Turkey

Who wouldn't like to get a postcard from the Grand Bazaar (Kapalıçarşı, as Turks call it) in Istanbul? If you're collecting market cards, like me, it really draws a smile at your face. The grand Bazaar is one of the largest and oldest covered markets in the world that consists of 61 covered streets and over 3000 shops. Its construction started during the winter of 1455/56, shortly after the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople. The Grand Bazaar is one one the landmarks of Istanbul which attracts between 250,000 and 400,000 visitors daily. Mina writes that it has become a place for tourists mostly, but locals still visit Grand Bazaar for jewellery shopping because it's the place where the oldest jewellers of Istanbul are located. If you ever plan a trip to Istanbul, it's useful to know that the market is opened each day except Sundays and bank holidays from 9:00 until 19:00. 

All the stamps are from 2010. First one (looking from the left) was issued to celebrate Istanbul as European Capital of Culture in 2010. It's a stamp for the set of two sheets, each consisting of 8 stamps. The second one also represents a lighthouse, issued to commemorate 150th Anniversary of Şıle Lighthouse. The last one is from a set of 4 that represent the ancient Anatolian civilisation. The set was launched on May 31, 2010. Mina always finds something to make my day brighter!