Australia: Sydney Opera House

"Inaugurated in 1973, the Sydney Opera House is a great architectural work of the 20th century that brings together multiple strands of creativity and innovation in both architectural form and structural design. A great urban sculpture set in a remarkable waterscape, at the tip of a peninsula projecting into Sydney Harbour, the building has had an enduring influence on architecture. The Sydney Opera House comprises three groups of interlocking vaulted ‘shells’ which roof two main performance halls and a restaurant. These shell-structures are set upon a vast platform and are surrounded by terrace areas that function as pedestrian concourses. In 1957, when the project of the Sydney Opera House was awarded by an international jury to Danish architect Jørn Utzon, it marked a radically new approach to construction."
Source: UNESCO World Heritage Site List

Postcard # 1
This beautiful real-posted Australian Postcard shows Sydney Harbour and the architectural marvel, Sydney Opera House itself. The postcard showcases 3 distinctive scenes as follows (from right top, clockwise):-

• Sydney Opera House
• Fort Denison with ferries in the foreground
• HMA Naval Dockyard garden Island

The Sydney Opera House constitutes a masterpiece of 20th century architecture. Its significance is based on its unparalleled design and construction; its exceptional engineering achievements and technological innovation and its position as a world-famous icon of architecture

This UNESCO postcard was sent to me by Ann Wiggins who has added 3 magnificednt stamps at the back too.  The stamp on the left was issued to mark Australian Day in 1981, where as the the centre stamp shows the portraits of the explorers Eyre (1841) and Vancouver (1791).

The stamp on the right shows the same image as on the postcard showing "HMA Naval Dockyard garden Island".

What do you think about this post?

Afghanistan: Cultural Landscape and Archaeological Remains of the Bamiyan Valley

"The cultural landscape and archaeological remains of the Bamiyan Valley represent the artistic and religious developments which from the 1st to the 13th centuries characterized ancient Bakhtria, integrating various cultural influences into the Gandhara school of Buddhist art. The area contains numerous Buddhist monastic ensembles and sanctuaries, as well as fortified edifices from the Islamic period. The site is also testimony to the tragic destruction by the Taliban of the two standing Buddha statues, which shook the world in March 2001."
Source: UNESCO List of World Heritage Sites

Postcard # 1:
The Cultural Landscape and Archaeological Remains of the Bamiyan Valley in Afghanistan  really became World-renowned when the news of their destruction by Taliban Government spread around the globe in 2001. Talibans destructed two large Buddha Statues in Bamiyan Valley. Although they were some of the largest Buddha statues in the World, yet the archaeological site is not just restricted to those two statues. There are numerous other statues, monasteries and sanctuaries in the area.

Interestingly, I found this beautiful postcard in one of the postcard shops in Pakistan. Bamiyan Valley is one of the 35 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Danger.
Your comments on the postcard are warmly welcomed in Comments Section below!

Pakistan: Archaeological Ruins at Moenjodaro

"The ruins of the huge city of Moenjodaro – built entirely of unbaked brick in the 3rd millennium B.C. – lie in the Indus valley. The acropolis, set on high embankments, the ramparts, and the lower town, which is laid out according to strict rules, provide evidence of an early system of town planning."
Source : UNESCO World Heritage Site List

Postcard # 1:
Moenjodaro means The Mound of the Dead. These are the remains of the Buddhist Stupa in Indus Valley civilization which are as old as 3rd Millenium B.C. It is the most ancient and the most well-preserved urban ruins on the Indian Subcontinent. This 5000-year-old civilization is one of the largest in the Old World and shows the earliest signs of urbanization. Its urban planning surpasses that of many other sites of the oriental civilizations that were to follow.

 The stupa mound, built on a massive platform of mud brick, is composed of the ruins of several major structures - Great Bath, Great Granary, College Square and Pillared Hall - as well as a number of private homes. The extensive lower city is a complex of private and public houses, wells, shops and commercial buildings. These buildings are laid out along streets intersecting each other at right angles, in a highly orderly form of city planning that also incorporated important systems of sanitation and drainage.
Of this vast urban ruin of Moenjodaro, only about one-third has been reveal by excavation since 1922. The foundations of the site are threatened by saline action due to a rise of the water table of the Indus River. This was the subject of a UNESCO international campaign in the 1970s, which partially mitigated the attack on the prehistoric mud-brick buildings.

Postcard # 2:
The postcard below shows the portrait view of the King Priest, excavated from Moenjodaro Excavation Site. You can read a detailed account of King Priest from Moenjodaro here.

Feel free to leave your comments below!

Malaysia : Melaka, George Town, Historic Cities of the Straits of Malacca

"Melaka and George Town, historic cities of the Straits of Malacca have developed over 500 years of trading and cultural exchanges between East and West in the Straits of Malacca. The influences of Asia and Europe have endowed the towns with a specific multicultural heritage that is both tangible and intangible. With its government buildings, churches, squares and fortifications, Melaka demonstrates the early stages of this history originating in the 15th-century Malay sultanate and the Portuguese and Dutch periods beginning in the early 16th century. Featuring residential and commercial buildings, George Town represents the British era from the end of the 18th century. The two towns constitute a unique architectural and cultural townscape without parallel anywhere in East and Southeast Asia."
Source : UNESCO World Heritage Site List

Postcard # 1:
This beautiful postcard was sent to me by Ilyani Mat alias Imajica from Malaysia. The postcard shows generations-old Chinese houses, built in 15th century, which still line the banks of Malacca River till today. It is an amazing sight, seeing houses built so close to the flowing river. The civilization in this region started as early as 13th century.

The stamp used on the postcard is from the Malaysian Cartoons Series from 2008. It is one of the 4 stamps of the set and says "Permainan Anak Kampung". I wonder what this means in English? Can someone tell us?

 What do you think about this postcard? You can leave your comments below!

China: Huanglong Scenic and Historic Interest Area

"Situated in the north-west of Sichaun Province, the Huanglong valley is made up of snow-capped peaks and the easternmost of all the Chinese glaciers. In addition to its mountain landscape, diverse forest ecosystems can be found, as well as spectacular limestone formations, waterfalls and hot springs. The area also has a population of endangered animals, including the giant panda and the Sichuan golden snub-nosed monkey."
Source: UNESCO World Heritage List

Postcard # 1:
This Chinese Postcard from "Huanglong Scenic and Historic Interest Area" is a beautiful one. It is really a marvel of the nature. The back of the card says "Golden Sand Beach" and it is from Jinshatan.

Of greatest geologically interest is the extensive calcite deposition that has taken place, notably along the 3.6 km Huanglonggou (Yellow Dragon Gully) where there are several extensive areas of travertine pools. Algae and bacteria proliferate in a number of these pools, giving a wide range of colours from orange and yellow to green and blue. Other karst features include long limestone shoals, notably Liujinshan (Glazed Golden Fan) and Jinshatan (Golden Sand Beach), in Huanglonggou. These are extensive slopes of active limestone deposition, covered entirely by a thin layer of flowing water.
The postcard was sent to me by Edward from China inside an envelope, alongwith 4 other postcards. Thank you so much Edward!