COOK ISLANDS - AITUTAKI

An amazing cover from Aitutaki, my first one from this small island in Cook Islands. Aitutaki, also traditionally known as Araʻura and Utataki, is the second most-populated island in the Cook Islands, after Rarotonga. It is an "almost atoll", with fifteen islets in a lagoon adjacent to the main island. Total land area is 18.05 km2, and the lagoon has an area of between 50 and 74 km2. A major tourist destination, Aitutaki is the second most visited island of the Cook Islands archipelago. Aitutaki had a population of 1,712 in 2016. The main village is Arutanga (Arutunga) on the west side.

SWITZERLAND

This cover from Switzerland has two different stamps. The stamp on the right shows a picture of the "Landwasser Viaduct", on the Albula Railway. The Albula and Bernina lines of the Rhaetian Railway are two historic railway lines that cross the Swiss Alps. They were built in the early 20th century, providing a rapid and easy route into many formerly isolated alpine settlements. Building the railroads required overcoming technical challenges with bridges, galleries, and tunnels. The site is shared with Italy and is inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2008 as Rhaetian Railway in the Albula/Bernina Landscapes.

BRAZIL

This cover from Brazil features a complete set issued in 1996 with Hummingbirds from Atlantic Forests and Amazon Basin. Both regions are listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

SOUTH AFRICA

This cover from South Africa depicts a set of 4 stamps celebrating the Maloti-Drakensberg Park, a World Heritage Site, established on 11 June 2001 by linking the Sehlabathebe National Park in the Kingdom of Lesotho and the uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park in KwaZulu-Natal. The highest peak is Thaba Ntlenyana rising to 3,482 metres. Proposed extensions to the main park include the Golden Gate Highlands National Park, Sterkfontein Dam Nature Reserve (Free State) and Royal Natal National Park (KwaZulu-Natal) in South Africa; and the Bokong Nature Reserve and Ts'ehlanyane National Park in Lesotho. The park is situated in the Drakensberg Mountains which form the highest areas in the sub-region, and support unique montane and sub-alpine ecosystems. These ecosystems hold a globally significant plant and animal biodiversity, with unique habitats and high levels of endemism. The park is also home to the greatest gallery of rock art in the world with hundreds of sites and many thousands of images painted by the Bushmen (San people). The Maloti-Drakensberg Transfrontier Conservation and Development Area was conceived as a Peace park, covering about 8 113 km2, consisting of 5 170 km2 (64%) in Lesotho and 2 943 km2 (36%) in KwaZulu-Natal.

BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

This cover from Bosnia and Herzegovina depicts 2 stamps of the same type (issue from 2008), celebrating the Vjetrenica Cave. Vjetrenica Cave (meaning wind cave) is the largest cave in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the most biodiverse cave in the world. It is part of the Dinaric Alps mountain range, which is known for its karstic and speleological features. The cave is located in the Popovo field in Ravno, East Herzegovina in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, near the Adriatic Coast. Vjetrenica is the richest cave in the world in terms of subterranean biodiversity: among more than two hundred different species are registered in it, almost a hundred are troglophiles, a great number of them are narrow endemic, 15 are stenoendemic, and about 37 were discovered and described in Vjetrenica for the first time. In 2024, the Vjetrenica Cave was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site during the 46th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee.

BRAZIL

This cover from Brazil features a stamp issued in 2024 celebrating the Lençois Maranhenses National Park, a national park in Maranhão state in northeastern Brazil, just east of the Baía de São José. Protected on June 2, 1981, the 155,000 ha park includes 70 km of coastline, and an interior composed of rolling sand dunes. During the rainy season, the valleys among the dunes fill with freshwater lagoons, prevented from draining by the impermeable rock beneath. The park is home to a range of species, including four listed as endangered, and has become a popular destination for ecotourists. In July 2024 the site was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its exceptional beauty and the fact that it is a unique natural aspect in the world.

SPAIN

This cover from Spain depicts a miniature sheet issued in 2024 with a picture of the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, in Spain. The city of Santiago de Compostela has its origin in the shrine of Saint James the Great, now the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, as the destination of the Way of St. James, a leading Catholic pilgrimage route since the 9th century. The town was destroyed by Muslims in the 10th century and rebuilt during the following century. In 1985, the city's Old Town was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

P. R. CHINA

RUSSIAN FEDERATION

A cover from Russia depicting a miniature sheet issued in 2022, celebrating 150 years of the AS Popov Central Museum of Telecommunications in St. Petersburg.

MONACO

P. R. CHINA

NEW ZEALAND

MOROCCO

BRAZIL

A cover from Brazil with a R$ 2,55 stamp, celebrating the São Francisco Church in Salvador de Bahia. The São Francisco Church and Convent of Salvador is located in the historical centre of Salvador, in the State of Bahia, Brazil. The ornate Church of the Third Order of Saint Francis sits adjacent to the convent. The friars of the Franciscan Order arrived in Salvador in 1587 and constructed a convent and church on the site. This structure was destroyed by the Dutch during the Dutch invasions of Bahia in the next century; Father Vicente das Chagas initiated the current structure in 1686, which was completed in the 18th century. The Franciscan church and convent have the largest number of azulejos, 55,000, of any church in Latin America. The convent and its church are important colonial monuments in Brazil. It was listed as a historic structure by the National Institute of Historic and Artistic Heritage in 1938. The convent, church, and Church of the Third Order are one of the Seven Wonders of Portuguese Origin in the World and form integral parts of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Historic Centre of Salvador.

BRAZIL

This cover from Brazil depict a complete set issued in 1994 with Vegetables from the the Amazon region. The Central Amazon Conservation Area is inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000. As the largest protected area in the Amazon basin, the site is notable for its high biodiversity, range of habitats such as várzea and igapó forests and number of endangered species. It has been recognized by various conservation agencies as a high priority region.

FRANCE

MOROCCO

A cover from Morocco depicting a joint issue with my country, Portugal, issued in 2024. The stamp on the right feature a picture of the town of Essaouira, known until the 1960s as Mogador. The foundation of the city of Essaouira was the work of the Moroccan 'Alawid sultan Mohammed bin Abdallah, who made an original experiment by entrusting it to several architects in 1760, in particular Théodore Cornut and Ahmed al-Inglizi, who designed the city using French captives from the failed French expedition to Larache in 1765, and with the mission of building a city adapted to the needs of foreign merchants. Once built, it continued to grow and experienced a golden age and exceptional development, becoming the country's most important commercial port but also its diplomatic capital between the end of the 18th century and the first half of the 19th century. Medina of Essaouira was designated by the UNESCO a World Heritage Site in 2001.

GERMANY

This from Germany depicts 2 stamps of the same type (issued in 2024), celebrating the Cologne Cathedral, a Catholic cathedral in Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is the seat of the Archbishop of Cologne and of the administration of the Archdiocese of Cologne. It is a renowned monument of German Catholicism and Gothic architecture and was declared a World Heritage Site in 1996. At 157 m, the cathedral is currently the tallest twin-spired church in the world, the second tallest church in Europe after Ulm Minster, and the third tallest church in the world. It is the largest Gothic church in Northern Europe and has the second-tallest spires. The towers for its two huge spires give the cathedral the largest façade of any church in the world. The choir has the largest height to width ratio, 3.6:1, of any medieval church.

BELARUS

NEW ZEALAND

This cover from New Zealand depicts 3 different stamps with some views of the world heritage site Te Wahipounamu - South West New Zealand. Inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1990 and covering 26,000 square kilometres (10,000 sq mi), the site incorporates four national parks: Aoraki / Mount Cook, Fiordland, Mount Aspiring and Westland Tai Poutini. It is thought to contain some of the best modern representations of the original flora and fauna of Gondwana, one of the reasons for its listing as a World Heritage site.

P. R. CHINA

LUXEMBOURG

THis cover from Luxembourg features a miniature sheet issued in 2024, celebrating the visit of Pope Francis to Luxembourg. Because of its strategic position, Luxembourg was, from the 16th century until 1867, when its walls were dismantled, one of Europe's greatest fortified sites. It was repeatedly reinforced as it passed from one great European power to another: the Holy Roman Emperors, the House of Burgundy, the Habsburgs, the French and Spanish kings, and finally the Prussians. Until their partial demolition, the fortifications were a fine example of military architecture spanning several centuries. It is inscribed as an UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1994.

UNO VIENNA

A cover from UNO Vienna depicting 3 differente stamps. The stamp of 0,22€ (on the right) shows a picture of Mount Robson, in the Canadian Rocky Mountain Park. The Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks World Heritage Site is located in the Canadian Rockies. It consists of seven contiguous parks including four national parks: Banff, Jasper, Kootenay and Yoho. The area is known for its natural environment and biological diversity.

BELARUS

RUSSIAN FEDERATION

This cover from Russia depicts a miniature sheet issued in 2024 celebrating the Petroglyphs of the White Sea and Lake Onega, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Russia, Republic of Karelia, listed in 2021. The World Heritage Site comprises 33 petroglyph sites in two clusters. The Lake Onega cluster, Pudozhsky District, has 22 petroglyph sites with over 1200 figures. They mostly depict birds, animals, half-human and half-animal figures, as well as geometric shapes possibly representing the moon and the sun. The cluster at the White Sea (Belomorsky District) has 11 sites with over 3400 figures, mostly representing hunting and sailing scenes, together with related equipment, as well as animal and human footprints. They were created 6 and 7 millennia ago and represent a glimpse into the lives of Neolithic cultures of Fennoscandia.

BELARUS

FRANCE

BRAZIL

INDONESIA

NEW ZEALAND

This cover from New Zealand depicts 3 stamps celebrating the world heritage site Te Wahipounamu - South West New Zealand. Inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1990 and covering 26,000 square kilometres (10,000 sq mi), the site incorporates four national parks: Aoraki / Mount Cook, Fiordland, Mount Aspiring and Westland Tai Poutini. It is thought to contain some of the best modern representations of the original flora and fauna of Gondwana, one of the reasons for its listing as a World Heritage site.

RUSSIAN FEDERATION

This cover from Russia features a minisheet issued in 2022 celebrating the "875th Anniversary of the city of Moscow". Inextricably linked to all the most important historical and political events in Russia since the 13th century, the Kremlin (built between the 14th and 17th centuries by outstanding Russian and foreign architects) was the residence of the Great Prince and also a religious centre. At the foot of its ramparts, on Red Square, St Basil's Basilica is one of the most beautiful Russian Orthodox monuments. The site is inscribed at UNESCO's World Heritage list since 1990 with the name Kremlin and Red Square, Moscow

P. R. CHINA

P. R. CHINA

LAOS

An amazing cover from Laos, depicting a miniature sheet issued in 2015 celebrating the 20yh Anniversary of Luangprabang World Heritage (1995-2015). Luang Phabang, or Louangphabang, commonly transliterated into Western languages as Luang Prabang, literally meaning "Royal Buddha Image", is a city in north central Laos, consisting of 58 adjacent villages, of which 33 comprise the UNESCO Town of Luang Prabang World Heritage Site. It was listed in 1995 for unique and "remarkably" well preserved architectural, religious and cultural heritage, a blend of the rural and urban developments over several centuries, including the French colonial influences during the 19th and 20th centuries.

NEW ZEALAND

This cover from New Zealand depicts 2 stamps with pictures of Tongariro National Park, the oldest national park in New Zealand, located in the central North Island. It has been acknowledged by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site of mixed cultural and natural values in 1993. Tongariro National Park was the sixth national park established in the world. The active volcanic mountains Ruapehu, Ngauruhoe, and Tongariro are located in the centre of the park.

P. R. CHINA

This cover from P.R. China depicts a complete set celebrating the World Heritage Site Mogao Caves. The Mogao Caves, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987, are in Dunhuang, China. These ancient Buddhist caves are renowned for their exceptional collection of Buddhist art and manuscripts, spanning over a thousand years of history. The caves were carved into the cliffside and housed around 500 preserved cave temples. Visitors can marvel at the intricate murals, statues, and painted scrolls depicting Buddhist deities, religious scenes, and daily life from different dynasties. The Mogao Caves are a testament to ancient China’s rich cultural heritage and artistic mastery.

NORWAY

SRI LANKA

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

GERMANY

P. R. CHINA

RUSSIAN FEDERATION

This cover from Russia depicts a complete set issued in 2024 celebrating the Petroglyphs of the White Sea and Lake Onega, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Russia, Republic of Karelia, listed in 2021. The World Heritage Site comprises 33 petroglyph sites in two clusters. The Lake Onega cluster, Pudozhsky District, has 22 petroglyph sites with over 1200 figures. They mostly depict birds, animals, half-human and half-animal figures, as well as geometric shapes possibly representing the moon and the sun. The cluster at the White Sea (Belomorsky District) has 11 sites with over 3400 figures, mostly representing hunting and sailing scenes, together with related equipment, as well as animal and human footprints. They were created 6 and 7 millennia ago and represent a glimpse into the lives of Neolithic cultures of Fennoscandia.

INDONESIA

RUSSIAN FEDERATION

A beautiful cover from Russia, depicting a miniature sheet issued in 2024 with a picture of "Peterhof Palace". The Peterhof Palace, meaning "Pieter's Court") is a series of palaces and gardens located in Petergof, Saint Petersburg, Russia, commissioned by Peter the Great as a direct response to the Palace of Versailles by Louis XIV of France. Originally intending it in 1709 for country habitation, Peter the Great sought to expand the property as a result of his visit to the French royal court in 1717, inspiring the nickname of "The Russian Versailles". The architect between 1714 and 1728 was Domenico Trezzini, and the style he employed became the foundation for the Petrine Baroque style favored throughout Saint Petersburg. Also in 1714, Jean-Baptiste Alexandre Le Blond, likely chosen due to his previous collaborations with Versailles landscaper André Le Nôtre, designed the gardens. Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli completed an expansion from 1747 to 1756 for Elizabeth of Russia. The palace-ensemble along with the city center is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. All the city center of St Petersburg is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

RUSSIAN FEDERATION

This cover from Russia features a minisheet issued in 2022 celebrating the "150th Anniversary of the State Historical Museum". The State Historical Museum is the largest national historical museum of Russia. It was founded in 1872 upon order of Emperor Alexander II. The building was constructed in the very heart of the capital, in the Red Square, in 1875-1883 upon the project of architect V. Sherwood and engineer A. Semenov. The State Historical Museum complex also includes St. Basil's Cathedral and a monument to Minin and Pozharsky in the Red Square, the Chambers of the Romanov Boyars in Varvarka street, and the Museum of the Patriotic War of 1812. Since 1990, the Museum has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List as part of the Red Square ensemble.

P. R. CHINA

SLOVENIA

P. R. CHINA

This cover from China depicts a complete set issued in 2012 celebrating the Great Silk Road, inscribed as an UNESCo World Heritage Site since 2009. This property is a 5,000 km section of the extensive Silk Roads network, stretching from Chang’an/Luoyang, the central capital of China in the Han and Tang dynasties, to the Zhetysu region of Central Asia. It took shape between the 2nd century BC and 1st century AD and remained in use until the 16th century, linking multiple civilizations and facilitating far-reaching exchanges of activities in trade, religious beliefs, scientific knowledge, technological innovation, cultural practices and the arts. The thirty-three components included in the routes network include capital cities and palace complexes of various empires and Khan kingdoms, trading settlements, Buddhist cave temples, ancient paths, posthouses, passes, beacon towers, sections of The Great Wall, fortifications, tombs and religious buildings.

MONACO

EUROPA 2024 stamp "Marine Life"

SPAIN

An amazing cover from Spain, featuring a miniture sheet deidicated to the Cathedral, Alcazar and Archivo de Indias in Seville. Together these three buildings form a remarkable monumental complex in the heart of Seville. The cathedral and the Alcázar – dating from the Reconquest of 1248 to the 16th century and imbued with Moorish influences – are an exceptional testimony to the civilization of the Almohads as well as that of Christian Andalusia. The Giralda minaret is the masterpiece of Almohad architecture. It stands next to the cathedral with its five naves; the largest Gothic building in Europe, it houses the tomb of Christopher Columbus. The ancient Lonja, which became the Archivo de Indias, contains valuable documents from the archives of the colonies in the Americas. The property was inscribed as an UNESCO world heritage site in 1987.