Tuesday, 22 July 2025

KAZAKHSTAN

This amazing cover from Kazakhstan depicts a miniature sheet issued in 2021, celebrating the Altyn-Emel National Park. Altyn-Emel National Park has the international status of a UNESCO biosphere reserve and it's included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in the nomination "Cold Winter Deserts of Turan". It is nominated for the status of a UNESCO Geopark. This property, shared with Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, comprises 14 sites that represent the ecosystems of Central Asian deserts with harsh continental climate with very cold winters and hot summers. The deserts are home to numerous plant species, as well as saiga antelope and goitered gazelle. Five areas are listed in Kazakhstan: Kaskakulan, Barsa-Kelmes Nature Reserve, and three sites in the Altyn-Emel National Park (pictured).

LIECHTENSTEIN

P. R. CHINA

FRANCE

EUROPA stamp 2025

Tuesday, 15 July 2025

COOK ISLANDS - RAROTONGA

This beatiful cover came from Rarotonga, Cook Islands, depicting a WWF complete set issued in 2016. Rarotonga is the largest and most populous island of the country of the Cook Islands. The island is volcanic, with an area of 67.39 km2, and is home to almost 75% of the country's population, with about 11,000 of a total population of 15,500.The chief town, Avarua, on the north coast, is the location of the Parliament buildings and the capital of the Cook Islands. The country's international airport is also in Avarua, and Rarotonga is a popular tourist destination, with many resorts, hotels and motels.

SOUTH KOREA

UNITED KINGDOM

P. R. CHINA

P. R. CHINA

Wednesday, 9 July 2025

UNITED NATIONS - VIENNA OFFICE

This cover from UNO Vienna depicts 3 stamps of the same type celebrating the World Heritage Site Sansa, Buddhist Mountain Monasteries in Korea. Sansa (mountain temple) is a term for any Korean Buddhist temple located on a mountain. Seven of these temples are designated as UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Sites since 2018. With the country being largely mountainous and Buddhism deeply rooted in its history, there are many sansas across the country. The word sansa is composed of two words, san and sa, which mean mountain and monastery/temple respectively.

KYRGYZSTAN

A beautiful cover from Kyrgyzstan, depicting a miniature sheet celebrating The Great Silk Road, inscribed as an UNESCo 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.

SRI LANKA

GREECE

This cover from Greece depicts the EUROPA 2025 set, celebrating the World Heritage Site Archaeological Site of Aigai (modern name Vegina. Vergina is a small town in northern Greece, part of Veria municipality in Imathia, Central Macedonia. Vergina was established in 1922 in the aftermath of the population exchanges after the Treaty of Lausanne and was a separate municipality until 2011, when it was merged with Veroia under the Kallikratis Plan. Vergina is best known as the site of ancient Aigai (Αἰγαί, Aigaí, Latinized: Aegae), the first capital of Macedon. In 336 BC Philip II was assassinated in Aigai's theatre and his son, Alexander the Great, was proclaimed king. Some important finds were made in 1977 when the burial sites of several kings of Macedon were found, including the tomb of Philip II which had not been disturbed or looted, unlike so many of the other tombs there. It is also the site of an extensive royal palace. The archaeological museum of Vergina was built to house all the artifacts found at the site and is one of the most important museums in Greece. Aigai has been awarded UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996, as "an exceptional testimony to a significant development in European civilization, at the transition from classical city-state to the imperial structure of the Hellenistic and Roman periods".

IRELAND

EUROPA 2025 stamps from Ireland

P. R. CHINA