Sunday 28 November 2021

Vlkolínec

This picturesque village looks a wonderful place for a summer vacation!

Vlkolínec
This postcard was sent by Lubomir

VlkolínecSlovakia, is a picturesque village under the administration of the town of Ružomberok. Historically, however, it was a separate village. The first written mention of the village came from 1376 and after 1882 it became part of Ružomberok. Its name is probably derived from the Slovak word "vlk", i. e. wolf.
Vlkolínec has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1993, and is one of ten Slovak villages that have been given the status of a folk architecture reservations. This status was granted because the village is an untouched and complex example of folk countryside architecture of the region of the Northern Carpathians.

Vlkolínec
This postcard was sent by Hebert

Vlkolínec, situated in the centre of Slovakia, is a remarkably intact settlement with the traditional features of a central European village. It is the region’s most complete group of these kinds of traditional log houses, often found in mountainous areas. The village consists of more than 45 log houses each of them made up of two or three rooms. A wooden belfry from the 18th century as well as the baroque chapel has also been preserved. Houses No. 16 and 17 are turned into the folk museum with all the instruments of daily life and work. - in: wikipedia

Sunday 21 November 2021

Cidade Velha, Historic Centre of Ribeira Grande

My cousin Isabel was this year in Cabo Verde and she brought me these postcards! She wasn't on this island but she found the UNESCO site I was missing!


Cidade Velha

The town of Ribeira Grande, renamed Cidade Velha in the late 18th century, was the first European colonial outpost in the tropics. Located in the south of the island of Santiago, the town features some of the original street layout impressive remains including two churches, a royal fortress and Pillory Square with its ornate 16th century marble pillar. - in: https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1310


São Filipe Fortress

Forte Real de São Filipe is a 16th century fortress in the city of Cidade Velha in the south of the island of SantiagoCape Verde. It is located on a plateau above the town centre, 120 meters above sea level. 
The fortress was built under Philip I of Portugal between 1587 and 1593, little after Sir Francis Drake's 1585 raid of Santiago. It completed the existing defence system, consisting of the older forts of São LourençoSão BrásPresidioSão VeríssimoSão João dos Cavaleiros and São António. Remains of these forts can still be seen. The Forte Real de São Filipe was built from stone imported from Portugal. It was designed by the military engineers João Nunes and Filippo Terzi. - in: wikipedia


Monday 1 November 2021

Dholavira: a Harappan City

Dholavira is one of the five largest Harappan sites


Dholavira
This postcard was sent by Prashanth

The ancient city of Dholavira, the southern centre of the Harappan Civilization, is sited on the arid island of Khadir in the State of Gujarat. Occupied between ca. 3000-1500 BCE, the archaeological site, one of the best preserved urban settlements from the period in Southeast Asia, comprises a fortified city and a cemetery. Two seasonal streams provided water, a scarce resource in the region, to the walled city which comprises a heavily fortified castle and ceremonial ground as well as streets and houses of different proportion quality which testify to a stratified social order. A sophisticated water management system demonstrates the ingenuity of the Dholavira people in their struggle to survive and thrive in a harsh environment. The site includes a large cemetery with cenotaphs of six types testifying to the Harappan’s unique view of death. Bead processing workshops and artifacts of various kinds such as copper, shell, stone, jewellery of semi-precious stones, terracotta, gold, ivory and other materials have been found during archaeological excavations of the site, exhibiting the culture’s artistic and technological achievements. Evidence for inter-regional trade with other Harappan cities, as well as with cities in the Mesopotamia region and the Oman peninsula have also been discovered. - in: https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1645/