St. Kitts & Nevis - Independence Square

Independence Square.

Sent by Theo from St. Kitts.

Independence Square was named on the occasion of St. Kitts and Nevis achieving political independence on September 19, 1983. Originally called Pall Mall Square, The Government first acquired it in 1750 and it rapidly became the administrative, commercial and social centre of Basseterre. The Square was the site of the slave market. Slaves arriving from Africa were temporarily quartered in the basement of a building on the south side of the Square. (Source)

Aaland Islands

Sent by Leila from Mariehamn, Aaland.

Canada - Prince Edward Island - Red Beach Sunset

Red Beach Sunset
Cable Head West, Prince Edward Island

Sent by Rosie of Ontario who was visiting Prince Edward Island.

U.S.A. - Kansas - State Flower (2)

SUNFLOWERS - KANSAS STATE FLOWER

Sent by Shirley from Topeka, Kansas, USA.

U.S.A. - Kansas - State Capitol Building

The Kansas State Capitol, built 1866-1903, draws visitors because of its architecture, its interesting dome, and the John Steuart Curry mural, "The Settlement of Kansas," with John Brown as its central figure, sitting atop the dome is a 22' 2" statue "Ad Astra" sculpted by Salina artist Richard Bergen. Facing the North Star to guide travelers, as was common when the Kansa Indians lived here; Ad Astra means "To the stars thru difficulties."

Sent by Shirley from Topeka, Kansas, USA.

The Kansas State Capitol, known also as the Kansas Statehouse, is the building housing the executive and legislative branches of government for the U.S. state of Kansas. It is located in the city of Topeka which has served as the capital of Kansas since it became a state in 1861. This is only the second building to serve as the Kansas Capitol.

A large mural in the east wing, painted by Kansan John Steuart Curry, is centered on an image of abolitionist John Brown. This is believed to be the only instance of a person convicted of treason being featured in a state capitol.

The dome, at 304 ft (93 m), is taller than the 288 ft (88 m) United States Capitol dome although its diameter (50 ft (15 m)) is approximately half the national capitol (96 ft (29 m)). It is one of the few capitols in the United States that continues to offer tours that go to the top of the dome. The dome is, however, temporarily closed to visitors until 2012, as the Statehouse is undergoing extensive renovations. Visitors enter the dome by climbing 296 steps leading from the fifth floor to the top. (read further)

U.S.A. - Kansas - Mapcard (2)

Sent by Shirley from Topeka, Kansas, USA.

Portugal - Braga

Bom Jesus - Braga (Portugal)
Sanctuary and staircase.

Sent by Joana from Lisbon, Portugal.

Braga (Portuguese pronunciation: ['bɾaɣɐ]), is a city in the municipality of Braga in northwestern Portuguese district of Braga, considered the oldest Christian archdiocese in the country and one of the oldest in the world. Under the Roman Empire, known asBracara Augusta, the settlement was centre of the province of Gallaecia.

With a total urban population of 175,063 inhabitants, Braga is the third-largest city in Portugal (after Lisbon and Porto), including the city and suburban parishes; the municipality, which includes 62 parishes, has a population in 2011 of approximately 181,819 inhabitants (the seventh largest municipality in Portugal by population). Its agglomerated urban area extends from the Cavado Riverto the Easte River. Braga is also the seat of the Greater Metropolitan Area of Minho, which includes a population of 826,833 (2007 statistics), considered one of the fastest growing urban areas in the European Union.

In 2012, the city was awarded with the title European Youth Capital 2012. (read further)

U.S.A. - West Virginia - State Capitol Building (2)

West Virginia State Capitol
West Virginia State Capitol building is made of buff limestone and is surrounded by a variety of West Virginia hardwood trees. The 293 foot high gold leaf dome is five feet higher than the United States Capitol dome.

Sent by Laura from Charleston, West Virginia, USA.

U.S.A. - California - Palm Desert

PALM DESERT, CALIFORNIA
An early morning view from the one of the most beautiful spots in the desert, Palm Desert, California.

Sent by Susan, a WiP partner from USA.

Palm Desert is a city in Riverside County, California, United States, in the Coachella Valley, approximately 14 miles (23 km) east of Palm Springs and 122 miles (196 km) east of Los Angeles. The population was 48,445 at the 2010 census, up from 41,155 at the 2000 census. The city was one of the state's fastest growing in the 1980s and 1990s, beginning with 11,801 residents in 1980, doubling to 23,650 in 1990, 35,000 in 1995, and nearly double its 1990 population by 2000.

A major center of growth in the Palm Springs area, Palm Desert is a popular retreat for "snowbirds" from colder climates (the Eastern and Northern United States, and Canada), who swell its population by an estimated 31,000 each winter. In the past couple of years Palm Desert has seen more residents become "full-timers", mainly from the coasts and urban centers of California, who have come for both affordable and high-valued home prices. (read further)

Bicycle (46)

Sent by Julia, a postcrosser from Ukraine.

Kyrgyzstan - Khan Tengri

Khan Tengri Peak 6995 metres. View from the Dikiy Pass.

Sent by Alexander of Russia who visited Kyrgyzstan.

Khan Tengri or Hantengri Peak (Uyghur: خانتەڭرى‎, Chinese: 汗腾格里峰; pinyin: Hànténggélǐ Fēng) is a mountain of the Tian Shan mountain range. It is located on the China—Kyrgyzstan—Kazakhstan border, east of lake Issyk Kul. Its geologic elevation is 6,995 m (22,949 ft), but its glacial cap rises to 7,010 m (22,999 ft). For this reason, in mountaineering circles, including for the Soviet Snow Leopard award criteria, it is considered a 7000-metre peak. The name "Khan Tengri" literally means "King Heaven" in Uyghur and possibly references the deity Tengri. In some other local languages, it is known as Khan Tangiri Shyngy, Kan-Too Chokusu, Pik Khan-Tengry, and Hantengri Feng.

Khan Tengri is the second-highest mountain in the Tian Shan, surpassed only by Jengish Chokusu (formerly known as Peak Pobeda) (7439 m). Khan Tengri is the highest point in Kazakhstan and the third-highest peak in Kyrgyzstan, after Jengish Chokusu (7,439  m) and Pik Lenina (7,134 m). It is also the world's most northern 7000 m peak, notable because peaks of high latitude have a shorter climbing season, generally more severe weather and thinner air. (read further)

Greece - Paleochristian and Byzantine Monuments of Thessalonika

GREECE THESSALONIKI
Kamara (Arch of Galerius).

Sent by Christina, a postcrosser from Greece.

The Christian monuments of Thessalonika are outstanding examples of churches built according to central, basilical and intermediary plans from the 4th to the 15th centuries. For this reason, they constitute a series which is a typological point of reference. The influence of the Thessalonian churches on the development of the monumental arts was considerable, first in the Byzantine and later the Serbian world, whether in the early Christian period of the high Middle Ages or the Palaeologan Renaissance. The mosaics of the Rotunda, St Demetrius and St David's are among the great masterpieces of early Christian art.

Thessalonika was founded in 315 BC by Cassander, who named it after his wife Thessalonik, just a short time after the new cities of Alexander. Following the Roman conquest of Macedonia, it became one of the Empire's provincial capitals. A cosmopolitan and prosperous seaport, the city grew in commercial and strategic importance during the Roman period and was one of the first bases for the spread of Christianity. St Paul first travelled there in AD 50, and he returned in 56 to visit the church he had founded and for which he exhibited great concern in his Epistles.

Imperial splendour and the changing fortunes of the Thessalonian church were inextricably linked during the early centuries of Christianity. It was during the period that the palatial complex of Galerius was being built (298-311) that St Demetrius was martyred (c. 303). Some time later the rotunda, which Galerius had probably planned as his mausoleum, was taken over by the Christians who converted it to a church dedicated to St George. North of the Forum, on the ruins of the thermae (baths) where tradition has it that St Demetrius was imprisoned and tortured, they built the Basilica of St Demetrius. Rebuilt in 412-13 by the eparch Leontius and enlarged in 629-34 according to a grandiose plan that included five naves, the church, despite having been ravaged by fire in 1917, remains one of the most notable monuments of the early Christian era.

Other churches of archaeological interest were built during the Byzantine period. These include the Basilica of the Virgin, called Acheiropoietos, after 448, St David's (late 5th or early 6th centuries), and particularly St Sophia (8th century), which is a harmonious blend of the Greek cross plan and a three-nave basilica plan. After the Latin conquest in 1205 it became the Cathedral of Thessalonika. When the city was returned to Byzantium in 1246, new churches were built, among which were St Panteleimon, the Holy Apostles, St Nicholas Orphanos, and the present St Catherine's.

When the Ottomans gained control of the city in 1430, most of the churches, new or old, were converted to mosques, and other Islamic sanctuaries were built (Hamza Bey Cami in 1467-68, Alaca Imaret in 1484). Under Ottoman rule (1430-1912), Thessalonika regained the status of major cosmopolitan city it had enjoyed during the early Christian era. This was particularly due to the arrival in 1492 of 20,000 Jews driven from Spain by the Edict of Alhambra. The multitude of cultural influences is reflected in the city's wealth of monuments, now sadly depleted, which were described by travellers such as Robert de Dreux (1665), Evliya Celebi (1668), Paul Lucas (1714), Félix de Beaujour (1797), and Abdul Mecid (1858). (Source)

U.S.A. - Idaho - State Capitol Building

BOISE, IDAHO
Finished in 1920, it is the only state capitol building heated with geothermal hot water. The exterior walls were constructed of natural sandstone plentiful to the area. Large shade trees and manicured gardens add color and beauty to this magnificent structure. 

Sent by Tracy from Boise, Idaho, USA.

The Idaho State Capitol, located in Boise, is the home of the government of the state of Idaho. In 1863, Lewiston, Idaho was the original site of the capitol until Boise was made the capital of the state in 1890 - also the year when President Benjamin Harrison signed Idaho into statehood. A few years after Idaho gained statehood the construction on the original capitol building began in the summer of 1906. The architects who developed the building were John E. Tourtellotte and Charles Hummel. Tourtellotte was a Connecticut native whose career began in Massachusetts and skyrocketed further when he moved to Boise. Hummel was a German immigrant who partnered up with Tourtellotte in 1903 and after they finished the capitol they relocated to Portland, Oregon. The final cost of the building was approximately $2,098,455.05 and it was completed in 1920. The architects used several different materials to construct the building and their architecture was inspired by various sources and cultures. (read further)

U.S.A. - Wisconsin - Madison

MADISON, WISCONSIN
This aerial view of Madison, Wisconsin shows Camp Randall stadium & fieldhouse in the foreground, followed by the U.W. Madison campus which blends into downtown Madison on the isthmus. Two of the four Madison area lakes are partially visible.

Sent by Denis from Madison, Wisconsin,USA.

Madison is the capital of the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Dane County. As of July 1, 2012, Madison had an estimated population of 240,323, making it the second largest city in Wisconsin, after Milwaukee, and the 81st largest in the United States. The city forms the core of the United States Census Bureau's Madison Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Dane County and neighboring Iowa and Columbia counties. The Madison Metropolitan Statistical Area had a 2010 population of 568,593.

Madison's origins begin in 1829, when former federal judge James Duane Doty purchased over a thousand acres (4 km²) of swamp and forest land on the isthmus between Lakes Mendota and Monona, with the intention of building a city in the Four Lakes region. When the Wisconsin Territory was created in 1836 the territorial legislature convened in Belmont, Wisconsin. One of the legislature's tasks was to select a permanent location for the territory's capital. Doty lobbied aggressively for Madison as the new capital, offering buffalo robes to the freezing legislators and promising choice Madison lots at discount prices to undecided voters. He had James Slaughter plat two cities in the area, Madison and "The City of Four Lakes", near present-day Middleton. Doty named the city Madison for James Madison, the fourth President of the U.S. who had died on June 28, 1836 and he named the streets for the other 39 signers of the U.S. Constitution. Although the city existed only on paper, the territorial legislature voted on November 28 in favor of Madison as its capital, largely because of its location halfway between the new and growing cities around Milwaukee in the east and the long established strategic post of Prairie du Chien in the west, and between the highly populated lead mining regions in the southwest and Wisconsin's oldest city, Green Bay in the northeast. Being named for the much-admired founding father James Madison, who had just died, and having streets named for each of the 39 signers of the Constitution, may have also helped attract votes. (read further)

U.S.A. - Hawaii - Mapcard

HIGHLIGHTS OF HAWAI'I
The Hawaiian islands feature special offerings - a spectacular active volcano, majestic humpback whales,delicious shave ice and cocoa coffee, and countless, enchanting beaches. Each islands has its own unique personality and provides a landscape full of adventure and sightseeing opportunities.

Sent by Steven from Hawaii, U.S.A.

U.S.A.- Florida - Dry Tortugas National Park

DRY TORTUGAS NATIONAL PARK
Fort Jefferson, largest of the 19th century American coastal forts, is the central feature of the seven Dry Tortugas islands in the Gulf of Mexico, 70 miles of Key west Florida. The park is famus for its bird and marine life, as well as  for its legends of pirates and sunken ships. Dr. Samuel A.Mudd, who set the broken leg of President Lincoln's assassin, was imprisoned here for several years until he was pardoned in 1869.

Sent by Staff of Dry Tortugas National Park.

Dry Tortugas National Park is a national park in the USA about 68 statute miles (109 km) west of Key West in the Gulf of Mexico. The park preserves Fort Jefferson and the seven Dry Tortugas islands, the westernmost and most isolated of the Florida Keys. The archipelago's coral reefs are the least disturbed of the Florida Keys reefs.

The park is noted for abundant sea life, tropical bird breeding grounds, colorful coral reefs and legends of shipwrecks and sunken treasures. The park's centerpiece is Fort Jefferson, a massive but unfinished coastal fortress. Fort Jefferson is the largest masonry structure in the Western Hemisphere, and is composed of over 16 million bricks. Dry Tortugas is unique in its combination of a largely undisturbed tropical ecosystem with significant historic artifacts. The park is accessible only by seaplane or boat and averages 60,000 visitors each year. Activities include snorkeling, picnicking, birdwatching, camping,scuba diving, saltwater fishing and kayaking. (read further)

Oman - The Ancient City of Galhat

Bibi Maryam Tomb, Qulhat (Galhat).

Sent by Adil from Muscat, Oman.

The ancient city of Qalhat is now ruined, except for a small mausoleum locally known as Bibi Maryam (which however has lost its dome). 

Qalhat has been for centuries the second city of the kingdom of Hormuz and a very important point in the Indian Ocean trade. It was visited in the XIII th century by Marco Polo (who refers to it as Calatu) and in the XIVth century by Ibn Battutah who describes its magnificent new mosque. Both praise its prosperity and the quality of its constructions. 

The decline of the city in favour of Muscal had already started in 1507 when it was seized by Albuquerque and the Portuguese fleet. The wadi Hilmi provided a good supply of water (traces of ancient falaj system can still be seen) but there was almost no agricultural land nearby and all the food supply had to come from the interior (according to Albuquerque) or through trade by sea (according to Marco Polo and Ibn Battutah). Trade was clearly the unique raison d'etre of Qalhat. 

Today, the ruins occupy a very large area on the east bank of a wadi which opens into the khor of Qalhat, after crossing the mountains through narrow gorges. The ruins still cover more than sixty acres. The city was triangular in plan and its fortification walls can still be seen along the bank of the wadi to the northwest, and towards the mountain to the southwest, where it is preserved on one to two meters high. 

The western angle where the mausoleum is still standing was separarted from the rest of the town by a dividing wall. To the south, a second wall linking the seashore to the summit of the mountain protected the access along the coast. It seems that the area between this wall and the city itself was only loosely settled. 

Qalhat had always been considered as an excellent stronghold in ancient times. Inside the walled area and especially close to the coast, the extensive ruins of what were houses and entrepots can still be seen, reduced to heaps of stones with no standing walls. The surface is littered with sherds, including imported Persian and Chinese wares. 

The location of the mosque mentioned by Ibn Battutah has not been recognized. At present, Qalhat is an excellent archaeological site witnessing of the splendor of ancient Islamic trade in the Indian Ocean. Its potentially for archaeological studies is very high and it certainly ranges among the most important sites for this period. (Source)

Oman - Camel Race

Sultanate of Oman : Camel Race.

Sent by Adil from Muscat, Oman.

Oman - Omani Celebration

Sultanate of Oman : Omani Celebration.

Sent by Adil from Muscat, Oman.

Oman - Donkey Riding

Sultanate of Oman - Donkey Riding.

Sent by Adil from Muscat, Oman.

Oman - Omani Woman

Sultanate of Oman - Omani woman.

Sent by Adil from Muscat, Oman.
Terima kasih banyak-banyak (thank you very much).

U.S.A. - Connecticut - Mapcard (1)

Connecticut.

Sent by Grace from East Windsor, Connecticut, USA.

U.S.A. - North Carolina

NORTH CAROLINA FUN FACTS
Capital : Raleigh
Area : 48,843 square miles
Statehood : Nov. 21, 1789 (12th state admitted)
Mottos : Esse quam videri (to be rather than to seem)
Song : "The Old North State"
State Bird : Cardinal
State Tree : Long Leaf Pine
State Flower : Dogwood

Sent by Tiffany from Raleigh, North Carolina, USA.

U.S.A. - Indiana - State Bird

Cardinal - Indiana State Bird.

Sent by Sandy from Indiana, USA.

Indiana designated the northern cardinal (Richmondena Cardinalis Cardinalis) as official state bird in 1933.

One of America's favorite backyard birds, cardinals are distinctive in appearance and song - known for their "cheer cheer cheer," "whit-chew whit-chew" and "purty purty purty" whistles.

Male cardinals are a brilliant scarlet red, females a buffy brown with reddish wings - both have a jet -black mask, pronounced crest, and heavy bill. The cardinal sings nearly year-round, and the male aggressively defends his 4-acre territory (male cardinals have been seen attacking small red objects mistaken as other males). (Source)

Malaysia - Selangor Darul Ehsan - Shah Alam

SULTAN SALAHUDDIN ABDUL AZIZ SHAH
This is the main administrative centre of the state of Selangor. Located right in the middle of the new township of Shah Alam. An impressive landmark visible along the Federal Highway.

This is an old postcard. Since 1988, the most visible landmark of Shah Alam has been Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Mosque (also known as Blue Mosque), located not far away from this building. I personally got the stamp of Selangor postmarked by the Shah Alam Post Office today, about 15km from my residential area.

Shah Alam /ʃɑː ˈɑːləm/ is the state capital of Selangor, Malaysia and situated within the Petaling District and a small portion of the neighbouring Klang District. It is located about 25 kilometres (16 mi) west of the country's capital, Kuala Lumpur. Shah Alam replaced Kuala Lumpur as the capital city of the state of Selangor in 1978 due to Kuala Lumpur's incorporation into a Federal Territory in 1974. Shah Alam was the first planned city in Malaysia after independence from Britain in 1957.

Malaysia grew rapidly after its independence in 1957 under the "Father of Modernisation", the second Prime Minister of Malaysia, Allahyarham Tun Abdul Razak Hussein. Shah Alam was once known as Sungai Renggam and was noted for its rubber and oil palm estates. Later, the same area was identified as Batu Tiga prior to Malaysian independence, and has been a centre of rubber and palm oil trade for centuries. The Sungai Renggam Plantation was earmarked for the development of a township by the Selangor government in 1963, and under the recommendations of V. Antolic, a town planning advisor from the United Nations, chose the present site strategically located between Kuala Lumpur and Port Klang.

Its current name was chosen by the then state Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah, after his late father Sultan Alam Shah. Many other monuments, buildings and even a street are named after the late Sultan. Shah Alam was opened in 1963 with the purpose of making it the administrative centre of Selangor once Kuala Lumpur was made a Federal District on 1 February 1974. With the consent of 8th Duli Yang Maha Mulia Sultan of Selangor, Almarhum Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Al-Haj, Shah Alam was proclaimed the capital of Selangor on 7 December 1978 with an area of 41.68 square km, and administrated by a municipal council. Shah Alam had encountered several processes of extending its areas and the last was on 1 January 1997. Through the Gazette Plan 1190, Shah Alam was extended to 293 square km.

Shah Alam was granted city status on 10 October 2000 with Dato' Haji Abu Sujak Haji Mahmud as the first mayor. He recently served as deputy Menteri Besar, or Chief Minister of Selangor. Abu Sujak declared the vision of making Shah Alam a modern city with a unique identity of "Bandaraya Melayu" or Malay City, showcasing the achievements of the Malay race in all sectors. In line with this identity, Shah Alam was declared the first city in the world with no entertainment outlets to avoid any vice activities. (read further)