newly independent nations in the decades following World War II.

With the Padang as its centrepiece, the property comprises the Former City Hall and Former Supreme Court buildings (currently the National Gallery Singapore), Saint Andrew’s Cathedral, Old Parliament House (currently the Arts House), Former Town Hall and Victoria Memorial Hall (currently Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall respectively), and the Former Empress Place building (currently the Asian Civilisations Museum) which all date to the period of British colonial rule in Singapore (1819–1963). This cluster of Neoclassical buildings juxtapose against the adjacent New Parliament and New Supreme Court buildings which were constructed during the post-independence era (1965–present). Two sporting clubs, the Singapore Recreation Club and the Singapore Cricket Club occupy the Padang’s north and south ends respectively, and contribute to the site’s long-running recreational character. The Padang Civic Ensemble collectively represents the administrative, legislative, social, recreational, religious and cultural functions that served colonial and post-colonial society in Singapore."

Source: UNESCO WHS Tentative List

Postcard 1
Aerial view of Padang, Singapore. Bought this postcard in Singapore and cancelled it at Changi Airport, Singapore.

Postcard 2

Aerial view of Padang and adjacent British Colonial Buildings. Bought this postcard in Singapore and cancelled the stamp at Singapore Changi Airport Post Office.

Postcard 3

Saint Andrew Catheral - Aerial View. Bought this postcard inside the Cathedral.

Postcard 4

Saint Andrew Catheral - Interior View. Bought this postcard inside the cathedral.

Australia - Cultural Landscapes of Cape York Peninsula

The Cultural Landscapes of Cape York Peninsula will be proposed as a serial World Heritage property comprising a number of component parts from across the Peninsula and will not be proposed as the whole of the Cape York Bioregion.

Australia - Australian Cornish Mining Sites: Burra and Moonta

Australian Cornish Mining Sites: Burra and Moonta is located on the traditional lands of the Ngadjuri and Narungga peoples, respectively, who occupied these lands for thousands of years prior to European settlement and dispossession from the nineteenth century. Burra and Moonta figure in their oral traditions and in European contemporary written records and illustrations, while their culture is tangibly expressed in the wider landscape.

Australian Cornish Mining Sites: Burra and Moonta is a serial cultural landscape nomination of two component parts located in the Mid-North region of the state of South Australia, Australia. Both are historic ‘Cornish’ copper mining landscapes in comparatively remote country, separated by around 130 km: Burra State Heritage Area in the Mount Lofty Ranges (in the east), and Moonta Mines State Heritage Area on the plains of the Yorke Peninsula (in the west), a little over 3 km from the Spencer Gulf. Burra is located around 160 km NNE of the State capital Adelaide, and Moonta around 160 km NNW of Adelaide.

United Arab Emirates - Wadi Al Helo: Testimony of Bronze Age Copper Production

Wadi Al Helo, or the sweet valley as the name indicates in Arabic, is home to multiple archaeological sites and historical layers located in the Hajjar Mountains of Sharjah, southeast of the Arabian Peninsula. The Wadi itself extends over an estimated area of 84 square kilometres, that bear testimony to the process and significance of copper mining and smelting during the Bronze Age and its role in the development of the transnational connections during this substantial period in the geocultural history of Southeast Arabia.

Need a postcard representing this site. If you can send, please let me know at smspenang@yahoo.com

United Arab Emirates - Hatta Archaeological Landscape (Emirate of Dubai)

The small town of Hatta is situated at the foot of the Hajar Mountains, a chain that stretch out the south-eastern edge of the Arabian Peninsula, along the Gulf of Oman. This mountain range, shared by Oman and the United Arab Emirates, features the Samail ophiolite, the largest and best-preserved ophiolite complex in the world. The landscape of the region is characterized by high rocky mountains with towering peaks and water channels dug throughout the ages. The fertile valleys are rich in natural resources and water, due to seasonal rains in wadis and sources. Heavy rainfalls recharge the shallow groundwater, producing large floods that refill the reservoirs downstream, in particular the two major dams of Hatta and Al Ghabra. Hence, Hatta region embodies a rare and representative mountain freshwater ecosystem, which is home to a large number of species. To protect the biodiversity of this natural environment, a large area to the south of Hatta town has been internationally designated since 2019 as Hatta Mountain Reserve (Ramsar Site), and other zones of the region are protected as conservation areas by the Emirate of Dubai.

Need a postcard representing this site. If you can send, please let me know at smspenang@yahoo.com

South Korea - Capital Fortifications of Hanyang : Hangyangdoseong Capital City Wall, Bukhansanseong Mountain Fortress and Tangchundaeseong Defense Wall

Hanyangdoseong 1

Jongno-gu, Seodaemun-gu and Seongbuk-gu Districts, Seoul City

Hanyangdoseong 2

Seongbuk-gu and Jongno-gu Districts, Seoul City

Hanyangdoseong 3

Jongno-gu District, Seoul City

Hanyangdoseong 4

Jongno-gu District, Seoul City

Hanyangdoseong 5

Junggu-District, Seoul City

Hanyangdoseong 6

Jung-gu and Yongsan-gu Districts, Seoul City

Hanyangdoseong 7

Jung-gu District, Seoul City

Hanyangdoseong 8

Jongno-gu and Seodaemun-gu Districts, Seoul City

Bukhansanseong 1

Deokyang-gu District, Goyang City, Gyeonggi-do Province / Jongno-gu, Seongbuk-gu, Gangbuk-gu and Eunpyeong-gu Distrcts, Seoul City

Bukhansanseong 2