Historic Monuments Zone of Querétaro

Querétaro has a lot of beautiful monuments, mostly Baroque, religious and non religious 

Querétaro

This postcard was sent by Marco

The Historic Monuments Zone of Querétaro is located in the state of Querétaro in Mexico. It is an exceptional example of a colonial town whose layout symbolizes its multi-ethnic population. It is also endowed with a wealth of outstanding buildings, notably from the 17th and 18th centuries. The property is unusual in having retained the geometric street plan of the Spanish conquerors side by side with the twisting alleys of the Indian quarters. The Otomi, the Tarasco, the Chichimeca and the Spanish lived together in the town, which is notable for the many ornate civil and religious Baroque monuments, with a skyline that has been defined since the 16th century. The urban layout of is unique for Spanish colonial towns in the Americas in that its town plan was from the start divided into two distinct sections- one rectilinear and intended for Spanish settlers and the other composed of smaller, winding streets where the indigenous population lived. - in: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/792/

Medina of Marrakesh

Morocco is one of the African countries that I'd like to visit, and particularly Marrakesh. I receive a lot of e-mails of travel agencies and air-flight companies proposing this city and it doesn't seem to be expensive. It won't be in a near future but maybe one day

Bab Agnaou

This postcard was sent by Patrik

Bab Agnaou is one of the nineteen gates of Marrakesh, Morocco. It was built in the 12th century in the time of the Almohad dynasty.

While Bab er Robb was the official entrance to the city, Bab Agnaou gives entrance to the royal kasbah in the southern part of the medina of Marrakech. The kasbah, built by the Almohad sultan Abu Yusuf Yaqub al-Mansur, is the site of El Mansouria (the kasbah mosque), the El Badi Palace and the Saadian Tombs. - in: wikipedia

Harar Jugol, the Fortified Historic Town

The night show for Harar tourists that consists in feeding meat to spotted hyenas, reminded me my first year in Switzerland when I used to go out at night hoping to see foxes, but without feeding them

Tomb of Emir ibn Mujahid in Harar

This postcard was sent by Manú

Harar , and known to its inhabitants as Gēy, is a walled city in eastern Ethiopia. It was formerly the capital of Hararghe and now the capital of the modern Harari Region of Ethiopia.

For centuries, Harar has been a major commercial center, linked by the trade routes with the rest of Ethiopia, the entire Horn of Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, and, through its ports, the outside world.

Considered a saint from Harar, Mujahid was called the Sahib al-Fath al-Thani, or "Master of the Second Conquest". His tomb stands on a hill surrounded by houses and courtyards, and is a popular place of pilgrimage in Harar. - in: wikipedia

Hyenas of Harar

This postcard was sent by Manú

Written records indicate that spotted hyenas have been present in the walled Ethiopian city of Harar for at least 500 years, where they sanitise the city by feeding on its organic refuse.

The practice of regularly feeding them did not begin until the 1960s. The first to put it into practice was a farmer who began to feed hyenas in order to stop them attacking his livestock, with his descendants having continued the practice. Some of the hyena men give each hyena a name they respond to, and call to them using a "hyena dialect", a mixture of English and Oromo. The hyena men feed the hyenas by mouth, using pieces of raw meat provided by spectators. Tourists usually organise to watch the spectacle through a guide for a negotiable rate. As of 2002, the practice is considered to be on the decline, with only two practicing hyena men left in Harar. - in: wikipedia

Rock-Hewn Churches, Lalibela

It's incredible how these churches were made from a single block of stone such a long time ago...

Biete Amanuel

This postcard was sent by Manú

This rural town is known around the world for its churches carved from within the earth from "living rock," which play an important part in the history of rock-cut architecture. Though the dating of the churches is not well established, most are thought to have been built during the reign of Lalibela, namely during the 12th and 13th centuries. 

Biete Amanuel is an underground Orthodox monolith rock-cut church located in Lalibela, Ethiopia. The edifice was built during the Kingdom of Axum. Biete Amanuel (House of Emmanuel) is possibly the former royal chapel. - in: wikipedia

The 11 churches (in red what I have):

• Biete Medhane Alem 
• Biete Maryam 
• Biete Golgotha Mikael 
• Biete Meskel
• Biete Denagel 
• Biete Giyorgis
• Biete Amanuel 
• Biete Qeddus Mercoreus
• Biete Abba Libanos 
• Biete Gabriel-Rufael 
• Biete Lehem 

Itsukushima Shinto Shrine

Itsukushima Shrine is known for its beautiful torii gate, that appears to float on the water

The Torii of Itsukushima Shrine

This postcard was sent by Saori

Itsukushima Shrine is a Shinto shrine on the island of Itsukushima (popularly known as Miyajima), best known for its "floating" torii gate.

The shrine has been destroyed several times, but the first shrine buildings were probably erected in the 6th century. The present shrine dates from the mid-16th century, and is believed to follow an earlier design from the 12th century. 

The dramatic gate, or torii, of Itsukushima Shrine is one of Japan's most popular tourist attractions, and the most recognizable and celebrated feature of the Itsukushima shrine. Although a gate has been in place since 1168, the current gate dates back only to 1875. The gate, built of decay-resistant camphor wood, is about 16 metres high. The placement of an additional leg in front of and behind each main pillar identifies the torii as reflecting the style of Ryōbu Shintō (dual Shinto), a medieval school of esoteric Japanese Buddhism associated with the Shingon Sect. - in: wikipedia

Royal Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty

40 tombs of members of the Korean Joseon Dynasty  are scattered in over 18 locations across South Korea. I only have one postcard of one of them.

Sungneung - Tomb of Hyeonjong

This postcard was sent by Jennifer

The Royal Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty form a collection of 40 tombs scattered over 18 locations. Built over five centuries, from 1408 to 1966, the tombs honoured the memory of ancestors, showed respect for their achievements, asserted royal authority, protected ancestral spirits from evil and provided protection from vandalism. Spots of outstanding natural beauty were chosen for the tombs which typically have their back protected by a hill as they face south toward water and, ideally, layers of mountain ridges in the distance. Alongside the burial area, the royal tombs feature a ceremonial area and an entrance. In addition to the burial mounds, associated buildings that are an integral part of the tombs include a T-shaped wooden shrine, a shed for stele, a royal kitchen and a guards’ house, a red-spiked gate and the tomb keeper’s house. The grounds are adorned on the outside with a range of stone objects including figures of people and animals. The Joseon Tombs completes the 5,000 year history of royal tombs architecture in the Korean peninsula. - in: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1319/

Gochang, Hwasun and Ganghwa Dolmen Sites

Korea is said to contain more than 40% of the world's dolmen, which are mostly concentrated in these three sites. I have a postcard of one of them.

Gochang Dolmen Site

This postcard was sent by Jennifer

The Gochang Dolmen Site (8.38 ha) features the largest and most diversified group, and is centered in the village of Maesan, along the southern foot of a group of hills running east/west. Over 440 dolmens of various types have been recorded in this location. - in: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/977/