Religious Buildings of Curacao – Series of 10 Stamps

Nafl.17.18

  • Designer: Max van Aalst
  • Face Value of Stamps: 5x Cat. 1, 5x Cat. 2
  • Sheet Size: 110 x 130 mm (10 stamps)
  • Size of Stamps: 40 x 30 mm
  • Perforation: Comb
  • Stamp paper: 110gsm, PVA gummed
  • Printing: Offset Lithography
  • Color: 4 Process Colors, CMYK
  • Printer: Cartor Security Printing, La Loupe, France

Description

The series depicts various faiths’ buildings in Curaçao, including Christianity (Catholicism and Protestantism), Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism celebrating our multiculturality and the fact that these religious movements have lived in peace for centuries on the island. Each religious building has a category 1 stamp presenting the interior and a category 2 stamp showing the exterior.

Cat. 1 Church of Willibrordus Interior

Cat. 2 Church of Willibrordus Exterior

Rotterdam architect Evert Margry designed the Neo Gothic-style Roman Catholic Church of Willibrordus. The first stone was laid by Vincentius Jansen and was built from 1884-88. Still operational today, this church stands out in the desert landscape like a pastel beacon with an adjacent above-ground cemetery.

Cat. 1 Fort Church Interior

Cat. 2 Fort Church Exterior

The Fortchurch, the oldest Christian religious building in continuous use in Curaçao, is the home of the United Protestant Church of Curaçao. Built in 1769 as part of Fort Amsterdam in the UNESCO World Heritage City of Willemstad, Curaçao, the Fortchurch is a Historical Monument and Museum (The Protestant Cultural Historical Museum).

Cat. 1 Hindu Temple Interior

Cat. 2 Hindu Temple Exterior

The only Hindu temple in Curaçao is located in Sorsaka. Inaugurated in 2004, the temple is a place of community worship where practitioners of the Hindu belief assemble to give thanks and offerings to their gods.

Cat. 1 Mosque Interior

Cat. 2 Mosque Exterior

The mosque in Curacao was built in 1964, and it is one of the first mosques in the region. This building welcomes devout Muslims who assemble for Friday prayer and the many religious festivals and celebrations of the Islamic Calendar.

Cat. 1 Synagogue Interior

Cat. 2 Synagogue Exterior

The Mikve Israel-Emanuel Synagogue is a historic beacon known throughout the Western Hemisphere as the oldest synagogue (1732) still in use. The floor of this synagogue is covered in sand in keeping with Spanish and Portuguese Jewish traditions, a sight that marvels many visitors from near and far.