Remarkable Men - Bangladesh - Kazi Nazrul Islam

Kazi Nazrul Islam, renowned Bengali poet, writer, musician, and revolutionary who is considered the national poet of Bangladesh.

Sent by Shahadat from Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Kazi Nazrul Islam (24 May 1899 – 29 August 1976) was a. Bangladeshi Bengali poet, short story writer, journalist, lyricist and musician. He is the national poet of Bangladesh. Nazrul produced a large body of poetry, music, messages, novels, and stories with themes, that included equality, justice, anti-imperialism, humanity, rebellion against oppression and religious devotion. Nazrul Islam's activism for political and social justice as well as writing a poem titled as "Bidrohī", meaning "the rebel" in Bengali, earned him the title of "Bidrohī Kôbi" (Rebel Poet). His compositions form the avant-garde music genre of Nazrul Gīti (Music of Nazrul).

Born in the British Raj period into a Bengali Muslim Kazi family from Churulia in Asansol,then in Burdwan district in Bengal Presidency (now in West Bengal, India), Nazrul Islam received religious education and as a young man worked as a muezzin at a local mosque. He learned about poetry, drama, and literature while working with the rural theatrical group Leṭor Dôl, Leṭo being a folk song genre of West Bengal usually performed by the people from Muslim community of the region. He joined the British Indian Army in 1917 and was posted in Karachi. Nazrul Islam established himself as a journalist in Calcutta after the war ended. He criticised the British Raj and called for revolution through his famous poetic works, such as "Bidrohī" ('The Rebel') and "Bhangar Gan" ('The Song of Destruction'), as well as in his publication Dhūmketu ('The Comet'). His nationalist activism in Indian independence movement led to his frequent imprisonment by the colonial British authorities. While in prison, Nazrul Islam wrote the "Rajbôndīr Jôbanbôndī" ('Deposition of a Political Prisoner'). His writings greatly inspired Bengalis of East Pakistan during the Bangladesh Liberation War (read more).

USA - Massachusetts - State Flag & Seal

Massachusetts State Flag and Seal

Sent by Erik from Massachusetts, USA.

The flag of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts was adopted on March 18, 1908, and has only been changed once in 1971 with the removal of the reverse side. The flag features the state seal on a white field. The state currently has three official flags: a state flag, a governor's flag, and a "naval and maritime flag" (despite it no longer having its own naval militia).

With Florida, it is one of only two state flags to prominently feature a Native American in its heraldry. There was a third state flag, the flag of Minnesota, which used to feature a Native American until 2024 (read more).

The Great Seal of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts contains the coat of arms of Massachusetts. The coat of arms is encircled by the Latin text "Sigillum Reipublicæ Massachusettensis" (literally, The Seal of the Republic of Massachusetts). The Massachusetts Constitution designates the form of government a "commonwealth", for which respublica is the correct Latin term. The seal uses the coat of arms of Massachusetts as its central element.

An official emblem of the state, the coat of arms was adopted by the Legislature in 1775 and then reaffirmed by Governor John Hancock and his Council in 1780. The present rendition of the seal was drawn by resident-artist Edmund H. Garrett and was adopted by the state in 1900. While the inscription around the seal is officially in Latin, a variant with "Commonwealth of Massachusetts" in English is also sometimes used (read more).

USA - North Carolina - Lake Norman

A mapcard of Lake Norman, North Carolina.

Sent by Sherri from North Carolina, USA.

Lake Norman is an artificial fresh water lake in southwest North Carolina. The largest lake in the state, it was created between 1959 and 1964 as part of the construction of the Cowans Ford Dam by Duke Energy. Located in Iredell County, 15 miles north of Charlotte, Lake Norman State Park boasts the region's popular mountain biking trail system.

Lake Norman has 520 miles (840 km) of shoreline and a surface area of more than 50 square miles (130 km²). It is fed by the Catawba River, and drains into Mountain Island Lake to the south. Named after former Duke Power president Norman Atwater Cocke, the lake is sometimes referred to as the "inland sea" of North Carolina. Its normal full level is 760 feet (230 m) above mean sea level. Interstate 77 and North Carolina Highway 150 cross Lake Norman at different points.

Lake Norman provides electricity to the Piedmont region of the Carolinas. It powers the generators at the hydroelectric station at Cowans Ford Dam, is used by the coal-fired Marshall Steam Station, and by McGuire Nuclear Station to cool the reactors while generating the steam that drives their turbines. The lake supplies water to Lincoln County, Catawba County, Iredell County, Charlotte, and other towns in Mecklenburg County, particularly Cornelius, Davidson and Huntersville (read more).

USA - Missouri - Branson

BRANSON LANDING

BRANSON, MISSOURI

Explore Branson Landing, where a beautiful open-air, waterfront setting is home to over 100 shops and restaurants, as well as the Hilton Promenade and a $7.5 million water and Fire Spectacular. Branson Landing Where Shopping Takes Center Stage.

Sent by Bingye from Branson, Missouri, USA.

Branson is a resort city in the U.S. state of Missouri. Most of the city is situated in Taney County, with a small portion in the west extending into Stone County. Branson is in the Ozark Mountains. The community was named after Reuben Branson, postmaster and operator of a general store in the area in the 1880s. The population was 12,638 at the 2020 census, and its population constitutes nearly one fourth of the Taney County population.

Branson has long been a popular destination for vacationers from Missouri and around the country. The collection of entertainment theaters along 76 Country Boulevard (and to a lesser extent along Shepherd of the Hills Expressway), including Dolly Parton's Stampede, has increased Branson's popularity as a tourist destination. Branson is the site of the Branson Cross, the largest cross monument in North America.

In 1882, Reuben Branson (born 1853) opened a general store and post office in the area. Branson was formally incorporated on April 1, 1912, and construction of the Powersite Dam nearby on the White River which would form Lake Taneycomo was completed (read more).

Kazakhstan - Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmad Yasawi

Model of Khoja Ahmad Yasawi Mosque and Mausoleum

14th century AD / 8th century AH, Kazakhstan.

Sent by Serg from Karaganda, Kazakhstan.

The mausoleum of Khoja Ahmad Yasawi, a renowned 12th-century Sufi master, is located in southern Kazakhstan, in the northeastern part of the city of Yasi (Turkestan). It was built between 1389 and 1405 on the orders of Timur (Tamerlane), then ruler of Central Asia, to replace a smaller 12th-century mausoleum. Construction of the mausoleum, interrupted in 1405 by the sovereign's death, was never completed. The property (0.55 ha) is limited to the mausoleum, situated within the ancient citadel and archaeological zone of the medieval city of Yasi. The latter (79.36 ha) serves as a buffer zone.

Rectangular in plan and 38.7 meters high, the mausoleum is one of the largest and best-preserved examples of Timurid architecture. Timur is said to have personally overseen its construction, which employed master Persian craftsmen. The innovations introduced in its spatial organization, vaults, domes, and decoration served as prototypes for other major buildings of the Timurid period, particularly in Samarkand. The unfinished sections provide insights into the construction techniques then in use, contributing to its unique architectural character (read more).

India - Karnataka - Bengaluru - Malleswaram

Malleswaram, one of the oldest planned neighborhoods in Bengaluru, was developed soon after the great plague of 1898. Like most areas of that time, it was built with conservancy lanes that run parallel to main roads. These were historically used for manual scavenging but now, many of these have now been encroached upon and used for parking vehicles.

Bengaluru Moving, a citizen's initiative collaborated with art collective Geechugalu to create murals spread across Malleswaram in an effort to make the lanes pedestrian-friendly.

Sent by Kanchana from Bengaluru in Karnataka State, India.

Malleshwaram is a northwest neighbourhood and one of the zones of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike in Bengaluru, India. It was planned in 1889  after the great plague of 1898, developed as a suburb in 1892 and handed over to the city municipality in 1895. As per the 1878 Survey of India map, the area came under the village of Ranganatha Palya and was later named after the Kadu Malleshwara Temple. The neighbourhood houses many offices, one them being World Trade Center Bengaluru. It has two shopping malls, Mantri Square and Orion Mall (at the two ends of the locality). As an education hub, it houses the education boards of the state KSEEB and PU boards, Mysore Education Society, Institute of Wood Science and Technology and Indian Institute of Science.

The earlier name of Malleshwaram was Mallapura as documented in the Ekoji Inscription of Malleshwaram dated to 1669 CE located in the precincts of the famous Kadu Malleshwara temple. It records the donation of the Maratha chief Ekoji, half brother of Shivaji who donated a village Medaraninganahalli for the upkeep of the Kadu Malleshwara temple. Medaraninganahalli was a village that was located around the IISc campus. Another undated Kannada inscription in Sampige road was documented in the supplementary Volume 9 of Epigraphia carnatica, it mentions that the inscription was found near Jakkarayanakere which corresponds to the area around Krishna Flour Mill in Sampige Road, Malleshwaram. Much of the text published is incomplete and is a possible donatory inscription. However, the existence of Jakkarayana kere (lake) near Sampige road documented more than a century ago is established (read more).

Nepal - Yaks in an Alpine Valley

The pasture turns autumn brown. A herd of yaks descends from high summer pastures to pass the winter in village barns. 

Sent by Boris of Ukraine from Kathmandu, Nepal. 

Germany - Saxony-Anhalt - Halle (Saale)

HALLE (SAALE)

First documented in 806.

The city center is dominated by the Market Church of Our Lady (1554), the monument (1859) to George Frideric Handel (1685-1759), and the Red Tower (1506), the only freestanding bell tower in Germany, erected as a symbol of power of the urban bourgeoisie against the archdiocese.

Sent by Susanne from Halle, Germany.

Halle (Saale), or simply Halle (German pronunciation: [ˈhalə]), is the second largest city of the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. It is the sixth-most populous city in the area of former East Germany after (East) Berlin, Leipzig, Dresden, Chemnitz and Magdeburg as well as the 31st-largest city of Germany.

With around 226,000 inhabitants, it is less populous than the state capital, Magdeburg. With Leipzig, the largest city of Saxony, Halle forms the polycentric Leipzig-Halle conurbation. Leipzig/Halle International Airport lies between the two cities, in Schkeuditz. The Leipzig-Halle conurbation is at the heart of the larger Central German Metropolitan Region.

Halle has been known by many names throughout its history. From the 15th to the 17th century: Hall in Sachsen. From then until the beginning of the 20th century, the name Halle an der Saale [ˈhalə ʔan deːɐ̯ ˈzaːlə] was used, and still remains a more formal reference for the city. Additionally, from 1965 to 1995 the city was referred to as Halle/Saale.

Halle lies in the south of Saxony-Anhalt, in the Leipzig Bay, the southernmost part of the North German Plain, and is the largest city on the River Saale (a tributary of the Elbe), which is the third-longest river flowing entirely in Germany after the Weser and the Main. The White Elster flows into the Saale in the southern borough of Silberhöhe. Halle is the fourth-largest city in the Thuringian-Upper Saxon dialect area after Leipzig, Dresden and Chemnitz.

Halle is one of the main economic and educational centers of Central Germany. The Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg, with campuses in Halle and Wittenberg, is the largest university in Saxony-Anhalt and one of the oldest universities in Germany. The university hospital of Halle (Universitätsklinikum Halle (Saale)) is the largest hospital in the state. The German National Academy of Sciences (Leopoldina) has its seat in Halle. Halle is an important radio hub - Halle Radio Tower is Germany's second-tallest lattice tower, and at night many public German radio stations from all over the country switch to the broadcasting center of Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk in Halle which is responsible for the night program (read more).

China - Terra-Cotta Middle-Rank Officer

A terra-cotta middle-rank officer.

Sent by FuPing from Beijing, China.

A terra-cotta middle-rank officer is a life-sized statue from the Terracotta Army in China, distinguished from higher-ranking generals and lower-ranking soldiers by a specific set of uniform and armor details, such as armor that covers most of the upper body but not as heavily as a general's, and a height that is generally between that of a basic soldier and a general. These figures vary in height, hairstyle, and uniform, reflecting their rank and function within the army.  

Middle-ranking officers hold a rank above the common soldiers but below the generals. Their specific roles and uniforms reflect their position in the military hierarchy.Their armor is typically detailed and covers the upper body, with some examples having heavy armor covering the upper arms and most of the body. The specific type of armor, like the presence or absence of shin pads or the type of trousers, can vary to indicate differences in rank, function, and position in formation. 

Middle-ranking officers are often depicted as having a solid build. Their uniforms and hairstyles also vary based on their specific rank and duty. For example, one replica is based on a lieutenant officer who wears heavy armor and holds a sword and another long weapon. 

20th Year of Postcrossing #15 - Re-Edition of the First Ever Postcard Sent on Postcrossing

La Martre Lighthouse, Lighthouse, 10 Av. du Phare, La Martre, Quebec G0E 2H0, Canada

This postcard is a commemorative re-edition of PT-1, the very first postcard sent through Postcrossing, back in 2005. It celebrates 20 years of postcard exchanges, friendships, and connections across the globe - a small tribute to the journey that started with a single card, and grew into a worldwide community.

Sent by Antje from Wuppertal, Germany.

Named after nearby Marten River, La Martre Lighthouse is considered by some to be the crown jewel of the Gaspé lighthouses. Though fully automated, La Martre is the only light in Quebec that operates in a non-automated manner during the day, so that tourists can see the Fresnel lens rotating in its mercury bath using the original system of weights and cables.

The first La Martre Lighthouse, a square, tapered, sixty-four-foot-tall wooden tower with an attached keeper’s dwelling, was built in the tiny village of La Marte overlooking the Gulf of St. Lawrence in 1876. The total cost for the lighthouse came to $7,347.04. Nine circular wick lamps set in twenty-one-inch reflectors were originally used in the iron lantern room to produce a fixed white light, but the number was reduced from nine in five in 1877. Two black horizontal bands were painted on the white tower in 1881 to help mariners identify the lighthouse during the day (read more).

David Bowie stamp

Germany - Baden-Württemberg - Heidenheim

In Heidenheim : the Knöpfleswäscherin, the "Romantic Corner", and the Elmar-Doc-Haus.

Sent by Tanja from Heidenheim, Germany.

Heidenheim an der Brenz, or just Heidenheim (German pronunciation: [ˈhaɪdn̩ˌhaɪm]; Swabian: Hoidna or Hoirna), is a town in Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. It is located near the border with Bavaria, approximately 17 km south of Aalen and 33 km north of Ulm. Heidenheim is the largest town and the seat of the district of Heidenheim, and ranks third behind Aalen and Schwäbisch Gmünd in size among the towns in the region of East Württemberg. Heidenheim is the economic center for all the communities in Heidenheim district and is the headquarters of the Voith industrial company. The town's population in 2021 was just below the 50,000 mark. Heidenheim collaborates with the town of Nattheim in administrative matters.

The residents of Heidenheim and its surrounding area speak the distinct German dialect of Swabian.

Heidenheim is situated between Albuch and the Härtsfeld region in the northeast corner of the Swabian Alb where the valley of the Brenz meets the Stubental at the foot of Hellenstein Mountain. The source of the Brenz is located in Königsbronn and enters Heidenheim from the northwest. It runs through the boroughs of Aufhausen and Schnaitheim before it gets to Heidenheim (proper). From there it continues on to the south through the borough of Mergelstetten, before it leaves the city limits to head for Herbrechtingen (read more).

USA - California - Aquarium of the Pacific

Honda Blue Exhibit and popular animals at the Aquarium of the Pacific, Long Beach, California.

Sent by Kris from Washington, USA.

The Aquarium of the Pacific (formerly the Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific) is a public aquarium on a 6-acre (24,000 m²) site on Rainbow Harbor in Long Beach, California, United States. It is situated across the water from the Long Beach Convention Center, Shoreline Village, and the Queen Mary Hotel and Attraction. The location also has its own street, Aquarium Way.

The aquarium is visited by 1.6 million visitors a year and has a staff of approximately 1,800, including more than 1,500 volunteers and 300 employees. The aquarium is a 501(c)(3) non-profit aquarium and is a current member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).

The aquarium features a collection of over 12,000 animals in exhibits from 5,000 US gallons (19,000 L) to 350,000 US gallons (1,300,000 L) in capacity.

The Pacific Ocean is the focus of three major permanent galleries: Southern California/Baja Gallery, Northern Pacific Gallery, and Tropical Pacific Gallery. These exhibits introduce the inhabitants and seascapes, and include conservation messages specific to each region (read more).

Japan - Niigata Prefecture - Snow Festival

Snow Festival in Yuzawa, Niigata, Japan, where people are participating in a snow mikohi (portable shrine) event and are wearing traditional festival kimonos called happi.

Sent by Shimizu from Nagawa, Japan.

The Echigo Yuzawa Onsen Snow Festival is held on a local ski slope just as the ski season is coming to an end and boasts a beautiful fireworks display over snow for a heated celebration in the cold of winter. It offers chances for visitors to participate (reservation needed) with attractive events like the Torch Descent where skiers cruise down the slope in line holding torches and a snow mikoshi (portable shrine) parade on the slope as well.

The Yuzawa Kogen area including the Nunoba ski slope in which the festival is help sits at an elevation of 1,000m above sea level. The festival venue is a short walk from the Echigo Yuzawa Station with easy access to the famous hot spring section of town.

One of the highlights of this festival is the Snow Mikoshi. Visitors are able to join in on the carrying of this portable shrine. There is a limit to amount of participants so please sign up early. If you have never carried a shrine on a ski slope before this is the perfect opportunity for an experience you'll never forget (read more).

Japan - Ehime Prefecture - Dōgo Onsen

Footbath in the Dōgo area.

Sent by Ryoji from Matsuyama, Ehime Prefecture in Japan.

Dōgo Onsen (道後温泉) is a hot spring in the city of Matsuyama, Ehime Prefecture on the island of Shikoku, Japan.

Dōgo Onsen is one of the oldest hot springs in Japan, with a history stretching back over 1000 years. The springs are mentioned in the Man'yōshū (written c. 759) and, according to legend, Prince Shōtoku (574–622) used to partake of the waters.

Dōgo Onsen was the favorite retreat of writer Natsume Sōseki (1867–1916) when he was working near Matsuyama as a teacher in what was at the time rural Shikoku. In Soseki's loosely autobiographical novel Botchan, the eponymous main character is a frequent visitor to the springs, the only place he likes in the area.

Dōgo Onsen is famous for the Dōgo Onsen public bathhouse, which was organized by Dōgo Yunomachi mayor Isaniwa Yukiya and built in 1894. Built on three levels for maximum capacity, the baths remain popular and are usually crowded at peak times, such as in the early evening before dinner.

While Dōgo is largely engulfed in the suburban sprawl of modern-day Matsuyama, the area around Dōgo retains the feeling of a resort town, with guests from all over the country wandering the streets in yukata robes after their bath. Dōgo is easily accessible from central Matsuyama by tram and has regular bus services to and from the air and ferry ports (read more).