Syria Post and Stamp History

Ottoman period

From the sixteenth century, the Syrian lands were captured by the Turks and were under their control for the next four centuries. Before the defeat of the Turks in the First World War, Syria was part of the Ottoman Empire as a province , therefore, an extensive network of Ottoman post offices worked there ^[4] .

In 1852-1914, a French post office also functioned on this territory, and in 1870-1872 an Egyptian post office worked in Latakia ^[4] .

From 1883 to 1919, postage stamps of the Ottoman Empire ^{[1] [5] [6]} were in circulation on the territory of the .

World War I

After the occupation by the Anglo-Egyptian forces in 1917 of the southern part of the Ottoman province of Syria (Syria, Palestine and Jordan), the British military command of the Egyptian expeditionary army was established there, which organized its own postal service ^[1] .

In September 1918, after the defeat of the Turks, most of Syria fell under French military occupation, being divided into the coastal zone with the capital in Beirut , which later became Lebanon, and the internal zone controlled by the Arabs , with the capital in Damascus ^[6] . In the occupied territory, the French occupation authorities took control of the organization of the postal business.

In March 1920, the emir of Hejaz Faisal , having risen up against the French rule with the support of the British , created the Arab Kingdom in central Syria, which had its own post office ^[2] . On March 11, 1920, Faisal was proclaimed king of Syria ^[4] , but already in July of that year he was overthrown by the French ^{[1] [2] [6]} , after which the Arab Kingdom of Syria was united with the French zone ^{[1] [2]} .

Subsequent Development

Since 1923, France has received the League of Nations mandate to govern the entire territory of Syria and Lebanon. In the same year, the postal services of Syria and Lebanon were combined into one postal administration ^{[1] [2] [4]} . At the same time, in terms of mail, no differences were made for individual mandated states ( Aleppo and Damascus ) ^[6] .

In 1924, the postal departments of Syria and Lebanon were again divided ^{[1] [2] [4]} .

The declaration of independence by the country in 1941 and officially in 1946 ^[1] led to the creation of the national postal administration, which on May 15, 1946 became a full member of the UPU ^[3] . February 1, 1958, Syria and Egypt united to form the United Arab Republic (UAR) ^[4] , but Syria at the same time retained a certain postal independence ^[1] .

September 28, 1961, Syria withdrew from the UAR and became known as the Syrian Arab Republic (SAR) ^{[1] [4]} .

At the end of 1972, in Syria, there were 434 postal bureaus and their branches, which were managed by the Office of Post, Telegraph and Telephone of the Ministry of Communications of the country ^[7] .

The company English is currently responsible for the postal service in the country . Syrian Post ^[3] .

French military occupation

From 1919 to 1922 on the Syrian territory occupied by French troops, postage stamps of France and French mail were used in the countries of the Levant with the corresponding overprints . So, on February 21, 1919, stamps with an overprint of fr. “TEO” (from “Territoires ennemis occupés” - Hostile ) ^{[1] [4] [6] [8]} , as well as the value in Egyptian currency . These postage signs at the end of 1919 replaced the marks of the British military administration in Syria ^[1] . 

In 1920, stamps of France with the overprint "OMF Syrie" (that is, "Occupation militaire francaise Syrie" - "French military occupation. Syria") were circulated ^{[1] [4] [6] [8]} . At the same time, they were also overprinted with the value in Egyptian currency (four denominations ) and Syrian (12 denominations) ^[1] .

The issue of stamps with the indicated overprint was carried out until 1922-1923 ^{[1] [2]} .

• Examples of stamps bearing the OMF Syrie stamp from the French occupation of Syria
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  The stamped stamp of France like (1921)

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  Stamp of ^[9]" on a postcard with the stamp of Antakya

Arab Kingdom of Syria

In the short period of the existence of the Arab Kingdom of Syria in Damascus, the postage stamps of the Ottoman Empire of 1913-1919 produced an overprint of the Arabic text Arab. “?” ( “Hakuma el Arabiyya” - “Arab Government”), and on some stamps a new face value was also overprinted in Egyptian currency ^{[1] [2]} . The first such stamps came into circulation in March 1920 ^[6] ; Arabic overprints on them are found in various colors - red, green, black, etc. In addition, a stamp was issued with a denomination of 5 pairs ^[1] .

The first, temporary, postage stamps with an overprint of Ottoman stamps remained in the kingdom's postal circulation for about two months and for some time were used in parallel with the stamps of the Egyptian expeditionary army and subsequent ordinary Syrian releases ^[10] .

After the proclamation of Faisal as king and the use of stocks of stamps with overprints, the Arabian government of Syria issued in the same 1920 a series of eight postage stamps of original designs and with Arabic inscriptions ^{[1] [2]} , in serrated and toothless designs ^[1] .

In March 1920, on one of the stamps of the original series, with a face value of 5 millems , in pink, a commemorative green overprint in Arabic appeared in Arabic. "?" ("In commemoration of the independence of Syria. 8 Hadar (March) 1920") ^{[1] [2]} . There are stamps with inverted overprints ^[1] .

Stamps of the Arab Kingdom of Syria were in circulation in Damascus, Aleppo ( Aleppo ), Homs and Hama ^{[1] [2] [6]} . In August of that year, all the marks of the kingdom were withdrawn from circulation and replaced with marks of the French zone of occupation ^[1] .

After the unification of the Arab Kingdom of Syria with the French zone ^{[1] [2],} control overprints were applied on denominations in Syrian currency. The latter had the appearance of a square ornament of black and red colors (due to the difference in currencies). These brands were in use in Aleppo. Local overprints are also known, which are most often done manually ^[1] .

In April 1921, the circulation of stamps with the indicated overprints was canceled, and until 1923 in the territory of Syria stamps of France without any overprints were accepted for payment of postal correspondence ^[1] .

French Mandate

After the creation of the French Mandate in Syria and Lebanon in 1923 for postal needs in both countries, French stamps with an overprint began to be used: fr. "Syrie Grand Liban" ("Syria - Great Lebanon ") and the cost in local currency ^{[1] [2] [4]} . These stamps appeared in September - December 1923 ^[6] .

• Overprinted examples of French mandate stamps in Syria and Lebanon
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  1923: a stamp of the France type ^[9] with an overprint of “Syrie Grand Liban” (“ Syria - Great Lebanon ”)

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  1924: France brand with the overprint "Syrie" ("Syria")

Since January 1, 1924, every change in the government of the country was reflected in postage stamps published in Syria ^[6] . In particular, after the separation of the posts of Syria and Lebanon from June 1924, Syria used postage stamps of France with an overprint of the word "Syrie" ("Syria") ^{[1] [2] [4]} and the indication of the value in local currency. Among the French stamps stamped in this way was the Olympic issue. In July 1924, all these stamps were reprinted by changing the overprint - with the addition of the name of the country and face value in Arabic ^[1] .

Since 1925, Syria issued its own stamps with the inscriptions “Syrie” and “Postes” (“Post”) ^{[4] [8]} . The first such stamps was the fourth standard series of 1925 with original drawings, consisting of 13 ratings ^{[1] [2]} .

In 1929, a series of commemorative stamps ^{[1] [2]} were published in conjunction with an industrial exhibition in Damascus. To this end, commemorative overprints in two languages ​​were printed on the stamps of the standard series. The circulation of this issue was 20 thousand series ^[1] .

Syrian Republic

The Last Years of the French Mandate

Since 1934, postage stamps with the text “République syrienne” (“ ”), which was then changed to “Syrie” , were in circulation. The issue of stamps with such inscriptions continued until the end of 1957 ^{[4] [8]} .

The first postal block was published on July 30, 1938 ^{[1] [2]} to mark the 10th anniversary of the flight from Marseille to Beirut. Known rare toothless version of this block, printed in a edition of 100 copies ^[1] .

Almost all Syrian stamps of original drawings issued before the 1940s exist with or without prongs ^[1] .

Independence

The country's declaration of independence in 1941 was marked by a commemorative series, which only came into circulation in April 1942. The series included four postage stamps with a portrait of the president of the and a block, as well as two airmail stamps . The postal block was issued in a small print run - 200 copies ^[1] .

On the occasion of the first anniversary of independence in September 1942, three stamps and three blocks came out. Most Syrian stamps published before 1958 have toothless options. Until 1958, 47 blocks were published, not counting the options without teeth ^[1] .

United Arab Republic

After the formation of the UAR, postage stamps with the inscription English were in circulation . “UAR” (“OAR”) ^[4] . However, due to the difference in currencies in both parts of the state - Syria and Egypt - each of them was independently responsible for the issue of marks ^[1] .

The first brands of the UAR had a symbolic design and the inscription “United Arab Republic” (“United Arab Republic”). Subsequent issues in the Syrian part of the United Arab Republic contained this inscription on stamps in English ^[1] and French ( “République arabe unie” ) ^{[1] [8] in} full or in abbreviation ^[1] .

In 1958, a postal block with the country's flag was published, all in all, four blocks were issued by Syria within the framework of the UAR ^[1] .

During the period when Syria was part of the UAR, the Syrian Postal Agency issued 101 stamps ^[1] .

Syrian Arab Republic

After Syria left the UAR in 1961 and was renamed the Syrian Arab Republic (SAR), the SAR brands were put into circulation ^{[1] [4]} . At the same time, on the stamps at the beginning there was an inscription: English. “Syrian Arab Republic” (“Syrian Arab Republic”) ^{[4] [8]} , then - “Syrian AR” (“Syrian AR”) or even just “Syria” (“Syria”) ^[4] . On these stamps it was also indicated: “Postage” (“ Postage ”) ^[8] .

In 1961, the Parliament Hall was imprinted on the stamps of the first commemorative series of the UAR, and the flag of Syria on the block ^[1] .

In total, from 1919 to 1963, 477 postage stamps and 19 blocks were issued in Syria ^[8] .

• Examples of stamps of the Syrian Arab Republic
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  1976: - founder and first director of the Arabic Language Academy in Damascus

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  2011: Nazik Al-Abid - “Syrian Joan of Arc ”

Theme

On the subject, the commemorative series of the Syrian Republic that appeared after the declaration of independence were dedicated ^[1] :

The Syrian stamps from the time of the UAR were mainly devoted to the internal Syrian events ^[1] :

• international fairs in Damascus,
• exhibits of ,
• the opening of an oil refinery in Homs,
• the opening of the Latakia-Aleppo railway line.

The themes of the ATS brands are similar to those for other Arab countries and are mostly associated with national and pan-Arab dates and events, and also reflect international events such as anniversaries of the UN , Olympic Games , etc. ^[1]

Plots of Soviet and Russian subjects, united by the direction of collecting " Rossika ", are also presented on a number of postal releases of the SAR. So, in 1968 a series of three airmail stamps was published on the construction of a hydroelectric station at the Euphrates according to the project and with the assistance of the USSR , and another brand was timed to the opening of this hydroelectric station in 1978. In 1969, in the series “International Fair in Damascus” there was a stamp with a face value of 12½ pairs, on which Russian folk dance was captured ^[1] . Two stamps with a portrait of V. I. Lenin appeared on the eve of the celebration of the 100th anniversary of his birth ^{[1] [2]} .

In addition, thematic stamps are printed in Syria, which depict flowers , fruits , birds , folk costumes , sports , etc. ^[1]

Airmail

The first airmail stamps appeared in December 1920. For this purpose, in the frame on the stamps of the 1920 issue, an overprint of “Poste par avion” (“ Airmail ”) ^{[1] [8] was made} . These stamps were used to pay for airmail on the Aleppo- Alexandretta and Aleppo- Deir ez-Zor lines. Their circulation was 3.5 thousand full series ^[1] .

In 1923, four aircraft stamps were printed with an overprint of the "Syrie Grand Liban" ("Syria - Great Lebanon") of two types ^{[1] [2]} .

At the beginning of 1925, as part of the 4th standard series (original drawings), four stamps of the same series were issued with the “Avia” stamp in French and Arabic. In March 1925, on the same standard stamps, instead of the corresponding inscription, an overprint of the silhouette of the aircraft was placed ^{[1] [≡]} .

After independence, the first commemorative series, which appeared in April 1942, included two airmail stamps. In the future, until 1958, as a rule, airmail brands were present in all regular series of independent Syria ^[1] . The inscription on these stamps read: Eng. "Air Mail" ("Airmail") ^[8] .

Paid

The first Syrian surcharge stamps were issued in 1920 ^{[1] [2]} in the Arab Kingdom of Syria in the form of an overprint of the Arabic text on stamps of Turkey . In the same year, a surcharge stamp of the original drawing with inscriptions in Arabic was published; later on, surcharge stamps, which were overprinted stamps of France, were put into circulation ^[1] .

In 1923, five surcharge stamps with overprints of fr. “Syrie Grand Liban” (“Syria - Great Lebanon”). In 1925, surcharge stamps of seven denominations of original drawings appeared - with the image of the country's landscapes ^[1] . By 1963, 38 surcharge stamps were issued ^[8] .

A series of surcharge stamps was published in the SAR in 1965 ^{[1] [2]} .

Postal Charities

In 1926, the first series of postal-charitable stamps went on sale, an additional fee from which was intended in favor of refugees ^[1] .

Post and Tax

In 1945-1949, there were postal and tax stamps , the collection of which was sent to the armed forces fund ^[1] .

In 1925-1937, on the territory of the Alawite region (from 1930 - Latakia), own postage stamps were in circulation ^{[1] [6] [8]} .

Egyptian Expeditionary Army

During the occupation of southern Syria by Anglo-Egyptian troops, British military command stamps with the inscription “EEF” were introduced into circulation (from the English Egyptian Expeditionary Force - “Egyptian Expeditionary Army”) ^[1] .

These brands were in use in the territories occupied by the British from September 23, 1918 to February 23, 1922 ^[11] , including on Syrian lands until the end of 1919 ^[1] .

Ruad Island Editions

In 1916-1923, the island Syrian city of Ruad ( Arvad ) was under French occupation. From 1916 to 1918, 16 denominations in piastres and centimes were issued here ^[12] . Stamps were produced through overprints on stamps in France: fr. “Ile Rouad” (“Island of Ruad”) ^{[6] [8] [13]} .

Local release at Ein Tab

In 1921, in Ein Tab, the available stocks of Turkish postage stamps of four denominations of 1916-1917 were overprinted with the text "OMF Syrie" ("French Military Occupation. Syria") in black and red and new denominations ^[1] .

In 1941-1946, special stamps were issued for the postal service of the Free French Forces deployed in Syria and Lebanon ^{[6] [8]} . They were made using overprints: “Forces françaises libres” (“Free French forces”), “Lignes aériennes FAFL” (“ forces of ”), “Levant” (“Levant”). In total, there are 11 postage stamps and two blocks issued by the Free French Forces ^[8] .

• Kaczmarczyk A. Philatelic History of the Arab Kingdom of Syria / Edited by AH Najjar. - L .: London Stamp Exchange, 2014. (English)
• Stanley Gibbons Stamp Catalog : Pt. 19. Middle East. - 6th edn. - L .: Stanley Gibbons , 2005 .-- ISBN 0-85259-576-X . (eng.)

• Syria A — Z of postal authorities. Encyclopaedia of Postal History . Stampsite: The Encyclopaedia of Postal Authorities. - Information about the Syrian brands in the database “Encyclopedia of the history of mail. Encyclopedia of Post Offices. " Date of treatment February 6, 2012. Archived February 6, 2012.