Kazakhstan: Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi

Today I got two postcards from Kazakhstan.

One of them shows the Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi in Turkestan. The Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi was built between 1389 and 1405 to replace an older mausoleum of the famous Turkic poet and Sufi mystic. It was built at the behest of Mongul ruler Timur and is the first example of the Timurid architectural style. In 2003 it became the first UNESCO World Heritage Site of Kazakhstan.

Stamps:
Mikhail Lermontov (from set of two) (issued 2014)
15 years since the Renaming of Akmola to Astana (from set of eight) (issued 04-07-2013)

Thank You very much Jane!

Kazakhstan: Petroglyphs in the Tamgaly Gorge

Today I got two postcards from Kazakhstan.

One of them shows the Petroglyphs in the Tamgaly Gorge. In the Tamgaly Gorge circa 5000 petroglyphs can be found, which were mainly created in the Bronze Age. According to experts they were once used for sacrificial offerings. Since 2004 are the Petroglyphs within the Archaeological Landscape of Tamgaly on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Stamps:
Malik Gabdullin (from set of two) (issued 18-06-2015)
Space Station "Mir" (from set of two) (issued 10-04-2008)

Thank You very much Jane!

Thailand: Thai Philatelic Museum

Yesterday I got a special postcard from Thailand.

It comes from the Thai Philatelic Museum in Bangkok. The Thai Philatelic Museum was established in 1947. It tells the history of postal service in Thailand. Since 2004 it is housed in the Sam Sen Nai Post Office.

With nice stamps:
40 years Diplomatic Relations with Vietnam (whole set) (issued 05-08-2016)
It is a joint issue with Vietnam.
with First Day Special Postmark
label

The card can be unfolded to reveal information about the museum and Thailand's postal history in the interior. Inside is also a collection of special postmarks from the museum.

Thank You very much Kwanjira!

Russia: Samson Fountain

On Monday I got a postcard from Russia.

It shows the Samson Fountain at Peterhof Palace. The Samson Fountain was erected in the 1730s to commemorate Russia's victory over Sweden in the Great Northern War. Its jet of water is the highest of all the fountains at Peterhof.

Stamps:
Russian Kremlins (from set of twelve) (issued 01-10-2009)
Postcrossing (issued 25-03-2016)

Thank You very much Daria!

Germany: Wild Boar

On Saturday I got two postcards: one from Germany and one from Slovenia.

The card from Germany shows a Wild Boar. The Wild Boar is a suid, which was actually native to Eurasia. The human also introduced it to North America and Australia, making it today one of the widest-ranging mammals in the World. It the ancestor of most domestic pig breeds and a big-game animal for millennia.

The QR code on the card can be scanned to hear the grunt of a Wild Boar.

Stamp:
Lighthouses (from set of two) (issued 07-07-2016)

Thank You very much Nicole!

Slovenia: Ribčev Laz

On Saturday I got two postcards: one from Slovenia and one from Germany.

The card from Slovenia shows the Saint John the Baptist's Church in Ribčev Laz. Ribčev Laz is a settlement on Lake Bohinj. 

Stamps:
150 years Battle of Lissa (issued 18-07-2016)
It is a joint issue with Croatia.
Birds of Slovenia (from set of five) (issued 29-05-2015)

Thank You very much Nusa!

cover from Belgium

On Thursday I got two covers including one from Belgium.

Stamp:

Rio Olympics (from set of five) (issued 20-08-2016)

with First Day Special Postmark

Inside were two written and stamped postcards.

The first one shows the cover of Destination Moon, the sixteenth volume of The Adventures of Tintin. The Adventures of Tintin is one of the most popular European comics of the 20th century. It was created by Hergé between 1929 and his death in 1983. Today it consists of 24 albums and was adapted for radio, television, theatre and film.

With great matching stamp:
70 years Tintin Magazine (from set of five) (issued 20-08-2016)
with First Day Special Postmark

The second one shows an old advertising poster for the Antwerp Zoo. The Antwerp Zoo was founded in 1843. Thus it is the oldest Belgian zoo and one of the oldest in the World. It has encouraged wildlife preservation. It was the first zoo which housed Okapis and gives today as only European zoo a home for Eastern Lowland Gorillas.

Stamp:
Endangered Animals (from set of five) (issued 20-08-2016)
with First Day Special Postmark

Thank You very much Gerda!

cover from India

On Thursday I got two covers including one from India.

Stamps:

Mahatma Gandhi (from set of five) (issued 01-03-2009)

Personalities (two from set of eighteen) (issued 23-01-2016)

Zoological Survey of India (from set of two) (issued 03-12-2015)

Inside were three Indian postcards.

The first one shows the Mount Khangchendzonga in the Indian State of Sikkim. Mount Khangchendzonga is the third highest mountain on Earth. It is associated with many mythological stories. In 1977 the Khangchendzonga National Park was established, which today covers 25% of Sikkim. Last month the Khangchendzonga National Park was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List.

This stamp is affixed to the card:
Tadoba-Andhari National Park (from set of two) (issued 29-07-2016)

The second one shows a group of Himalayan Tahrs in the Great Himalayan National Park. The Great Himalayan National Park was established in 1984. It is characterised by high alpine peaks, alpine meadows and riverine forests. As part of the Himalaya biodiversity hotspot it is home to more than 375 species of animals. Since 2014 is the Great Himalayan National Park Conservation Area on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The last one shows the giant open-air rock relief Descent of the Ganges in Mahabalipuram. Mahabalipuram was a port city founded by the Pallava Kings. Since 1984 is the Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Thank You very much Prashanth!

Russia: Wrangel Island

On Monday I got two postcards: one from Russia and one from Germany.

The card from Russia shows two Muskoxen on Wrangel Island. Wrangel Island is located above the Arctic Circle. It is a major feeding ground for the Grey Whale, has the largest population of Pacific Walrus in the World and is the northernmost nesting ground for many endangered migratory bird species. It is also said to be the last place on earth where Mammoths survived. Since 2004 is the Natural System of the Wrangel Island Reserve on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Stamp:
Postcrossing (issued 25-03-2016)

Thank You very much Julia!

Germany: Grevenbroich

On Monday I got two postcards: one from Germany and one from Russia.

The card from Germany shows various views of Grevenbroich. Grevenbroich is a city in the German State of North Rhine-Westphalia.

The card was sent from the Postcrossing Meet-up in Grevenbroich.
Stamp:
Saxon Switzerland (issued 02-06-2016)

Thank You very much Marcel!

Azerbaijan: Palace of Shaki Khans

On Friday I got my first two postcards from Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan is a country in Western Asia bordering on Russia, Iran, Armenia and Georgia. The exclave of Nakhchivan is also bordering on Turkey. The country's capital is Baku, which hosted the 1st European Games in 2015. In 1991 Azerbaijan became independent from the Soviet Union and today it has a high level of human development. 

The two cards show wall paintings of the Palace of Shaki Khans. The Palace of Shaki Khans was built between 1789 and 1797 at the behest of Muhammed Hasan Khan. It was used as summer residence of the Shaki Khans, the rulers of the Shaki Khanate. It seeks for the inclusion on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

EDIT:

The Historic Centre of Sheki with the Khan's Palace is one of the new UNESCO Sites of 2019.

With nice stamps:
Dogs (two from set of five) (issued 27-08-2014)
Cats (from set of five) (issued 17-04-2014)

Thank You very much Christine!

Hong Kong: Olympic Rings

On Thursday I got a postcard from Hong Kong.

The card shows five young women holding the Olympic Rings.

With a related stamp:
Olympic Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro (from set of four) (issued 05-08-2016)
The stamp sparkles.
with First Day Special Postmark

Thank You very much Joe!

Finland: Fortress of Suomenlinna with Postcrossing postmark

On Tuesday I got four postcards: one from Finland, one from Taiwan, one from Japan and one from Poland.

The card from Finland shows the Fortress of Suomenlinna. The Fortress of Suomenlinna is located on six islands at the entrance of Helsinki's harbour. It was built in the 18th century by Sweden and is an especially interesting example of European military architecture of the time. It went out of military use in 1973. Today it is a popular tourist attraction. The Fortress of Suomenlinna is since 1991 on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The card was signed during the Helsinki International Postcrossing Meeting.
Stamps:
Personalised stamp "Inge Löök"
with a special postmark about the Helsinki International Postcrossing Meeting
Archipelago (from set of three) (issued 24-01-2008)

Thank You very much Sini!

Poland: Gdańsk

On Tuesday I got four postcards: one from Poland, one from Finland, one from Taiwan and one from Japan.

The card from Poland shows the medieval port crane of Gdańsk. Gdańsk is a city on the Baltic Sea coast. It is the capital of the Pomeranian Voivodeship and the sixth largest city of Poland. Until 1919 it was a part of the German Empire and between 1920 and 1939 it was a semi-autonomous city-state known as Free City of Danzig. It was the birthplace of the Solidarity Movement in 1980. Today it is Poland's most important seaport.

Stamps:
Nymphaea (from set of two) (issued 15-09-2015)
Lilak (issued 07-12-2015)
Polish Manor Houses (from set of two) (issued 30-04-1997)
Insects (from set of four) (issued 16-08-2013)

Thank You very much Emilia!

Japan: Shimonoseki

On Tuesday I got four postcards: one from Japan, one from Poland, one from Finland and one from Taiwan.

The card from Japan shows the former British consulate in Shimonoseki. Shimonoseki is a city in the Yamaguchi prefecture on the southwestern tip of Honshu. In 1895 the Treaty of Shimonoseki was signed there between China and Japan, after China's defeat in the First Sino-Japanese War. In 1899 the city became an open port for trading with the United States and the United Kingdom. Today it is known as Fugu Capital, because it is the largest harvester of pufferfish in Japan.

Stamp:
Establishment of Mountain Day (from set of ten) (issued 10-08-2016)
with a nice fugu-shaped postmark

Thank You very much Keiko!

Taiwan: Chimei Museum

On Tuesday I got four postcards: one from Taiwan, one from Japan, one from Poland and one from Finland.

The card from Taiwan shows the Chimei Museum. The Chimei Museum is a private art museum in Tainan. It was founded in 1992 and in 2014 it moved to its current location. It has one of the largest collections of violins in the World. 

On the backside there is a scenery stamp from a Taiwanese post office.
With nice stamps:
Flowers (from set of four) (issued 12-05-2010)
Inauguration of the 14th President and Vice President (two from set of four) (issued 20-05-2016)

Thank You very much Shu-i!

cover from Germany

On Saturday I got a cover from Germany.

Stamps:

Crocus (issued 11-08-2005)

Tulip (issued 08-09-2005)

EUROPA (issued 02-05-2016)

Inside were nine postcards: my first card from Suriname and eight cards from Germany.

Suriname is a country in South America bordering on French Guiana, Brazil and Guyana. In 1975 it became independent from the Netherlands. It is the smallest country in South America and the only one with Dutch as official language. It is a member of the United Nations and the Caribbean Community.

The card shows various views of Paramaribo. Paramaribo is the capital and largest city of Suriname. The Historic Inner City of Paramaribo is since 2002 on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The first German card shows the Lutherhaus in Wittenberg. The Lutherhaus was the home of Martin Luther for most of his adult life. There he wrote his 95 Theses. Today it houses the World's largest museum related to the Reformation. As one of the Luther Memorials in Eisleben and Wittenberg it is since 1996 on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The second German card shows the Heidelberg Castle. The Heidelberg Castle is the landmark of Heidelberg. It was destroyed during the Nine Years' War and is today one of the most famous ruins in Germany. It was also one of the most important German Renaissance-style buildings.

The third German card shows the Karl Marx House in Trier. The Karl Marx House is the house, where Karl Marx was born in 1818. Today it houses a museum about Karl Marx' life and the history of communism.

The fourth German card shows a view from the Ruhr Museum in Essen. The Ruhr Museum is a museum about the history of the Ruhr Area. It was opened in 1904 as city museum of Essen and in 1934 it was renamed to Ruhrlandmuseum. In 2006 the museum moved to the former coal-washing facility of the Zeche Zollverein. It opened again in 2008 and is since then known as Ruhr Museum.

Another card shows the New Synagogue of Duisburg. The New Synagogue of Duisburg was opened in 1999. It was built near the place where the Old Synagogue was located, which was destroyed during the pogroms of 1938.

One of the German cards is from the Electrical Substation in Recklinghausen. The Electrical Substation in Recklinghausen was completed in 1928. Today it is a protected monument and houses the largest electricity museum in Germany.

The last two cards I will use later to get special postmarks.

Thank You very much Marcel!