India - Gujarat - Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park

Champaner-Pavadagh Archaeological Park is situated in Panchmahal district in Gujarat, India. It was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004 as a cultural site. There is a concentration of largely unexcavated archaelogical , historic and living cultural heritage properties cradled in an impressive landscape which includes prehistoric (chalcolithic) sites, a hill fotress of an early Hindu capital and remains of the 16th-century capital of the state of Gujarat. Lila Gumbaz ki Masjid, Champaner is one of the 114 monuments forming part of the park. The Masjid, built on a high plinth, has a frontage with an arched entrance at the centre flanked by two lateral arches.

Sent by Murali from Bengaluru, India.

Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park, located in the Panchmahal District of Gujarat State in north-western India, features a concentration of archaeological, historical, and living cultural heritage properties cradled in an impressive landscape. Focused on Pavagadh Hill, a volcanic formation that rises 800 m above the surrounding plains, the property includes the remains of settlements dating from the prehistoric to medieval periods, the latter represented by a hill-fortress of an early (14th-century) Hindu capital and the remains of an Islamic state capital founded in the 15th century. The large property, comprised of 12 separate areas, contains the remains of fortifications, palaces, religious buildings, residential precincts, and water-retaining installations, as well as the living village of Champaner.

This area was conquered in the 13th century by the Khichi Chauhan Rajputs, who built their first settlement on top of Pavagadh Hill and fortification walls along the plateau below the hill. The earliest built remains from this period include temples, and amongst the important vestiges are water-retention systems. The Turkish rulers of Gujarat conquered the hill-fortress in 1484. With Sultan Mehmud Begda’s decision to make this his capital, the most important historic phase of this site began. The settlement of Champaner at the foot of the hill was rebuilt and remained the capital of Gujarat until 1536, when it was abandoned.

Except for the structural remains of the main buildings and forts, most parts of the capital city remain buried and unexcavated, though the planning and integration of the essential features of a city – royal estates, utilities, religious edifices, and spaces – can be seen and interpreted. Champaner-Pavagadh’s 14th-century temples and water-retaining installations, together with the later capital city’s religious, military, and agricultural structures, represent both Hindu and Muslim architecture. Champaner’s importance as a capital and residence of a sultan are best illustrated in the Great Mosque (Jama Masjid), which became a model for later mosque architecture in India. At Champaner, the land, the people, and the built heritage are each components of a complex, and dynamic process. The Brahmanical temple of Kalika Mata (the guardian goddess of the hill) atop Pavagadh Hill is an important living shrine, attracting a large number of pilgrims from Gujarat and other parts of the country throughout the year (read more).

India - Uttar Pradesh - Agra Fort

Agra Fort, located on the right bank of the Yamuna River, built in red sandstone, covering a length of 2.5kms and surrounded by a moat, encloses several palaces, towers, and mosques. Jahangiri Mahal is the most noteworthy building inside the fort. The Mahal was the principal zenana (palace for women belonging to the royal household). and was used mainly by the Raiput wives of Akbar. It is a blend of Hindu and Central Asian architecture.

Sent by Murali from Bengaluru, India.

The Agra Fort (Qila Agra) is a historical Mughal fort in the city of Agra, also known as Agra's Red Fort. Mughal emperor Humayun was crowned at this fort in 1530. It was later renovated by the Mughal emperor Akbar from 1565 and the present-day structure was completed in 1573. It served as the main residence of the rulers of the Mughal dynasty until 1638, when the capital was shifted from Agra to Delhi. It was also known as the "Lal-Qila" or "Qila-i-Akbari". Before being captured by the British, the last Indian rulers to have occupied it were the Marathas. In 1983, the Agra fort was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of its importance during Mughal rule. It is about 2.5 kilometers (1.6 mi) northwest of its more famous sister monument, the Taj Mahal. The fort can be more accurately described as a walled city. It was later renovated by Shah Jahan.

Like the rest of Agra, the history of Agra Fort prior to Mahmud of Ghazni's invasion is unclear. However, in the 15th century, the Chauhan‌ Rajputs ‌occupied ‌it. ‌Soon after, Agra assumed the status of capital when Sikandar Khan Lodi (1487–1517 CE) shifted‌ his‌ capital‌ from ‌Delhi and constructed a few buildings in the preexisting fort at Agra. After the first battle of Panipat (1526 CE), Mughals captured the fort and ruled from it. In 1530 CE, Humayun was crowned in it. The fort was given its present appearance during the reign of Akbar (1556–1605 CE). Later, this fort was under the rule of Jats ‌of Bharatpur for 13 years (read more).

USA - Connecticut - Mystic

Mystic, Connecticut

The town of Mystic was founded in 1654, and quickly rose to prominence as a shipbuilding center during the clipper ship era. Nowadays, Mystic has become known for its quintessential New England charm, as well as its two world-class museums : the Mystic Seaport and the Mystic Aquarium & Institute for Exploration. Mystic's beautiful downtown is home to dozens of quaint shops and restaurants, and hots festivals and events year-round.

Sent by Dana from Connecticut, USA.

Mystic is a village and census-designated place (CDP) in Groton and Stonington, Connecticut, United States.

Mystic was a significant Connecticut seaport with more than 600 ships built over 135 years starting in 1784. Mystic Seaport, located in the village, is the largest maritime museum in the United States and has preserved a number of sailing ships, such as the whaling ship Charles W. Morgan. The village is located on the Mystic River which flows into Fishers Island Sound. The Mystic River Bascule Bridge crosses the river in the center of the village. The name "Mystic" is derived from the Pequot term "missi-tuk" describing a large river whose waters are driven into waves by tides or wind. The population was 4,348 at the 2020 census.

Before the 17th century, the Pequot people lived in this portion of southeastern Connecticut. They were in control of a considerable amount of territory, extending toward the Pawcatuck River to the east and the Connecticut River to the west.

To the northwest, the Five Nations of the Iroquois dominated the land linked by the Great Lakes and the Hudson River, allowing trading to occur between the Iroquois and the Dutch. The Pequots were settled just distant enough to be secure from any danger that the Iroquois posed. The Pequot War profoundly affected the Mystic area between 1636 and 1638. In May 1637, captains John Underhill and John Mason led a mission through Narragansett land, along with their allies the Narragansetts and Mohegans, and struck the Pequot Indian settlement in Mystic in the event which came to be known as the Mystic massacre. On September 21, 1638, the colonists signed the Treaty of Hartford, officially ending the Pequot War (read more).

USA - Indiana - Falls Of The Ohio State Park

Falls of the Ohio State Park Interpretive Center has exhibits and films featuring the geologic and cultural history of the Falls of the Ohio. Devonian sea life, the Ohio River, George Rogers Clark, and Lewis & Clark expedition are featured.

Sent by Destany from Indiana, USA.

Falls of the Ohio State Park is a state park in the U.S. state of Indiana. It is located on the banks of the Ohio River at Clarksville, Indiana, across from Louisville, Kentucky. The park is part of the Falls of the Ohio National Wildlife Conservation Area. The exposed fossil beds of the Jeffersonville Limestone dated from the Devonian period are the main feature of the park, attracting about 160,000 visitors annually.

The park includes an interpretive center open to the public. The center functions as a museum with exhibits that concentrate on the natural history related to findings in the nearby fossil beds as well as the human history of the Louisville area, covering pre-settlement, early settlement, and the history of Louisville and southern Indiana through the 20th century.

The Woodland Loop Trail features ten stainless steel markers denoting the plant life of the trails, thanks to an Eagle Scout project.

Unlike at other Indiana state parks, annual entrance permits do not allow unlimited free access (rather, only five people per pass per visit) to the interpretive center, as fees are still needed to reimburse the town of Clarksville for building the center (read more).

USA - Utah - Delicate Arch

DELICATE ARCH

ARCHES NATIONAL PARK, UTAH

Probably the best known of the arches in this area, Delicate Arch, is considered by many to be the symbol of Arches National Park. The arch is reached by a 1.5 mile hike and is especially beautiful at sunset.

Sent by Kathleen from Nevada, USA.

Delicate Arch is a 52-foot-tall (16 m) freestanding natural arch located in Arches National Park, near Moab in Grand County, Utah, United States. The arch is the most widely recognized landmark in Arches National Park and is depicted on Utah license plates and a postage stamp commemorating Utah's centennial anniversary of admission to the Union in 1896. The Olympic torch relay for the 2002 Winter Olympics passed through the arch.

Because of its distinctive shape, the arch was known as "the Chaps" and "the Schoolmarm's Bloomers" by local cowboys. Many other names have been applied to this arch including "Bloomers Arch", "Marys Bloomers", "Old Maids Bloomers", "Pants Crotch", "Salt Wash Arch", and "School Marms Pants". The arch was given its current name by Frank Beckwith, leader of the Arches National Monument Scientific Expedition, who explored the area in the winter of 1933–1934. Although there is a rumor that the names of Delicate Arch and Landscape Arch were inadvertently exchanged due to a signage mixup by the National Park Service (NPS), this is false (read more).

USA - South Dakota - Wind Cave National Park (3)

The cave passages are said to "breathe" because air flows in and out, making the air pressure inside the cave the same as outside. 

Sent by Kimberley from Utah, USA. 

This is my third postcard of Wind Cave National Park. The other two are here and here.

Wind Cave National Park protects two very different worlds - one deep within the earth, the other a sunlit world of many resources. Bison, elk, and other wildlife roam the rolling prairie grasslands and forested hillsides of one of America's oldest national parks. Below the remnant island of intact prairie sits Wind Cave, one of the longest and most complex caves in the world (read more).

Coca Cola Ad Card (8)

Coca Cola 50th Anniversary (1886 - 1936).

Sent by Tijn from Amsterdam, Netherlands.

reproduction printed on postcard

1936 replica of image on Anniversary Poster of Coca Cola

Printed in Milano Italy by Nuova Arti Grafiche Ricordi

From 1997

Condition is near mint

See many more Coca Cola postcards listed! (read more)

Germany - Bremen - Klimahaus Bremerhaven 8° Ost

Klimahaus 8° Ost in Bremerhaven, Germany, a unique science center focusing on climate and climate change.

Sent by Diana from Wuppertal, Germany.

From the tropical climate of the South Seas to the sweltering Sahel heat, on to the eternal ice of the Antarctic and up into the cool Alpine air - here you can experience the different weather and living conditions for yourself. Along the eighth degree of longitude, you can immerse yourself in settings that are based on real locations and find out how people live around the globe.

Immerse yourself in the fascinating world of climate at the Climate Experience Center Bremerhaven!

Discover how the climate and weather have developed and what steps we can take to protect our planet. The new permanent exhibition “Weather Extremes” brings you up close to spectacular weather phenomena - with impressive 360-degree stagings and real reports from people who have experienced them (read more).

Germany - Mecklenburg-Vorpommern - St. Nikolai Church in Greifswald

St. Nikolai Church (Cathedral of St. Nicholas) in Greifswald, Germany, with colorful baroque tenement houses in the background.

Sent by Edeltraut from Achem, Germany.

St. Nikolai, Greifswald (German: Greifswalder Dom St. Nikolai), dedicated to Saint Nicholas, the patron saint of seafarers and merchants, is a Brick Gothic church located in the western part of the centre of Greifswald. It was the main church and seat of the bishop of the Pomeranian Evangelical Church.

The first written sources referring to a church dedicated to St. Nicholas in Greifswald are from 1263. The oldest extant parts of the church have been dated to the last third of the 13th century. The building of the church started with the erection of a single-nave choir, which was later incorporated in a hall church with two aisles and a nave of equal size. The foundations of the western tower were laid at the same time. The church was furnished with its first organ already in 1362. In 1385 work was begun on a new choir with a straight eastern wall, which was finished in 1395 (read more).

Germany - Lower Saxony - Tostedt

Scenes from Tostedt, a municipality in the district of Harburg in Lower Saxony, Germany.

Sent by Silke from Tostedt, Germany.

Tostedt (Low German Töst) is a municipality in the district of Harburg, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is the central administration of the collective municipality (Samtgemeinde Tostedt) which consists of 9 joint communities.

Tostedt is located on the northwestern edge of Lüneburger Heide, 35 km southwest of Hamburg and 55 km east of Bremen. The areas highest point of 70 meters above sea level is to be found at the entrance facing Welle, its lowest point is 43 meters above sea level at the eastend of Todtglüsingen.

Near Tostedt the river Este flows towards Hollenstedt, and there are the spring of the river Oste towards Sittensen, as well as the streams Dohrener Mühlenbach, Langeloher Bach and Todtglüsinger Bach (read more).

Germany - Brandenburg - Dutch Quarter (Holländisches Viertel) in Potsdam

Scenes of Dutch Quarter (Holländisches Viertel) in Potsdam, Germany.

Sent by Gunter from Hesse, Germany.

The Dutch Quarter (German: Holländisches Viertel) is a neighborhood in Potsdam, Germany, consisting of 134 red Dutch brick buildings, almost all of which have been renovated.

It was built from 1733 to 1740 and designed by Jan Bouman following the order of Frederick William I of Prussia, who invited talented Dutch craftsmen to settle there. Under him, known as the "soldier king", the district was planned and the two western squares were built. After his death in 1740, his son and successor Frederick the Great had the quarter with the two eastern squares completed largely according to his father's plans (read more).

Germany - Lower Saxony - Stade

Scenes from the Hanseatic city of Stade, Gerany and the surrounding region known a "Altes Land" (Old Land.

Sent by Heike from Stade, Germany.

Stade (German pronunciation: [ˈʃtaːdə]; Low German: Stood), officially the Hanseatic City of Stade (German: Hansestadt Stade, Low German: Hansestadt Stood) is a city in Lower Saxony in northern Germany. First mentioned in records in 934, it is the seat of the district (Landkreis) which bears its name. It is located roughly 45 km (28 mi) to the west of Hamburg and belongs to that city's wider metropolitan region. Within the area of the city are the urban districts of Bützfleth, Hagen, Haddorf and Wiepenkathen, each of which have a council (Ortsrat) of their own with some autonomous decision-making rights.

Stade is located in the lower regions of the river Elbe. It is also on the German Timber-Frame Road.

The first human settlers came to the Stade area in 30,000 BC.

Swedish and Danish Vikings under Eric the Victorious conquered Stade and looted the town during the 990s. Many prominent Saxons were taken back as slaves by Swedish troops. A majority of Vikings withdrew after taking plenty of plunder. A minor part of the Swedish and Danish forces stayed but were later defeated by reinforcements sent by the emperor (read more). 

Germany - Saxony-Anhalt - Wernigerode Castle Museum

Wernigrode / Harz

View of Wernigerode Castle Museum.

Sent by Marcel from Potsdam, Germany.

Wernigerode Castle (German: Schloss Wernigerode) is a schloss located in the Harz mountains above the town of Wernigerode in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. The present-day building, finished in the late 19th century, is similar in style to Schloss Neuschwanstein, though its foundations are much older and have been reconstructed several times. Wernigerode Castle was first built at the beginning of the 12th century (1110-1120) as a Romanesque architecture medieval fortress for German emperors to have a secure spot to stop during their hunting trips to the Harz. Few of these medieval walls and foundation remain today. At the end of the 15th century the castle was enlarged in a Gothic architecture style, with large arched windows. During the 16th century, it was rebuilt as a Renaissance fortress. A spiral staircase tower still remains intact today. 

The first mention of the Saxon noble Adalbert of Haimar, Count of Wernigerode, in an 1121 deed is also the first documentation of the settlement, which had been founded about a century earlier in connection with the deforestation of the area. The counts built the castle on a slope south of the town as their residence; it was first mentioned as a castrum in 1213. When the line became extinct in 1429, the Wernigerode lands were inherited by the neighbouring County of Stolberg. The castle became the seat of the subordinate Amt administration and was put in pledge several times (read more).

Germany - Hesse - Witzenhausen

Various views of Witzenhausen, a town in Germany.

Sent by Kerstin from Hesse, Germany.

Witzenhausen (German pronunciation: [vɪtsn̩ˈhaʊzn̩]) is a small town in the Werra-Meißner-Kreis in northeastern Hesse, Germany.

It was granted town rights in 1225, and until 1974 was a district seat.

The University of Kassel maintains a satellite campus in Witzenhausen, which offers an ecological agricultural sciences programme, putting Witzenhausen among Germany's smallest university towns. There is also a teaching institute (DEULA) for environment and technology, agriculture, horticulture and landscaping. The town is nationally known for the invention of the Biotonne biological refuse container, and is an important cherry-growing area, with a yearly Kesperkirmes or “Cherry Fair” (Kesper is a regional name for the cherry), at which a Cherry Queen (Kirschenkönigin) is chosen.

Witzenhausen lies on the northeast slope of the Kaufunger Wald, which is surrounded by the Meißner-Kaufunger Wald Nature Park. The town is found at the mouth of the Gelster, where it empties into the Werra some 30 km east of Kassel, 16 km east-southeast of Hann. Münden, 25 km south of Göttingen and 23 km northwest of Eschwege (read more).

United Kingdom - England - Hadrian's Wall

Hadrian's Wall, within the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Frontiers of the Roman Empire,
a historic Roman fortification in Northern England.

Sent by Emma from Staffordshire, England.

The Roman Empire, in its territorial extent, was one of the greatest empires history has known. Enclosing the Mediterranean world and surrounding areas, it was protected by a network of frontiers stretching from the Atlantic Coast in the west to the Black Sea in the east, from central Scotland in the north to the northern fringes of the Sahara Desert in the south. It was largely constructed in the 2nd century AD when the Empire reached its greatest extent. This frontier could be an artificial or natural barrier, protecting spaces or a whole military zone. Its remains encompass both visible and buried archaeology on, behind and beyond the frontier.

The property consists of three sections of the frontier: Hadrian’s Wall, the Upper German- Raetian Limes and the Antonine Wall, located in the northwestern part of the Empire, constituting the artificial boundaries of the former Roman provinces Britannia, Germania Superior and Raetia: Running 130 km from the mouth of the River Tyne in the east to the Solway Firth, Hadrian’s Wall was built on the orders of the Emperor Hadrian in AD 122 as a continuous linear barrier at the then northernmost limits of the Roman province of Britannia. The frontier extended a further 36km down the Solway coast as a series of intervisible military installations. It constituted the main element in a controlled military zone across northern Britain. The Wall was supplemented by the ditch and banks of the vallum, supporting forts, marching camps and other features in a wide area to the north and south, linked by an extensive road network. It illustrates an ambitious and coherent system of defensive constructions perfected by engineers over the course of several generations and is outstanding for its construction in dressed stone and its excellent use of the spectacular upland terrain through which it passed (read more).

Philippines - Feast Of The Black Nazarene

The Black Nazarene, a life-sized statue of Christ is carried through town by barefooted men yelling, "Viva Señor" while huge crowd tries to touch the statue. Every year, thousands of devotees from all walks of life come to the district of Quiapo to take part in the procession as a way of strengthening their faith and fulfilling their "panata" (vow) to the Lord.

Sent by Jerome from Manila, Philippines.

The Feast of the Black Nazarene (Filipino: Pista ng Itím na Nazareno), officially and liturgically the Feast of Jesús Nazareno (Filipino: Kapistahan ni Jesús Nazareno), is a religious festival held in the Philippines. It is also known as the Traslación (lit:transfer) after the mass procession done during the feast. It is centered around the Black Nazarene, an image of Jesus Christ dating to the 16th century. The feast is celebrated annually on January 9.

The Feast of the Black Nazarene marks the octave day of the pre-1969 Feast of Most Holy Name of Jesus (the original dedication of Quiapo Church). The octave day is celebrated by the annual procession of the image of the Nazareno along the streets of Quiapo, Manila. It is now considered as the image's national liturgical feast day.

Contrary to popular belief that the Traslación occurred on 9 January 1787, which became the basis of the annual Traslación, no extant historical record verifies the exact date of the image’s translation from Intramuros to Quiapo. There is no definite date of the arrival of the image either. The Augustinian Recollects assert how upon their arrival in the Philippines in 1606, the Nazareno was not among the sacred images they had brought with them. Their arrival was also the basis of the erroneous celebration of "400 years" of the Nazareno in 2006, which began the custom of starting the Traslación at Quirino Grandstand. Nevertheless, it can be assumed that the image was already in the Philippines before the mid-17th century, as Pope Innocent X authorized the Cofradía del Nuestro Padre Jesús Nazareno (Confraternity of the Lord Jesus the Nazarene) on 20 April 1650 (read more).