INDIA

This cover from India depicts 2 different stamps. The stamp on the top celebrates the World Heritage Site Khajuraho Group of Monuments. The Khajuraho Group of Monuments are a group of Hindu and Jain temples in Chhatarpur district, Madhya Pradesh, India, about 175 kilometres southeast of Jhansi. They are a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1986. The temples are famous for their nagara-style architectural symbolism and a few erotic sculptures. Most Khajuraho temples were built between 885 AD and 1050 AD by the Chandela dynasty. Historical records note that the Khajuraho temple site had 85 temples by the 12th century, spread over 20 square kilometers. Of these, only about 25 temples have survived, spread over six square kilometers. Of the surviving temples, the Kandariya Mahadeva Temple is decorated with a profusion of sculptures with intricate details, symbolism and expressiveness of ancient Indian art.

BANGLADESH

This beautiful UNESCO cover came from Bangladesh and depicts a miniature sheet celebrating the Sundarbans. Sundarbans is a mangrove area in the delta formed by the confluence of the Padma, Brahmaputra and Meghna Rivers in the Bay of Bengal. It spans the area from the Baleswar River in Bangladesh's division of Khulna to the Hooghly River in India's state of West Bengal. It comprises closed and open mangrove forests, land used for agricultural purpose, mudflats and barren land, and is intersected by multiple tidal streams and channels. Four protected areas in the Sundarbans are enlisted as UNESCO World Heritage Sites since 1997: Sundarbans West (Bangladesh), Sundarbans South (Bangladesh), Sundarbans East (Bangladesh) and Sundarbans National Park (India).

ROMANIA

This cover from Romania depicts a complete set issued in 2014 celebrating the region of Maramures. The 8,10 leu stamp shows a picture of the Church of the Holy Archangels in Șurdești , which is a part of the UNESCO site Wooden Churches of Maramures This site comprises eight churches from the 17th and 18th century in Maramureș County. The churches are made of wood and they combine influences of Orthodox and Gothic architecture styles. Some of the common characteristics of the churches include tall, slim clock towers and roofs covered by shingles. The list includes the Church of the Presentation of the Virgin in the Temple in Bârsana, the Church of Saint Nicholas in Budești, the Saint Parascheva Church in Desești, the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin in Ieud Deal, the Church of the Holy Archangels in Plopiș, the Saint Parascheva Church in Poienile Izei, the Church of the Holy Archangels in Rogoz and the Church of the Holy Archangels in Șurdești. These eight churches were listed by the UNESCO as World Heritage Sites in 1999, for their religious architecture and timber construction traditions.

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

This cover from USA depicts 8 first class stamps (4 of each type) celebrating the Statue of Liberty. The Statue of Liberty is a colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor in New York City, in the United States. The copper statue, a gift from the people of France to the people of the United States, was designed by French sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi and its metal framework was built by Gustave Eiffel. The statue was dedicated on October 28, 1886. The statue is a figure of Libertas, a robed Roman liberty goddess. She holds a torch above her head with her right hand, and in her left hand carries a tabula ansata inscribed JULY IV MDCCLXXVI (July 4, 1776 in Roman numerals), the date of the U.S. Declaration of Independence. A broken shackle and chain lie at her feet as she walks forward, commemorating the recent national abolition of slavery. After its dedication, the statue became an icon of freedom and of the United States, seen as a symbol of welcome to immigrants arriving by sea. It became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984.

CHINA

TUNISIA

BRAZIL

A cover from Brazil, depicting 2 stamps celebrating the architect Oscar Niemeyer and the town of Brasilia. Brasília is the federal capital of Brazil and seat of government of the Federal District. The city is located at the top of the Brazilian highlands in the country's center-western region. It was founded by President Juscelino Kubitschek on April 21, 1960, to serve as the new national capital. Brasilia is estimated to be Brazil's third-most populous city.Brasilia was a planned city developed by Lúcio Costa, Oscar Niemeyer and Joaquim Cardozo in 1956 in a scheme to move the capital from Rio de Janeiro to a more central location. The landscape architect was Roberto Burle Marx. The city's design divides it into numbered blocks as well as sectors for specified activities, such as the Hotel Sector, the Banking Sector, and the Embassy Sector. Brasilia was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987 due to its modernist architecture and uniquely artistic urban planning. It was named "City of Design" by UNESCO in October 2017 and has been part of the Creative Cities Network since then.

UN NEW YORK

This cover from United Nations (New York Office) depicts 2 stamps of same ype, celebrating the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor. The Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor (Qin Shi Huang) is located in Lintong District, Xi'an, Shaanxi province of China. This mausoleum was constructed over 38 years, from 246 to 208 BC, and is situated underneath a 76-meter-tall tomb mound shaped like a truncated pyramid. The layout of the mausoleum is modeled on the Qin capital Xianyang, divided into inner and outer cities. The tomb itself has not yet been excavated. Archaeological explorations currently concentrate on various sites of the extensive necropolis surrounding the tomb, including the Terracotta Army to the east of the tomb mound. The Terracotta Army served as a garrison to the mausoleum and has yet to be completely excavated. In 1987, the mausoleum, including the Terracotta Warriors, was listed as World Heritage Sites.

PORTUGAL

A nice cover from my country, Portugal, depicting a stamp issued in 2022 celebrating the 100th. anniversary of the first aerial crossing of the South Atlantic. The stamp shows a picture of Corcovado mountain in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), a part of the UNESCO site Rio de Janeiro: Carioca Landscapes Between the Mountaion and the Sea.

KAZAKHSTAN

A beautiful cover from Kazakhstan, depicting a miniature sheet issued in 2017 on topic "Fauna and Flora - Karatau Nature Reserve". Located in the central part of the Karatau ridgeway, which is a branch of Northwestern parts of Tien Shan, one of the world’s largest mountain ranges and classified as an UNESCO World Heritge Site since 2016. With a total surface area of 151,800 ha, the reserve has a population of 83,000 inhabitants. This is an extremely important natural complex for the conservation of West Tien Shan biodiversity. By the number of its endemic species, Karatau occupies first place among Central Asian regions.

KYRGYZSTAN

SLOVAKIA

EUROPA 2022