Santiago de Compostela (Old Town)

This first postcard was brought to me by my parents who visited Santiago de Compostela about 18 years ago. At the time I had the chance to go with them and I didn't want and some time later I regretted, so last week my family and I went there! It was a rainy day but when we arrived to Santiago de Compostela the rain stopped and we could visit the city and its wonderful cathedral

Santiago de Compostela Cathedral

The Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, a cathedral of the archdiocese is in the World Heritage Site of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia in Spain. The cathedral is the reputed burial-place of Saint James the Great, one of the apostles of Jesus Christ. The cathedral has historically been a place of pilgrimage on the Way of St. James, since the Early Middle Ages. The building is a Romanesque structure with later Gothic and Baroque additions. in: wikipedia

Santiago de Compostela Cathedral

This postcard was sent by Vanesa

Each of the façades along with their adjoining squares constitute a magnificent urban square. The Baroque façade of the Praza do Obradoiro square was completed by Fernando de Casas Novoa in 1740. Also in baroque style is the Acibecharía façade by Ferro Caaveiro and Fernández Sarela, later modified by Ventura Rodríguez. The Pratarías façade, built by the Master Esteban in 1103, and most importantly the Pórtico da Gloria, an early work of Romanesque sculpture, were completed by Master Mateo in 1188. - in: wikipedia

Cathedral and the relics of St. James

The crypt, below the main altar, shows the substructure of the 9th-century church. This was the final destination of the pilgrims. The crypt houses the relics of Saint James and two of his disciples: Saint Theodorus and Saint Athanasius. The silver reliquary (by José Losada, 1886) was put in the crypt at the end of the 19th century, after authentication of the relics by Pope Leo XIII in 1884. - in: wikipedia

Botafumeiro

This postcard was sent from Portugal by Paulo

The Botafumeiro is a famous thurible found in the Santiago de Compostela Cathedral. In the past, similar devices were used in large churches in Galicia; one is still used in the Tui Cathedral. Incense is burned in this swinging metal container, or "censer". The name "Botafumeiro" means "smoke expeller" in Galician.

The Botafumeiro is suspended from a pulley mechanism in the dome on the roof of the church. The current pulley mechanism was installed in 1604. - in: wikipedia

Cabildo House

The Casa do Cabildo has a beautiful baroque façade. It was designed by the architect Clemente Fernández Sarela in 1758 and fulfils an ornamental function as it serves to enclose and enhance the Plaza de las Platerías square. The Casa del Cabildo was Valle-Inclán's inspiration for his story 'Mi hermana Antonia'.It was restored by the Santiago Consortium in 2011 and since then has formed part of the network of museums in the historic city. - in: https://www.spain.info/en/que-quieres/arte/monumentos/coruna_a/casa_do_cabildo.html

Palmeral of Elche

It is estimated that there are over 200,000 palm trees in the Palmeral of Elche

Palmeral and Basilica of Santa Maria

This postcard was sent by Boris

The Palmeral of Elche, a landscape of groves of date palms, was formally laid out, with elaborate irrigation systems, at the time the Muslim city of Elche was erected, towards the end of the tenth century A.C., when much of the Iberian peninsula was Arab. 

Palm Grove of Elche

This postcard was sent by Jordi

The Palmeral is an oasis, a system for agrarian production in arid areas. It is also a unique example of Arab agricultural practices on the European continent. Cultivation of date palms in Elche is known at least since the Iberian times, dating around the fifth century B.C. - in: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/930/

Old and New Towns of Edinburgh

Scotland is the country of the United Kingdom that attracts me most and this last weekend I finally had the chance to visit Edinburgh with my wife! We were not disappointed! The monuments are wonderful and I tasted haggis and drank a scotch or two. I hope to return to see more of the country

Edinburgh Castle from the Dugald Stewart Monument

Edinburgh has been the Scottish capital since the 15th century. It has two distinct areas: the Old Town, dominated by a medieval fortress; and the neoclassical New Town, whose development from the 18th century onwards had a far-reaching influence on European urban planning. The harmonious juxtaposition of these two contrasting historic areas, each with many important buildings, is what gives the city its unique character. - in: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/728

Edinburgh Castle

This postcard arrived from Portugal sent by Joaninha

Edinburgh Castle is a historic fortress which dominates the skyline of the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, from its position on the Castle Rock. Archaeologists have established human occupation of the rock since at least the Iron Age (2nd century AD), although the nature of the early settlement is unclear. There has been a royal castle on the rock since at least the reign of David I in the 12th century, and the site continued to be a royal residence until 1633. From the 15th century the castle's residential role declined, and by the 17th century it was principally used as military barracks with a large garrison. Its importance as a part of Scotland's national heritage was recognised increasingly from the early 19th century onwards, and various restoration programmes have been carried out over the past century and a half. As one of the most important strongholds in the Kingdom of Scotland, Edinburgh Castle was involved in many historical conflicts from the Wars of Scottish Independence in the 14th century to the Jacobite Rising of 1745. 

Ross Fountain and Edinburgh Castle

Few of the present buildings pre-date the Lang Siege of the 16th century, when the medieval defences were largely destroyed by artillery bombardment. The most notable exceptions are St Margaret's Chapel from the early 12th century, which is regarded as the oldest building in Edinburgh, the Royal Palace and the early-16th-century Great Hall, although the interiors have been much altered from the mid-Victorian period onwards. The castle also houses the Scottish regalia, known as the Honours of Scotland and is the site of the Scottish National War Memorial and the National War Museum of Scotland. The British Army is still responsible for some parts of the castle, although its presence is now largely ceremonial and administrative. Some of the castle buildings house regimental museums which contribute to its presentation as a tourist attraction. - in: wikipedia

Palace of Holyroodhouse

The Palace of Holyroodhouse, commonly referred to as Holyrood Palace, is the official residence of the British monarch in Scotland, Queen Elizabeth II. Located at the bottom of the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, at the opposite end to Edinburgh Castle, Holyrood Palace has served as the principal residence of the Kings and Queens of Scot ssince the 16th century, and is a setting for state occasions and official entertaining. - in: wikipedia

St Giles' Cathedral

St Giles' Cathedral, also known as the High Kirk of Edinburgh, is the principal place of worship of the Church of Scotland in Edinburgh. Its distinctive crown steeple is a prominent feature of the city skyline, at about a third of the way down the Royal Mile which runs from the Castle to Holyrood Palace. The church has been one of Edinburgh's religious focal points for approximately 900 years. The present church dates from the late 14th century, though it was extensively restored in the 19th century, and is protected as a category A listed building. Today it is sometimes regarded as the "Mother Church of Presbyterianism". The cathedral is dedicated to Saint Giles, who is the patron saint of Edinburgh, as well as of cripples and lepers, and was a very popular saint in the Middle Ages. It is the Church of Scotland parish church for part of Edinburgh's Old Town. - in: wikipedia

Scott Monument

The Scott Monument is a Victorian Gothic monument to Scottish author Sir Walter Scott. It is the second largest monument to a writer in the world after the José Martí monument in Havana. It stands in Princes Street Gardens in Edinburgh, opposite the Jenners department store on Princes Street and near to Edinburgh Waverley Railway Station, which is named after Scott's Waverley novels.

The tower is 200 feet 6 inches (61.11 m) high, and has a series of viewing platforms reached by a series of narrow spiral staircases giving panoramic views of central Edinburgh and its surroundings. - in: wikipedia

Princes Street

Princes Street is one of the major thoroughfares in central Edinburgh, Scotland, and the main shopping street in the capital. It is the southernmost street of Edinburgh's New Town, stretching around 1 mile (1.6 km) from Lothian Road in the west, to Leith Street in the east. The street is mostly closed to private cars, with public transport given priority. The street has virtually no buildings on the south side, allowing panoramic views of the Old Town, Edinburgh Castle, and the valley between. - in: wikipedia

Archaeological Border complex of Hedeby and the Danevirke

This site is from the Viking Age but it was used by the next generations over the centuries

Danevirke - Valdemar's Wall

This postcard was sent by Doris

The Danevirke is a system of Danish fortifications in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. This historically important linear defensive earthwork across the neck of the Cimbrian peninsula was initiated by the Danes in the Nordic Iron Age at some point before 500 AD. It was later expanded multiple times during Denmark's Viking Age. The Danevirke was last used for military purposes in 1864 during the Second War of Schleswig.

The Danevirke consists of several walls, trenches and the Schlei Barrier. The walls stretch for 30 km, from the former Viking trade centre of Hedeby near Schleswig on the Baltic Sea coast in the east to the extensive marshlands in the west of the peninsula.

The Danevirke is about 30 kilometres (19 mi) long overall, with a height varying between 3.6 and 6 metres (12 and 20 ft). During the Middle Ages, the structure was reinforced with palisades and masonry walls, and was used by Danish kings as a gathering point for Danish military excursions, including a series of crusader raids against the Slavs of the south Baltic. In particular, the 12th-century King Valdemar the Great reinforced parts of the Danevirke with a brick wall, which enabled a continued military use of this strategically important structure. The reinforced parts of the structure are consequently known in Danish as Valdemarsmuren (lit: Valdemar's wall). - in: wikipedia

Fort and Shalamar Gardens in Lahore

This site includes two royal complexes, the Lahore Fort and the Shalimar Gardens, both located in the City of Lahore

Naulakha Pavilion - Lahore Fort

This postcard was sent by Muhammad

The Lahore Fort is a citadel in the city of Lahore, Pakistan. The fortress is located at the northern end of Lahore's Walled City, and spreads over an area greater than 20 hectares. It contains 21 notable monuments, some of which date to the era of Emperor Akbar. The Lahore Fort is notable for having been almost entirely rebuilt in the 17th century, when the Mughal Empire was at the height of its splendour and opulence.

The Naulakha Pavilion is a white marble personal chamber with a curvilinear roof, located beside the Sheesh Mahal courtyard, in the northern section of the Lahore Fort in Lahore, Pakistan. The monument is one of the 21 monuments situated within the Lahore Fort, with its western façade providing a panoramic view of the ancient city of Lahore. - in: wikipedia

Archaeological Ruins at Moenjodaro

The Archaeological Ruins at Moenjodaro are the best preserved urban settlement in South Asia

Moenjo-daro

This postcard was sent by Muhammad

Mohenjo-daro, meaning 'Mound of the Dead Men', is an archaeological site in the province of Sindh, Pakistan. Built around 2500 BCE, it was one of the largest settlements of the ancient Indus Valley civilization, and one of the world's earliest major cities, contemporaneous with the civilizations of ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, Minoan Crete, and Norte Chico. Mohenjo-daro was abandoned in the 19th century BCE as the Indus Valley Civilization declined, and the site was not rediscovered until the 1920s. Significant excavation has since been conducted at the site of the city, which was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1980. The site is currently threatened by erosion and improper restoration. - in: wikipedia

Wooden Tserkvas of the Carpathian Region in Poland and Ukraine

Poland and Ukraine have great wooden churches. This site consists of 8 churches in each country

St. James the Less Tserkva in Powroznik

This postcard was sent by Ania

St. James Church is a Gothic, wooden church located in the village of Powroźnik, southern Poland. It dates from the seventeenth or eighteenth-century.

The tserkva in Powroźnik has existed since around 1600, but only a part of the former structure remains, arranged into the sacristy of the present tserkva. The architecture of the present tserkva was constructed between the seventeenth and eighteenth-century, with a major reconstruction in 1813. The tserkva was moved from its former location due to the danger posed by flooding, after which it was expanded. After Operation Vistula the tserkva was transformed to a Roman Catholic church. - in: wikipedia

St. Paraskevi Tserkva in Radruz

This postcard was sent by Gosia

St. Paraskevi Church in Radruż - a Gothic, wooden church located in the village of Radruż from the sixteenth-century, which together with different tserkvas is designated as part of the UNESCO Wooden tserkvas of the Carpathian region in Poland and Ukraine.

The tserkva is located on an oval hill, by the Radrużka stream, and together with the bell tower is surrounded by a wall (existent from 1825), with a fortification structure. The tserkva's structure is constructed out of a fir and oak framework. The tserkva was most likely funded by poseł to Sejm, and starosta Jan Płaza (died 1599). While being used for sacramental services, the tserkva was also used as a fortress against the invasions by the Tatars. - in: wikipedia

St Michael the Archangel Tserkva in Smolnik

This postcard was sent by Grzegon 

The first reference to the existence of an Eastern Orthodox Church tserkva in Smolnik comes from a register in 1589 of the Sanok Land. It is presumed that the wooden tserkva was built at the start of the village, in 1530. The tserkva was most likely destroyed by fire or flooding. The second Eastern Orthodox Church tserkva in the village was raised in 1602 (...). The tserkva burnt down in October 1672, most likely due to Tatar invasions. After 1672, another tserkva was raised in a different location to increase its defence from invasions. Since 1697, the Uniate treaty was enforced into the Smolnik parish. The fourth tserkva to be built in the village was completed in August 1, 1791. (...) The roof wood shingle was replaced with tin and the iconostasis renovated. The tserkva's affiliation was to the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church until 1951 (when as part of the 1951 Polish–Soviet territorial exchange, Smolnik was returned to Poland and the populous of the area moved to the Soviet Union. Parts of the tserkva's interior was moved to Łańcut. In 1974, the tserkva was transferred to the Roman Catholic parish. The tserkva had undergone a major renovation between 2004 and 2005. - in: wikipedia

Tserkva of the Descent of the Holy Spirit 

This postcard was sent by Kseniya

Wooden Church of Descent of Holy Spirit was built in 1502 at the expense of potters in place of older wooden church of St. Boris and Gleb burnt by Tatars. In XVII century was created new two tier iconostasis. In 1620-1640 the interior was painted and in 1683 painter Ivan Rutkovych painted icon "Deesis".

In 1718 Wooden Church of Descent of Holy Spirit was restored by master Casimir Dominikovych. The next restoration carried out by the same master took place in 1736 and 1753. So was replaced foundations and floors above the altar, repaired shelter as well as western and southern doors.

The next restoration took place in 1831 then in 1903 and 1923 when all shingle roofs replaced with tin. In 1970-1972 restored to its original appearance by design of architect Bogdan Kindzelskyi and Ivan Mohytych. At the same time restorers Peter Voitko, Nicolay Slipchenko, Ruslan Yusym restored unique murals of XVII century. - in: https://ukraine-kiev-tour.com/potelych-sights-wooden-church-descent-holy-spirit.html

Tserkva of Saint George

This postcard with a huge stamp was sent by Olesya

The first mention of Wooden Church of Saint George originating in 1496. During Tatar attack in 1499 it burned down. According to some documents was rebuilt in 1525. During another attack of Tatars in 1624 burned again. In 1657 from Nadiyiv, Dolyna region was carried the old church and on base of existing materials set current one.

In 1678 Wooden Church of Saint George was rebuilt and it got three domes. Repaired in 1823, 1833 and the end of XIX century.

In the church survived iconostasis of 1659-1666 created by Stephen Medytskyi. The murals of the nave is made in last quarter of XVII century. Choirs painted on expense of Gregory Proskurskyi in 1691.

Chapel painted in 1711-1714 and babynets - in XVIII century.

In 1961 the church was closed and in 1974-1975 carried out the restoration of Wooden Church of Saint George by architects Ivan Mohytych and Bogdan Kindzelskyi, painters Peter Linynskyi, Yaroslav Movchan, Natasha Slipchenko and Galya Druziuk and same time established the church as a museum.

To the north-east of the church is a wooden bell tower of 1670. - in: https://ukraine-kiev-tour.com/drohobych-sights-wooden-church-saint-george.html

Tserkva of the Synaxis of the Archangel Michael

This postcard was sent by Natalia

Wooden Church of Synaxis of Archangel Michael (1745)is one of the most interesting wooden churches of Boyko style. It is so perfectly placed on the slope so seems grown on its place.

Dominating central dome, small dome over altar and small rectangular tower over babynetz completes harmonious composition of Wooden Church of Synaxis of Archangel Michael.

Wooden Church of Synaxis of Archangel Michael was built by master Pavel Toniv of neighboring Bitlya village and master Ivan Tsyhanyn of Tikhiy village. Building works was finished June 11, 1745. It is said that the original church was built high on a mountainside but old people were hard walk up there and the church moved down the hill almost to the road. In the bishop's visitation in 1751 speaks of a new church in Uzhok that has two bells.

The interior of Wooden Church of Synaxis of Archangel Michael captures the contrast between dark low babynetz and open bright space of the central dome. - in: https://ukraine-kiev-tour.com/uzhok-wooden-church-synaxis-archangel-michael.html

The 16 Tserkvas: (in red the ones I already have):

Poland:

• Tserkva of St. Michael the Archangel, Brunary, Lesser Poland
• Tserkva of the Birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Chotyniec
• Tserkva of St. Paraskevia, Kwiatoń
• Virgin Mary's Care Tserkva, Owczary
• St. James the Less Tserkva, Powroźnik
• Tserkva of St. Paraskevia, Radruż
• St. Michael the Archangel Tserkva, Smolnik
• St. Michael the Archangel Tserkva, Turzańsk, Sanok County

Ukraine:

• Descent of the Holy Spirit Church, Potelych, Zhovkva Raion
• Holy Trinity Church, Zhovkva
• St. George's Church, Drohobych
• St. Dmytro's Church, Matkiv
• Descent of the Holy Spirit Church, Rohatyn
• The Church of the Nativity of Blessed Virgin Mary, Nyzhniy Verbizh, Zakarpattia
• St. Archangel Michael Church, Uzhok
• Ascension of Our Lord Church, Yasinia, Yasinia, Zakarpattia