Nagorno-Karabakh - Monastery of Gandzasar

Republic Mountainous Karabakh
Artsakh, Monastery of Gandzasar XII-XIV

Thanks to Francis Corbett of USA who made an arrangeent with the traveller to Nagorno-Karabakh.

Gandzasar monastery (Armenian: Գանձասարի վանք) is a tenth to thirteenth century Armenian monastery situated in the Mardakert district of de facto Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (de jure: Kalbajar Rayon of Azerbaijan). "Gandzasar" means treasure mountain or hilltop treasure in Armenian. The monastery holds relics believed to belong to St. John the Baptist and his father St Zechariah.

Gandzasar was, from about 1400 until 1816, the residence of the catholicoi of the Catholicosate of Aghvank (Church of Caucasian Albania) under the jurisdiction of the Armenian Apostolic Church.

Gandzasar is now the seat of the Archbishop of Artsakh appointed by the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin of the Armenian Apostolic Church. (read further)

NOTE : On 1 January 2024, the Republic of Artsakh was formally dissolved.

South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands - Grytviken

SOUTH GEORGIA - ANTARCTIC ISLAND
Photographs clockwise from left :
Sir Ernest Shackleton's grave;
Mt. Sugartop above Grytviken;
King penguins and abandoned sealing vessels;
Grytviken Church;
South Georgia Museum and the buildings of the derelict whaling station;
Four ton elephant seal bull with harem.

Sent by Sarah of South Georgia Museum from Grytviken, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands

Grytviken (Swedish for "The Pot Cove") is the principal settlement in the British territory of South Georgia in the South Atlantic. It was so named in 1902 by the Swedish surveyor Johan Gunnar Andersson who found old English try pots used to render seal oil at the site. It is the best harbour on the island, consisting of a bay (King Edward Cove) within a bay (Cumberland East Bay). The site is quite sheltered, provides a substantial area of flat land suitable for building, and has a good supply of fresh water. (read further)

South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands

SOUTH GEORGIA - ANTARCTIC ISLAND
Photographs clockwise from left :
Iceberg;
King penguin above Moraine Fjord;
Wandering albatross displaying;
Macaroni penguins mutually preening;
King penguin with chick;
Unusual blonde fur seal pup;
Background - breeding King penguin colony.

Sent by Sarah of South Georgia Museum from Grytviken, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands.

South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (SGSSI) is a British overseas territory in the southern Atlantic Ocean. It is a remote and inhospitable collection of islands, consisting of South Georgia and a chain of smaller islands, known as the South Sandwich Islands. South Georgia is 167.4 kilometres (104 mi) long and 1.4 to 37 km (0.9 to 23.0 miles) wide and is by far the largest island in the territory. The South Sandwich Islands lie about 520 kilometres (320 mi) southeast of South Georgia. The total land area of the territory is 3,903 square kilometres (1,507 sq mi).

There is no native population on the islands; the present inhabitants are the British Government Officer, Deputy Postmaster, scientists, and support staff from the British Antarctic Survey who maintain scientific bases at Bird Island and at the capital, King Edward Point, as well as museum staff at nearby Grytviken.

The United Kingdom claimed sovereignty over South Georgia in 1775 and the South Sandwich Islands in 1908. In 1908 the United Kingdom annexed both South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. The territory of "South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands" was formed in 1985; previously it had been governed as part of the Falkland Islands Dependencies. Argentina claimed South Georgia in 1927 and claimed the South Sandwich Islands in 1938.

Argentina maintained a naval station, Corbeta Uruguay on Thule Island in the South Sandwich Islands, from 1976 until 1982 when it was closed by the Royal Navy. The Argentine claim over South Georgia contributed to the 1982 Falklands War, during which Argentine forces briefly occupied the island. Argentina continues to claim sovereignty over South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. (Source)

Qatar - Doha

Doha - West Bay Lagoon Plaza

Sent by Salah who visited Qatar in August.

Doha (Arabic: الدوحة‎‎, ad-Dawḥa or ad-Dōḥa, literally: "the big tree") is the capital city of the state of Qatar.

Located on the coast of the Persian Gulf, it had a population of 998,651 in 2008. Doha is Qatar's largest city, with over 60% of the nation's population residing in Doha or its surrounding suburbs, and is also the economic centre of the country. It is also one of the municipalities of Qatar.

Doha also serves as the seat of government of Qatar. Doha is home to the Education City, an area devoted to research and education. Doha was the site of the first ministerial-level meeting of the Doha Development Round of World Trade Organization negotiations. The city of Doha held the 2006 Asian Games, which was the largest Asian Games ever held. Doha also hosted the 2011 Pan Arab Games and most of the games at the 2011 AFC Asian Cup. Doha hosted the UNFCCC Climate Negotiations (COP 18) December 2012 and will host a large number of the venues for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The World Petroleum Council held the 20th World Petroleum Conference in Doha in December 2011. (Source)

Martinique - Traditional Costumes

MARTINIQUE
Traditional Costumes.

Sent by Yann from Fort-de-France, Martinique.

Martinique - Traditional Headdresses

MARTINIQUE
Traditional headdresses of Martinique.

Sent by Yann from Fort-de-France, Martinique.

Russia - Chelyabinsk Oblast - Chelyabinsk

Sent by Katya from Chelyabinsk, Russia.

Chelyabinsk (Russian: Челябинск, IPA: [tɕɪˈlʲæbʲɪnsk]) is a city and the administrative center of Chelyabinsk Oblast,Russia, located in the northeast of the oblast, 210 kilometers (130 mi) south of Yekaterinburg, just to the east of the Ural Mountains, on the Miass River, on the border of Europe and Asia. Population: 1,130,132 (2010 Census); 1,077,174 (2002 Census); 1,141,777 (1989 Census). (read further)

Australia - South Australia

The flag, Sturt's Desert Pea and Southern Hairy-nosed Wombat are emblems of the State of South Australia. Left, top to bottom : Looking over Adelaide, the capital city, from North Adelaide to the Mt Lofty Ranges; a vineyard in the famed Barossa Valley.

Sent by Terry, a postcrosser from Adelaide, Australia.

South Australia (abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent. With a total land area of 983,482 square kilometres (379,725 sq mi), it is the fourth largest of Australia's states and territories.

South Australia shares borders with all of the other mainland states, and with the Northern Territory; it is bordered to the west by Western Australia, to the north by the Northern Territory, to the north-east by Queensland, to the east by New South Wales, to the south-east by Victoria, and to the south by the Great Australian Bight and the Indian Ocean. With over 1.6 million people, the state comprises less than 8% of the Australian population and ranks fifth in population among the states and territories. The majority of its people reside in the state capital, Adelaide, with most of the remainder settled in fertile areas along the south-eastern coast and River Murray. The state's origins are unique in Australia as a freely settled, planned British province, rather than as a convict settlement. Official settlement began on 28 December 1836, when the colony was proclaimed at The Old Gum Tree by Governor John Hindmarsh.

The first settlement to be established was Kingscote, Kangaroo Island, on 26 July 1836, five months before Adelaide was founded. The guiding principle behind settlement was that of systematic colonisation, a theory espoused by Edward Gibbon Wakefield that was later employed by the New Zealand Company. The aim was to establish the province as a centre of civilisation for free immigrants, promising civil liberties and religious tolerance. Although its history is marked by economic hardship, South Australia has remained politically innovative and culturally vibrant. Today, the state is known as a state of festivals and of fine wine. The state's economy centres on the agricultural, manufacturing and mining industries and has an increasingly significant finance sector as well.

South Australia's Governor is Kevin Scarce and its Premier is Jay Weatherill of the Australian Labor Party. (Source)

Germany - Bavaria - Burglengenfeld

Burglengenfeld

Sent by Ingrid, a WiP partner from Burglengenfeld, Germany.

Burglengenfeld is a town in the district of Schwandorf, in Bavaria, Germany. It is situated on the river Naab, 22 km north of Regensburg. (read further)

U.S.A. - California - Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park (2)

Sequoia National Park
Land of Giants, Sequoia National Park
The establishment of Sequoia National Park in 1890, even in its much smaller form, was a major first step in securing the giant trees and wondrous landscape for future generations. Several annexes and boundary expansions since that time have succeeded in protecting more of the area, but complete success will depend upon our appreciation and protection of the park into the future.

Sent by Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, Three Rivers, California.

U.S.A. - California - Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks (1)

SEQUOIA AND KINGS NATIONAL PARKS, CALIFORNIA
The twin national parks of Sequoia and Kings Canyon are located on the southern end of California's Sierra Nevada Mountains. Elevations range from 1,700 feet at Ash Mountain to 14,495 feet at Mount Whitney's summit. Within these parks are found the largest groves of giant sequoia trees and also the largest individual sequoias.

Sent by Sequoia & Kings National Parks, Three Rivers, California.

Sequoia National Park is a national park in the southern Sierra Nevada east of Visalia, California, in the United States. It was established on September 25, 1890. The park spans 404,063 acres (631.35 sq mi; 1,635.18 km²). Encompassing a vertical relief of nearly 13,000 feet (4,000 m), the park contains among its natural resources the highest point in the contiguous 48 United States, Mount Whitney, at 14,505 feet (4,421 m) above sea level. The park is south of and contiguous with Kings Canyon National Park; the two are administered by the National Park Service together.

The park is famous for its giant sequoia trees, including the General Sherman tree, one of the largest trees on Earth. The General Sherman tree grows in the Giant Forest, which contains five out of the ten largest trees in the world. The Giant Forest is connected by the Generals Highway to Kings Canyon National Park's General Grant Grove, home to the General Grant tree among other giant sequoias. The park's giant sequoia forests are part of 202,430 acres (81,921 ha) of old-growth forests shared by Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. Indeed, the parks preserve a landscape that still resembles the southern Sierra Nevada before Euro-American settlement. (read further)

Netherlands - Apeldoorn

Views of Apeldoorn.

Sent by Marieke, a postcrosser from Apeldoorn.

Apeldoorn [ˈaːpəɫdʊːrn] is a municipality and city in the province of Gelderland in the centre of the Netherlands. It is a regional centre. The municipality of Apeldoorn, including villages like Beekbergen, Loenen and Hoenderloo, has 157,057 inhabitants (2012). The western half of the municipality lies on the Veluwe ridge, the eastern half lies in the IJssel valley. John Berends of the CDA is the mayor of Apeldoorn. (read further)

U.S.A. - Massachusetts - Mapcard (3)

Massachusetts.

Sent by Cyd, a postcrosser from Massachusetts, USA.

U.S.A. - Idaho - State Flower

IDAHO
A Syringa bush grows along a bank of the Salmon River in Idaho. The Syringa is Idaho's state flower.

Sent by Tracy from Boise, Idaho.

The Syringa (Philadelphus lewisii) was designated the official state flower of Idaho in 1931. Syringa is a woody shrub growing to nine feet tall with with clusters of white, fragrant flowers.

Native American Indians found many uses for the syringa - the wood was used for root digging sticks and to make pipe stems, harpoon shafts, bows, arrows, and snowshoes. The bark and leaves were used to make a soap. (Source)

U.S.A - Nebraska - State Capitol

THE NEBRASKA STATE CAPITOL
LINCOLN, NEBRASKA
The Nebraska State Capitol, with its 400-foot tower, is topped by the 32-foot bronze statue of "The Sower".

Sent by Charlene, from Lincoln, Nebraska.

The Nebraska State Capitol, located in Lincoln, Nebraska, houses the primary executive, judicial, and legislative offices of the U.S. State of Nebraska.

The structure is anchored by a three-story, 437-foot (133 m) square base. This square base houses offices most frequently visited by the public. The second floor (main floor) is home to the Nebraska Supreme Court, the Nebraska Court of Appeals, and the Nebraska Legislature.

From the center of the base, a tower rises 362 feet (110 m), crowned by a gold-tiled dome. The spire—The Sower and its pedestal—add an additional 32 feet (9.8 m) to the building’s height. Common measurements list the capitol at 400 feet (120 m), making it the second-tallest U.S statehouse, surpassed only by the 450-foot (140 m) Louisiana State Capitol.

As the tower was intended for expansion of the Nebraska State Library, the 17-foot (5.2 m) tower floors were originally designed to include loft-like stacks for book storage. By 1925, with government increasing in size, the State of Nebraska decided to redesign the tower to house offices. Tower floors continue to house various offices today.

In total, there are 15 full floor stories in the capitol (three mezzanines also exist within the tower). The 14th floor, Memorial Chamber, is the highest publicly accessible level. At this level, four observatory decks offer views of Lincoln from 245 feet (75 m) above the ground.

Chapter 27.56 of the Lincoln Municipal Code places height restrictions on structures within the designated Capitol Environs District. This code helps to maintain the capitol’s title as the tallest building in Lincoln. The capitol held the title of tallest building in Nebraska until 1969 with the completion of the 478-foot (146 m) Woodmen Tower in downtown Omaha. With the completion of Omaha’s 634-foot (193 m) First National Bank Tower in 2002, the capitol became the third-tallest building in Nebraska.

The building was designed by Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue, who drew upon Classical and Gothic architectural traditions. It was constructed between 1922 and 1932, of Indiana limestone. (Source)

Germany - Upper Middle Rhine Valley (3)

Stolzenfels Castle, part of the Upper Middle Rhine Valley.

Sent by Sabine, a WiP partner from Germany.

Note : The postcard was sent to the wrong address and thanks for the unnamed person who directed this postcard to my address.

Ukraine - Genoese Fortress

Towers of Genoese fortress.

Sent by Yana, a postcrosser from Kiev, Ukraine.

The Genoese Fortress (Ukrainian: Генуезька фортеця) or the Sudak Fortress (Ukrainian: Судацька фортеця) is a fortress located in the city of Sudak in southern Ukraine. It was established by the Venetians in the 12th century and later rebuilt by the Genoese between 1371 and 1469 as a fortified stronghold for their colony on the southern coast of the Crimean peninsula. It is one of three other colonies the Genoese established on the territory of modern-day Ukraine during the 13th-15th centuries.

The fortress was built atop an ancient coral reef formation now located 150 m (492 ft) above sea level. The Genoese Fortress overlooks the city and the surrounding Sudak Bay, located on the northern coast of the Black Sea. The territory is currently part of the Historical-Architectural Sanctuary "Sudak Fortress," a branch of the National Sanctuary "Sophia of Kyiv". It is a candidate UNESCO World Heritage Site, submitted in 2007 by the Ukrainian representatives.

Today, the Genoese Fortress is an important tourist attraction bringing thousands of tourists to the Crimea and Ukraine, exhibiting the authentic 14th century Italian architecture along with a number of archeological artifacts found in the vicinity. Due to its historical significance, the fortress was featured in a number of cinematic films and documentaries. (Source)

Argentina - Buenos Aires

ARGENTINA - Buenos Aires

Sent by Laura from Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires(/ˈbweɪnəs ˈɛəriːz/ or /ˈaɪrɪs/, Spanish: [ˈbwenos ˈaiɾes]) is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after Greater São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent. The Greater Buenos Aires conurbation, which also includes several Buenos Aires Province districts, constitutes the third-largest conurbation in Latin America, with a population of around thirteen million (Source).