.mw-parser-output .hidden-begin{box-sizing:border-box;width:100%;padding:5px;border:none;font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .hidden-title{font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;text-align:left}.mw-parser-output .hidden-content{text-align:left}You can help expand this article with text translated from the corresponding article in Russian. (February 2015) Click [show] for important translation instructions. View a machine-translated version of the Russian article. Machine translation, like DeepL or Google Translate, is a useful starting point for translations, but translators must revise errors as necessary and confirm that the translation is accurate, rather than simply copy-pasting machine-translated text into the English Wikipedia. Consider adding a topic to this template: there are already 2,881 articles in the main category, and specifying|topic= will aid in categorization. Do not translate text that appears unreliable or low-quality. If possible, verify the text with references provided in the foreign-language article. You must provide copyright attribution in the edit summary accompanying your translation by providing an interlanguage link to the source of your translation. A model attribution edit summary is Content in this edit is translated from the existing Russian Wikipedia article at [[:ru:История почты и почтовых марок Киренаики]]; see its history for attribution. You should also add the template ((Translated|ru|История почты и почтовых марок Киренаики)) to the talk page. For more guidance, see Wikipedia:Translation.
A map showing the location of Cyrenaica.

This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Cyrenaica, now part of Libya.

Cyrenaica is the eastern coastal region of Libya and also an ex-province or state ("muhafazah" or "wilayah") of the country (alongside Tripolitania and Fezzan) in the pre-1963 administrative system. What used to be Cyrenaica in the old system is now divided up into several "shabiyat" (see administrative divisions in Libya). In addition to the coastal region, i.e. historical Cyrenaica, the former province, during the Kingdom and the Italian era extended to the south to include the entire eastern section of the country.

Italian post office in Benghazi

A 1930 stamp of Cyrenaica while it was an Italian colony.
A 1930 semi-postal stamp of Cyrenaica.

An Italian post office was opened in Benghazi in 1901 and the stamps of Italy were overprinted for use in the post office.

Italian Cyrenaica

See also: Postage stamps of Italian Libya

The Ottoman Empire ceded Cyrenaica to Italy in 1912. From 1923 to 1934 stamps were issued for Cyrenaica, which were used concurrently with those of Italian Libya. The first stamps of Cyrenaica were Italian stamps overprinted CIRENAICA issued on 24 October 1923 at the same time as those for Tripolitania.[1][2][3]

Semi-postal stamps inscribed Cirenaica were issued in 1926, and regular commemorative and definitive stamp issues continued until 1934[1] when Tripolitania, Cyrenaica and Fezzan were united as the Italian colony of Libya.

Stamps of colonial Cyrenaica were inscribed Cirenaica and printed at the Italian Government Printing Works.[1]

A British stamp overprinted "M.E.F." valid for use in Cyrenaica.

British stamps

Main article: British military post offices in Africa

British stamps overprinted M.E.F. (Middle East Forces) were used from 1943 to 1948 after the area was captured by the British during World War II. From 1 July 1948 stamps overprinted "B.M.A. TRIPOLITANIA" were used.[2]

Emirate of Cyrenaica

1950 postage due stamps issued by the Emirate of Cyrenaica.

Cyrenaica enjoyed a brief period of internal autonomy in 1949-51 when the British authorities recognised Amir Mohammed Idris Al-Senussi as Emir of Cyrenaica, which ended on 24 December 1951 when Cyrenaica, Tripolitania and Fezzan were unified as the Kingdom of Libya. Definitive and postage due stamps were issued in 1950. After unification, stamps of Libya were used.[4] [5]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c Stanley Gibbons Stamp Catalogue Part 8 Italy & Switzerland. 6th edition. London: Stanley Gibbons, 2003, pp.194-197. ISBN 0-85259-554-9
  2. ^ a b Rossiter, Stuart & John Flower. The Stamp Atlas. London: Macdonald, 1986, p.275. ISBN 0-356-10862-7
  3. ^ "Italian Cyrenaica | Stamps and postal history | StampWorldHistory". Archived from the original on 2017-12-14. Retrieved 12 August 2018.
  4. ^ Stanley Gibbons Stamp Catalogue: Commonwealth and British Empire Stamps 1840-1970. 110th edition. London: Stanley Gibbons, 2008, p.123. ISBN 0-85259-653-7
  5. ^ "Cyrenaica | Stamps and postal history | StampWorldHistory". Archived from the original on 2017-12-14. Retrieved 12 August 2018.

Further reading

External links

Media related to Stamps of Cyrenaica at Wikimedia Commons

Postage stamps and postal history of Africa
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