Cover#163 Czech, An amazing Kazakhstan,

This letter sent on my birthday, 11 Jan, gives me a big gift. Many amazing Kazakhstan stamps is inside on many topics: Lunar new year (Goat year and Horse year, my year), EUROPA stamps... It made my day.

Sent: 11/1/2016

Arrived: 25/1/2016

PC#132 UK, UNESCO site: Castles and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd with Monkey Year stamp,

Sent: 3/1/2016

Arrived: 23/1/2016

Thank you ichabodhides!

Castles and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd

UNESCO site

Date of Inscription: 1986

The castles of Beaumaris and Harlech (largely the work of the greatest military engineer of the time, James of St George) and the fortified complexes of Caernarfon and Conwy are located in the former principality of Gwynedd, in north Wales. These extremely well-preserved monuments are examples of the colonization and defence works carried out throughout the reign of Edward I (1272–1307) and the military architecture of the time.

The four castles of Beaumaris, Conwy, Caernarfon, Harlech and the attendant fortified towns at Conwy and Caernarfon in Gwynedd, North Wales, are the finest examples of late 13th century and early 14th century military architecture in Europe, as demonstrated through their completeness, pristine state, evidence for organized domestic space, and extraordinary repertory of their medieval architectural form.

The castles as a stylistically coherent group are a supreme example of medieval military architecture designed and directed by James of St George (c. 1230-1309), King Edward I of England’s chief architect, and the greatest military architect of the age.

The extensive and detailed contemporary technical, social, and economic documentation of the castles, and the survival of adjacent fortified towns at Caernarfon and Conwy, makes them one of the major references of medieval history.

The castles of Beaumaris and Harlech are unique artistic achievements for the way they combine characteristic 13th century double-wall structures with a central plan, and for the beauty of their proportions and masonry.

PC#131 Singapore, Year of the Monkey card,

Sent: 12/1/2016

Arrived: 23/1/2016

Thank you, TaiYang!

Cover#162 Czech, World War I, number#2

New items added to my centenary WWI collection. This is the second MS from Czech post to celebrate this event.

Sent: 17/12/2015

Arrived: 20/1/2016

Thanks, Trung!

PC#130 Indonesia, UNESCO site: Prambanan Temple Compounds,

Sent: 1/1/2016

Arrived: 19/1/2016

Thank Shinta!

Prambanan Temple Compounds

UNESCO site

Date of Inscription: 1991

Built in the 10th century, this is the largest temple compound dedicated to Shiva in Indonesia. Rising above the centre of the last of these concentric squares are three temples decorated with reliefs illustrating the epic of the Ramayana, dedicated to the three great Hindu divinities (Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma) and three temples dedicated to the animals who serve them.

Brief synthesis

Prambanan Temple Compounds consist of Prambanan Temple (also called Loro Jonggrang), Sewu Temple, Bubrah Temple and Lumbung Temple. Prambanan Temple itself is a complex consisting of 240 temples. All the mentioned temples form the Prambanan Archaeological Park and were built during the heyday of Sailendra’s powerful dynasty in Java in the 8th century AD. These compounds are located on the border between the two provinces of Yogyakarta and Central Java on Java Island.

While Loro Jonggrang, dating from the 9th century, is a brilliant example of Hindu religious bas-reliefs, Sewu, with its four pairs of Dwarapala giant statues, is Indonesia’s largest Buddhist complex including the temples of Lumbung, Bubrah and Asu (Gana temple). The Hindu temples are decorated with reliefs illustrating the Indonesian version of the Ramayana epic which are masterpieces of stone carvings. These are surrounded by hundreds of shrines that have been arranged in three parts showing high levels of stone building technology and architecture from the 8th century AD in Java. With over 500 temples, Prambanan Temple Compounds represents not only an architectural and cultural treasure, but also a standing proof of past religious peaceful cohabitation.

Czech, Cover#161

Sent: 29/12/2015

Arrived: 19/1/2016

Cover#160 Czech, Definitive stamps cover,

This stampset was released in early 1990s. One of very first set of Czech Post.

Sent: 6/1/2016

Arrived: 19/1/2016