Tent Pegging in Pakistan

Today I would like to share a gorgeous postcard from Pakistan. It is a card showing the popular horse sport of "Tent Pegging". The photo on the postcard shows the display of tent-pegging at the National Horse and Cattle Show, Lahore.

As per Wikipedia, Tent Pegging is defined as, "Tent pegging (sometimes spelled "tentpegging" or "tent-pegging") is a cavalry sport of ancient origin, and is one of only ten equestrian disciplines officially recognised by the International Federation for Equestrian Sports. Used narrowly, the term refers to a specific mounted game with ground targets. More broadly, it refers to the entire class of mounted cavalry games involving edged weapons on horseback, for which the term "equestrian skill-at-arms" is also used."
You can read more about Tent-pegging here.

De-Listed Omani UNESCO World Heritage Site - Arabian Oryx Sanctuary

Today I would like to share another stunning postcard with you. Here I have a UNESCO World Heritage Site from one of its kind Site. I say so because the card depicts views from Arabian Oryx Sanctuary from Oman and the site was de-listed from the UNESCO List in 2007. It is one of the only two sites de-listed from the UNESCO Site List.  The other one was Dresden Elbe Valley in Germany which was de-listed in 2009.

As per Wikipedia, "Oryx is one of four large antelope species of the genus Oryx. Three of the species are native to arid parts of Africa, with a fourth native to the Arabian Peninsula. Their pelage is pale with contrasing dark markings in the face and on the legs, and their long horns are almost straight. The exception is the Scimitar Oryx, which lacks dark markings on the legs, only has faint dark markings on the head, has an ochre neck, and horns that are clearly decurved. 
The Arabian Oryx was only saved from extinction through a captive breeding program, and the Scimitar Oryx, which probably now is extinct in the wild, also relies on a captive breeding program for its survival."
You can read the brief description of "Arabian Oryx Sanctuary" as described on Official UNESCO WHS here.

The stamps used on the postcard are also very beautiful.

• The $1 postage stamp on the left is a part of a set of 9 postage stamps issued in 2005 by Australian Post as the "Greetings" series.
• The second stamp on the right is a $1 stamp from the "Wild Flowers" set of 4 stamps issued in 2006. The stamp shows the wild flower - Pincushion Hakea. 
• I also liked the Australian Post Airmail Label on the Postcard. Its so graceful and artistically designed.

The Postcard was sent to me by Laurent from Postcard Interactive Company of Sydney. It is a group of very seasoned Postcard Swappers who are also running a small printing company. They specialize in publishing special thematic postcards on world-wide loved themes like UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Airports and Aircrafts, Map cards, Navy Bases, Cruise Ships, Stadiums, Lighthouses, Railways, World Animals and other similar topics. Some of the unique and very gorgeous Limited Edition covers can also be found on the site.
You can buy postcards or covers from Postcard Interactive Company of Sydney at a very economical price or even swap with them.
If you buy from the Company, they will send you the postcards without any extra postage charges - with a minimum order of only 6 postcards. I assure you that the rates of Postcard Interactive Company of Sydney are very competitive and less expensive while the quality is superb. So check them now and find your favorite postcards or covers among hundreds of items on the site.

Historic Views of Istanbul, Turkey

Here is a beautiful UNESCO World Heritage Site postcard from Turkey showing "Historic Areas of Istanbul". It is a magnificent postcard showing Suleymaniyah Mosque built in 16th Century AD.

The stamps are also very nice especially I loved the aircraft stamp.

 Read more about the postcard and the stamps here: "UNESCO WHS Turkey: Historic Areas of Istanbul"

Disneyland Postcard from USA

I have always been an avid fan of Disney Cartoons and films. Mickey and Minnie Mouse have been one of my favorite cartoons of all time. Despite having grown older, I am still a kid at heart as far as my love for Mickey is concerned. 

This is my first Disney Postcard from USA. It is sent to me by an employee of Disneyland, who has been very kind in our conversations.

Two of the three stamps used on the postcard are from zazzle.com; while the third stamp is on Scouting. Its a really beautiful stamp. The two stamps from zazzle.com feature a dog and a Mickey Mouse sketch.

It has been a very beautiful addition in my Disney Collection. Thanks a lot!

Hannah Montana and Sony PSP go Postal!

What a beautiful postcard it is!!! Hannah Montana joins hands with Sony PSP back in 2009 to feature the release of a girly PSP. Here is a cool postcard issued on the event.

"Sony's Hannah Montana version of PSP is one of the most prominent examples of the tech products going girly nowadays. The device contains a number of things that attract girls.
Sony announced the "lilac"-colored Hannah Montana PSP version at Sony Computer Entertainment of America's annual conference, Destination Playstation."

 Although the postcard is printed in USA, it was sent to me by a collector friend from Pakistan.
Did you like the postcard?

Official Postcrossing Postcard from North Carolina

A beautiful postcard from North Carolina, USA showing a romantic sunset at the coast. The back of postcard says: "From sunrise to sunset, the picturesque beauty of the coast of the Carolina's will delight you with fabulous visions".

Interestingly, the postcard is "Made in Italy". The postcard was sent to me by Vicki from North Carolina which is a Southern state on the Eastern seaboard of US.

The cool postage stamp used on the postcard features a magnificent Red Fox. I absolutely adore this nice postcard.

Did you like the postcard, stamp and post?

Lansdowne Bridge and Ayub Arch - Railway Bridges on Indus River linking Sukkur-Rohri, Pakistan

Today I would like to share this lovely postcard from Pakistan with you. The postcard features the famous Sukkur Bridge in Sindh Province, Pakistan.
By looking closely, you can see that these are two different bridges - The old one (Brown in color) was built in 1889 and is named as Lansdowne Bridge while the new one (Silver in color) is called Ayub Arch and it was built in 1962. Both bridges are Railway Bridges and link the twin cities of Sukkur and Rohri over the mighty Indus River.

You can read the detailed account of the bridges at Wikipedia and Lansdowne Bridge Sukkur.

These two bridges are worth a look and are absolutely gorgeous - Truly a pair of architectural wonders. Do you like them?

UNESCO WHS Postcard from Athens, Greece - Parthenon in Athenian Acropolis

Hi!

I never knew that I had this magnificent UNESCO World Heritage Site in my collection until today. The postcard was sent to me by a lovely phonecard collector from Greece - Makis. Since it came to me with a package of used phonecards therefore it was placed in my phonecards collection portion. It in indeed a magnificent postcard depicting Parthenon in Athens, Greece.

Interestingly, Parthenon has served the purpose of being a treasury, a Christian temple, a Muslim Mosque and an Military Ammunition Dump in the past.

Brief History as per Wikipedia: 

• The Parthenon is a temple in the Athenian Acropolis, Greece, dedicated to the Greek goddess Athena, whom the people of Athens considered their protector. 
• Its construction began in 447 BC and was completed in 438 BC, although decorations of the Parthenon continued until 431 BC. 
• It is the most important surviving building of Classical Greece, generally considered to be the culmination of the development of the Doric order. 
• Its decorative sculptures are considered some of the high points of Greek art. 
• The Parthenon is regarded as an enduring symbol of Ancient Greece and of Athenian democracy and one of the world's greatest cultural monuments. 
• The Parthenon itself replaced an older temple of Athena, which historians call the Pre-Parthenon or Older Parthenon, that was destroyed in the Persian invasion of 480 BC. 
• Like most Greek temples, the Parthenon was used as a treasury. 
• For a time, it served as the treasury of the Delian League, which later became the Athenian Empire. 
• In the 6th century AD, the Parthenon was converted into a Christian church dedicated to the Virgin Mary. 
• After the Ottoman Turk conquest, it was turned into a mosque in the early 1460s, and it had a minaret built in it. 
• On 26 September 1687, an Ottoman Turk ammunition dump inside the building was ignited by Venetian bombardment. The resulting explosion severely damaged the Parthenon and its sculptures. 
• In 1806, Thomas Bruce, 7th Earl of Elgin removed some of the surviving sculptures, with Ottoman Turk's permission. These sculptures, now known as the Elgin Marbles or the Parthenon Marbles, were sold in 1816 to the British Museum in London, where they are now displayed. 
• The Greek government is committed to the return of the sculptures to Greece, so far with no success.

Thanks a lot Makis for such a magnificent postcard.

Do you like the postcard? 

What do you think: Is there any other building which has been used so diversely? 

Greetings from Malacca - UNESCO World Heritage Site

I love postcards from Malaysia and here is one of my magnificent ones. This cool postcard comes from the historic city of Malacca in Malaysia. The civilization in this region started somewhere in 13th century. Malacca has a lot of signs of Portugese, Dutch and British colonization from the past centuries.
This cultural and historical city centre was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 7 July 2008.

The stamp featured on the postcard shows a scene from Malaysian cartoons.

This magnificent postcard was sent by Ilyani from Imagica. Thanks a lot pal!!!

Kenyan Giraffe with her Child - Postcard from Kenya

A beautiful postcard from Kenya filled with motherly love of a female Giraffe for her young lad is evident. Isn't it magnificent?

Do you like Animal Postcards from around the Globe?

#22: Pakistan; Shalimar Gardens – A UNESCO World Heritage Site (In Danger)

Here is my first UNESCO World Heritage Site postcard from Pakistan. In the UNESCO World Heritage Site List they are mentioned as “Fort and Shalimar Gardens in Lahore”. Since the sites are located right in the middle of the second largest city of Pakistan – Lahore, thus at present, most of the area in the surroundings of the Lahore Fort and the Gardens is covered with civilian population. Even most of the portion of the fort is being used by civilian population. The main parts of the fort including main entrance and the important buildings have been kept in a better condition by the concerned departments. It is still a worth visiting place and a must-see for any foreign or local tourist visiting Lahore City.
Shalimar Garden is located at some distance form the Fort. The gardens are as beautiful as they are shown in the postcard. The gardens were built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan. The construction started in 1641 AD and completed in 1642 AD. The gardens measure 658x258 meters in size. The gardens are laid out in the shape of an oblong paralellogram and is surrounded by a high brick wall.
The garden consists of three terraces which are elevated by 13-15 feet above each other. The three terraces are named in Urdu. Their names and meanings are as follows:-

• Top-most Terrace is named Farah Bakhsh meaning Bestower of Pleasure
• Middle Terrace is named Faiz Bakhsh meaning Bestower of Goodness
• Lowest Terrace is named Hayat Bakhsh meaning Bestower of Life

The garden has a total of 410 fountains and five water cascades including The Great Marble cascade and Sawan Bhadoon.
The site was included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site List in 1981. In 2000, the site was included in the Endangered UNESCO Sites List. I shall soon be sharing a postcard featuring Lahore Fort as well.

Aeroplane Restaurant on the Lake Side; Shangrila; Pakistan

Here is a beautiful postcard from Pakistan. The card features a beautiful aeroplane which is being used as a restaurant at the magnificent hill resort of Shangrilla near Skardu in Northern Pakistan.

Shangrila Resort Skardu, also known as "Heaven on Earth", is nestled amongst some of the world's highest peaks. It encircles the heart shaped "Kachura Lake" and is surrounded by fruit laden orchards and flower filled gardens.

The DC- 3 Cafe, which is shown on the postcard is a unique and one of its kind cafe. The code name of original DC-3 Aircraft was Alpha Alpha Foxtrot (AAF) . Situated in an airplane, which crash landed on the riverbed and was brought to the present site in the 50's. It offers a variety of snacks and cabin crew hospitality . 

Elephants Postcard from Kenya

A beautiful postcard from Kenya featuring some wild elephants. Absolutely great!!!