TURKEY - Hierapolis-Pamukkale

"Deriving from springs in a cliff almost 200 m high overlooking the plain, calcite-laden waters have created at Pamukkale (Cotton Palace) an unreal landscape, made up of mineral forests, petrified waterfalls and a series of terraced basins. At the end of the 2nd century B.C. the dynasty of the Attalids, the kings of Pergamon, established the thermal spa of Hierapolis. The ruins of the baths, temples and other Greek monuments can be seen at the site." -http://whc.unesco.org

Postcard 1

"Pammukale means "Cotton Castle" because of the strange, natural white rocks in the area. I think it looks like snow", shares ctrekoza. Thank you so much for this card!

Postcard 2

Thank you so much Namzi for sharing with me this UNESCO card for our RR!

Postcard 3

Thank you so much "SihirliFlut" for this UNESCO card for our RR!

Postcard 4

Thank you so much Dr. Comce for sharing this wonderful postcard with me!

TURKEY - Göreme National Park and the Rock Sites of Cappadocia

"In a spectacular landscape, entirely sculpted by erosion, the Göreme valley and its surroundings contain rock-hewn sanctuaries that provide unique evidence of Byzantine art in the post-Iconoclastic period. Dwellings, troglodyte villages and underground towns – the remains of a traditional human habitat dating back to the 4th century – can also be seen there." -http://whc.unesco.org

Postcard 1



Postcard 2


Thank you so much Nihan for this wonderful postcard!


Postcard 3

 
Thank you so much Dr. Comce for sharing with me this postcard with amazing view!

TURKEY - Nemrut Dağ

"The mausoleum of Antiochus I (69–34 B.C.), who reigned over Commagene, a kingdom founded north of Syria and the Euphrates after the breakup of Alexander's empire, is one of the most ambitious constructions of the Hellenistic period. The syncretism of its pantheon, and the lineage of its kings, which can be traced back through two sets of legends, Greek and Persian, is evidence of the dual origin of this kingdom's culture." -http://whc.unesco.org

Postcard 1

Postcard 2

Yipee! A written and stamped Nemrut card... Thank you so much Ezgi! =)

Postcard 3

 

Thank you so much Pinar for sharing with me this awesome UNESCO postcard
and for sharing with me the story behind the stamps --- Ertugrul frigate...

TURKEY - Pergamon and its Multi-Layered Cultural Landscape

"This site rises high above the Bakirçay Plain in Turkey’s Aegean region. The acropolis of Pergamon was the capital of the Hellenistic Attalid dynasty, a major centre of learning in the ancient world. Monumental temples, theatres, stoa or porticoes, gymnasium, altar and library were set into the sloping terrain surrounded by an extensive city wall. The rock-cut Kybele Sanctuary lies to the north-west on another hill visually linked to the acropolis. Later the city became capital of the Roman province of Asia known for its Asclepieion healing centre. The acropolis crowns a landscape containing burial mounds and remains of the Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman empires in and around the modern town of Bergama on the lower slopes." -http://whc.unesco.org

A sight at Pergamon in Turkey.

Thank you so much Anita of Austria for adding this up in my UNESCO collection!

TURKEY - Ephesus

"Located within what was once the estuary of the River Kaystros, Ephesus comprises successive Hellenistic and Roman settlements founded on new locations, which followed the coastline as it retreated westward. Excavations have revealed grand monuments of the Roman Imperial period including the Library of Celsus and the Great Theatre. Little remains of the famous Temple of Artemis, one of the “Seven Wonders of the World,” which drew pilgrims from all around the Mediterranean. Since the 5^th century, the House of the Virgin Mary, a domed cruciform chapel seven kilometres from Ephesus, became a major place of Christian pilgrimage. The Ancient City of Ephesus is an outstanding example of a Roman port city, with sea channel and harbour basin." -http://whc.unesco.org

Postcard 1: Aerial View of Ephesus

Thank you so much Genie of Belgium for remembering me during your trip to Turkey!

How sweet of you to send me this postcard...

Hope you enjoyed your holidays!

Postcard 2: The House of the Virgin Mary

Got this postcard 2 years ago... When the site still wasn't part of the UNESCO list.
Thank you so much Bahadir of Ankara, Turkey for sending my wish card!
"I wish you can visit Efes and see the House of the Virgin Mary one day", he wrote...

TURKEY - Bursa and Cumalıkızık: the Birth of the Ottoman Empire

"This property is a serial nomination of eight component sites in the City of Bursa and the nearby village of Cumalıkızık, in the southern Marmara region. The site illustrates the creation of an urban and rural system establishing the Ottoman Empire in the early 14th century. The property embodies the key functions of the social and economic organization of the new capital which evolved around a civic centre. These include commercial districts of khans, kulliyes (religious institutions) integrating mosques, religious schools, public baths and a kitchen for the poor, as well as the tomb of Orhan Ghazi, founder of the Ottoman dynasty. One component outside the historic centre of Bursa is the village of Cumalıkızık, the only rural village of this system to show the provision of hinterland support for the capital." -http://whc.unesco.org/

Got this almost 4 years ago from Onur. ^-^

Thanks Onur!

TURKEY - Selimiye Mosque and its Social Complex

"The square Mosque with its single great dome and four slender minarets, dominates the skyline of the former Ottoman capital of Edirne. Sinan, the most famous of Ottoman architects in the 16th century, considered the complex, which includes madrasas (Islamic schools), a covered market, clock house, outer courtyard and library, to be his best work. The interior decoration using Iznik tiles from the peak period of their production testifies to an art form that remains unsurpassed in this material. The complex is considered to be the most harmonious expression ever achieved of the Ottoman külliye, a group of buildings constructed around a mosque and managed as a single institution." -http://whc.unesco.org

"I have been here twice! This mosque is one of the works of Architect Sinan, also known as Magnificent Sinan!", shares Gokce...

Thank you so much for this really cool card, Gokce!

TURKEY - Xanthos-Letoon

"This site, which was the capital of Lycia, illustrates the blending of Lycian traditions and Hellenic influence, especially in its funerary art. The epigraphic inscriptions are crucial for our understanding of the history of the Lycian people and their Indo-European language." -http://whc.unesco.org

Wonderful aerial view!

Thank you so much Pinar for sharing with me this great card!

Cute stamp used also... =)

TURKEY - Archaeological Site of Troy

"Troy, with its 4,000 years of history, is one of the most famous archaeological sites in the world. The first excavations at the site were undertaken by the famous archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann in 1870. In scientific terms, its extensive remains are the most significant demonstration of the first contact between the civilizations of Anatolia and the Mediterranean world. Moreover, the siege of Troy by Spartan and Achaean warriors from Greece in the 13th or 12th century B.C., immortalized by Homer in the Iliad, has inspired great creative artists throughout the world ever since." -http://whc.unesco.org

 An official postcrossing card. Thanks much to Tali! =)

TURKEY - Historic Areas of Istanbul

"With its strategic location on the Bosphorus peninsula between the Balkans and Anatolia, the Black Sea and the Mediterranean, Istanbul has been associated with major political, religious and artistic events for more than 2,000 years. Its masterpieces include the ancient Hippodrome of Constantine, the 6th-century Hagia Sophia and the 16th-century Süleymaniye Mosque, all now under threat from population pressure, industrial pollution and uncontrolled urbanization." -http://whc.unesco.org

Postcard 1 :  Hagia Sophia Museum

Postcard 2 : Interior of Hagia Sophia Museum

Postcard 3 : Süleymaniye Mosque

Merhaba!
Thank you so much for sharing with me this multi-view card, Nihan!