Archaeological Site of Volubilis

This wonderful postcard of Volubilis, that used to be a Roman city, was also sent by Paula

Volubilis

Volubilis (Arabic: وليلي‎ Walīlī) is a partly excavated Amazigh then Roman city in Morocco situated near Meknes between Fesand Rabat and commonly considered as the ancient capital of the kingdom of Mauritania. Built in a fertile agricultural area, it was developed from the 3rd century BC onwards as an Amazigh then protoCarthaginian settlement before being the capital of the kingdom of Mauritania. - in: wikipedia

Ksar of Ait-Ben-Haddou

This is a UNESCO site where several movies were shot, including The Mummy, Gladiator, Prince of Persia and Kingdom of Heaven. The postcard was also sent by Paula from Portugal.

Ksar of Ait-Ben-Haddou

The ksar, a group of earthen buildings surrounded by high walls, is a traditional pre-Saharan habitat. The houses crowd together within the defensive walls, which are reinforced by corner towers. Ait-Ben-Haddou, in Ouarzazate province, is a striking example of the architecture of southern Morocco. - in: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/444

Medina of Essaouira (formerly Mogador)

This is another of the great postcards sent by Paula

Streets of Essaouira

Essaouira is an exceptional example of a late-18th-century fortified town, built according to the principles of contemporary European military architecture in a North African context. Since its foundation, it has been a major international trading seaport, linking Morocco and its Saharan hinterland with Europe and the rest of the world. - in: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/753

Medina of Tétouan (formerly known as Titawin)

Paula was in Morocco a few years ago, from where she sent me a postcard of Meknes. After some time she sent me from Portugal all the cards that were in my missing list of Morocco!

Tétouan

Tétouan was of particular importance in the Islamic period, from the 8th century onwards, since it served as the main point of contact between Morocco and Andalusia. After the Reconquest, the town was rebuilt by Andalusian refugees who had been expelled by the Spanish. This is well illustrated by its art and architecture, which reveal clear Andalusian influence. Although one of the smallest of the Moroccan medinas, Tétouan is unquestionably the most complete and it has been largely untouched by subsequent outside influences. - in: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/

White City of Tel-Aviv -- the Modern Movement

Sometimes is hard to see if a postcard shows or not the protected area by UNESCO... For example, in this aerial view of Tel-Aviv how will I know if any of the 4000 buildings of the modern movement is shown in the picture? I'm not sure, but I want to believe that at least one is there!

Tel-Aviv

This postcard was sent by Debora

Tel Aviv was founded in 1909 and developed as a metropolitan city under the British Mandate in Palestine. The White City was constructed from the early 1930s until the 1950s, based on the urban plan by Sir Patrick Geddes, reflecting modern organic planning principles. The buildings were designed by architects who were trained in Europe where they practised their profession before immigrating. They created an outstanding architectural ensemble of the Modern Movement in a new cultural context. - in: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1096

Bahá’i Holy Places in Haifa and the Western Galilee

These holy places have a profound spiritual meaning but also a huge beauty!

Shrine of the Báb and Bahá'í Gardens

This postcard was sent by Debora

The Shrine of the Báb is a structure in Haifa, Israel where the remains of the Báb, founder of the Bábí Faith and forerunner of Bahá'u'lláhin the Bahá'í Faith, have been buried; it is considered to be the second holiest place on Earth for Bahá'ís, after the Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh inAcre. Its precise location on Mount Carmel was designated by Bahá'u'lláh himself to his eldest son, `Abdu'l-Bahá, in 1891. `Abdu'l-Bahá planned the structure, which was designed and completed several years later by his grandson, Shoghi Effendi.

Crowning the design, as anticipated by `Abdu'l-Bahá, is a dome, which is set on an 18-windowed drum. That, in turn, is mounted on an octagon, a feature suggested by Shoghi Effendi. An arcade surrounds the stone edifice. - in: wikipedia

Shrine of Buhá'u'lláh

This postcard was sent by Debora

The Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh, located in Bahjí near Acre, Israel, is the most holy place for Bahá'ís and represents their Qiblih, or direction of prayer. It contains the remains of Bahá'u'lláh and is near the spot where he died in the Mansion of Bahjí.

The Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh is composed of a central area that contains a small, tree-filled garden surrounded by paths covered with Persian rugs. A glass roof was constructed by Qulám-‘Alíy-i-Najjár after the death of Bahá'u'lláh. At the northwest corner of the central area there is a small room containing Bahá'u'lláh's remains. The central area has doors to a number of other rooms that have, in recent years, been opened to accommodate the growing number of pilgrims and visitors. - in: wikipedia

Necropolis of Bet She’arim: A Landmark of Jewish Renewal

This was the last postcard I received from Israel and it was also the last site of this country to be included in the World Heritage list.

Cave of the Coffins

This postcard was sent by Debora

Consisting of a series of catacombs, the necropolis developed from the 2nd century AD as the primary Jewish burial place outside Jerusalem following the failure of the second Jewish revolt against Roman rule. Located southeast of the city of Haifa, these catacombs are a treasury of artworks and inscriptions in Greek, Aramaic, Hebrew and Palmyrene. Bet She’arim bears unique testimony to ancient Judaism under the leadership of Rabbi Judah the Patriarch, who is credited with Jewish renewal after 135 AD. - in: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1471