Monasteries of Daphni, Hosios Loukas and Nea Moni of Chios

The three monasteries inscribed in this site are geographically distant from each other but they share the same aesthetic characteristics

Monastery of Hosios Loukas

This postcard was sent by Elena

Hosios Loukas is a historic walled monastery situated near the town of Distomo, in Boeotia, Greece. It is one of the most important monuments of Middle Byzantine architecture and art.

The monastery of Hosios Loukas is situated at a scenic site on the slopes of Mount Helicon. It was founded in the early 10th century AD by the hermit, Venerable (Greek: Hosios) St. Luke (Greek: Lukas), whose relics are kept in the monastery to this day. The hermit (not the Evangelist of the Gospel of Saint Luke, but a hermit who died on 7 February 953) was famous for having predicted the conquest of Crete by Emperor Romanos.

The main shrine of the monastery is the tomb of St. Luke, originally situated in the vault, but later placed at the juncture of the two churches. - in: wikipedia

The three monasteries (in red what I have):

• Monastery of Hosios Loukas
• Monastery of Daphni
• Monastery of Nea Moni of Chios

Capital Cities and Tombs of the Ancient Koguryo Kingdom

This site includes 40 tombs: 14 tombs are imperial, 26 of nobles

Tomb of the General

This postcard was sent by Lizzie

The Tomb of the General, also known as the Pyramid of the East, is thought to be the burial tomb of King Gwanggaeto or his son King Jangsu, both kings of a kingdom of Goguryeo.

The pyramid is located in Ji'an, Jilin province China, a former capital of Goguryeo. The pyramid was "rediscovered" in 1905. 

The base of the pyramid measures approximately 75 meters on each side, about half the size of the Egyptian pyramids and is eleven meters in height. The pyramid is composed of 1,100 dressed stone blocks. Large stones, each measure approximately 3 x 5 meters were placed around the base of the pyramid and can still be seen today. The monumental size of the tomb suggests that the Goguryeo elite were very powerful and the kingdom had the ability to mobilize large numbers of people for building projects.  - in: wikipedia

Gyeongju Historic Areas

This site is divided in five different areas and encompass the ruins of temples and palaces, outdoor pagodas and statuary, and other cultural artifacts

Anapji Pond

This postcard was sent by Jennifer

Donggung Palace and Wolji Pond in Gyeongju (former name is Anapji) is an artificial pond in Gyeongju National Park, South Korea. It was part of the palace complex of ancient Silla (57 BCE - 935 CE). It was constructed by order of King Munmu in 674 CE. The pond is situated at the northeast edge of the Banwolseong palace site, in central Gyeongju. It is an oval shape; 200m from east to west and 180m from north to south. It contains three small islands. - in: wikipedia

The five areas (in red what I have):

• Mt. Namsan Belt
• Wolsong Belt
• Tumuli Park Belt
• Hwangnyongsa Belt
• Sansong (Fortress) Belt

Lower Valley of the Awash

The Awash is a major river of Ethiopia and it is believed that humans have lived along the valley of the Awash since the beginning of the species

Awash Falls

This postcard was sent by Manú

The Awash valley contains one of the most important groupings of palaeontological sites on the African continent. The remains found at the site, the oldest of which date back at least 4 million years, provide evidence of human evolution which has modified our conception of the history of humankind. The most spectacular discovery came in 1974, when 52 fragments of a skeleton enabled the famous Lucy to be reconstructed. - in: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/10

Fasil Ghebbi, Gondar Region

Fasil Ghebbi functioned as the centre of the Ethiopian government until 1864.

Fasilides' Castle

Fasil Ghebbi (Royal Enclosure) is the remains of a fortress-city within Gondar, Ethiopia. It was founded in the 17th and 18th centuries by Emperor Fasilides (Fasil) and was the home of Ethiopia's emperors. Its unique architecture shows diverse influences including Nubian styles.

The complex of buildings includes Fasilides' castle, Iyasu I's palace, Dawit III's Hall, a banqueting hall, stables, Empress Mentewab's castle, a chancellery, library and three churches: Asasame Qeddus Mikael, Elfign Giyorgis and Gemjabet Mariyam. - in: wikipedia

Rock-Hewn Churches of Ivanovo

This postcard shoes five Bulgarian rock monasteries, but only the first image is from the churches of Ivanovo. The others are not inscribed in the World Heritage list.

Rock-Hewn Churches of Ivanovo (top left corner)

The Rock-hewn Churches of Ivanovo are a group of monolithic churches, chapels and monasteries hewn out of solid rock and completely different from other monastery complexes in Bulgaria, located near the village of Ivanovo, 20 km south of Rousse, on the high rocky banks of the Rusenski Lom, 32 m above the river. The complex is noted for its beautiful and well-preserved medieval frescoes. The churches are inside Rusenski Lom Nature Park.

The caves in the region had been inhabited by monks from the 1220s, when it was founded by the future Patriarch of Bulgaria Joachim I, to the 17th century, where they hewed cells, churches and chapels out of solid rock. - in: wikipedia

Canterbury Cathedral, St Augustine's Abbey, and St Martin's Church

Of the three buildings listed in this site I only have the Canterbury Cathedral

Canterbury Cathedral

This postcard was sent by Lucy

Canterbury Cathedral in Canterbury, Kent, is one of the oldest and most famous Christian structures in England.

Founded in 597, the cathedral was completely rebuilt from 1070 to 1077. The east end was greatly enlarged at the beginning of the twelfth century, and largely rebuilt in the Gothic style following a fire in 1174, with significant eastward extensions to accommodate the flow of pilgrims visiting the shrine of Thomas Becket, the archbishop who was murdered in the cathedral in 1170. The Norman nave and transepts survived until the late fourteenth century, when they were demolished to make way for the present structures. - in: wikipedia

The three buildings listed in this site (in red what I have):

• Canterbury Cathedral
• St. Augustine's Abbey
• St. Martin's Church