A Short Introduction To The Philately Of Palestine

On the occasion of "50 Years Arab League 1995", a block containing one stamp denomionated at 750 Fils + 250 Fils surcharge was printed by Bundesdruckerei GmbH Berlin sized ca. 106x70m. Total sale price: 1,000 Fils. The print run is unknown and perforation is K 13.75. Designer: Ibrahim Hazimeh.
An official FDC was issued, bearing a special postmark dated 22.03.1995.

The motif used for the stamp is the painting "Palestine – Land of my Dreams" (1987) by Palestinian artist Ibrahim Hazimeh (*1933). In the background (ie. on the block outside the stamp) a different painting by Hazimeh is used.

Hazimeh designed or had his paintings used for several further postage stamps and blocks of Palestine: The Blue Madonna 2000, Art of Peace 2001, Peace for Bethlehem 2001, Maria with her Child 2002, Worship of the Virgin Mary 2005, and 60 Years Arab League 2005 (using here the same motif).

External links:
  •   Ibrahim Hazimeh's homepage
  •   "Palestine – Land of my Dreams" (at an exhibition in Berlin)
  •   Exhibition in Berlin, 2003
  •   Exhibition in Berlin, 2007/8

Zobbel	Value	Size	Perfor.	Printed	Notes
15	750f + 250f	35.2x35.2mm	K 13.75	n/a	Block: Zobbel Bl. 2 (106x69.8mm)

The stamps were printed in three different sizes at Bundesdruckerei GmbH Berlin in sheets of 10 (2x5) and have denominations of 125, 150, 250, 300, and 500 Fils (total: 1,325 Fils). Print run: unknown. Perforation: K 14. Designer: Bernd Görs.
There were two official FDCs issued, bearing special postmark dated 10.04.1994: the first FDC contains stamps Zobbel nos. 16–19, the second stamp Zobbel no. 20.

These are not overprints of the series National Flag 1994 but reprints using changed designs. See explanations above and in 1994.

Zobbel	Value	Size	Perfor.	Printed	Notes
16	125f	43.75x26.25mm	K 14	n/a	sheets of 10 (2x5)
17	150f
18	250f	46x27.32mm
19	300f
20	500f	55x32.8mm

The stamps were printed in two different sizes at Bundesdruckerei GmbH Berlin in sheets of 10 (2x5) and have denominations of 5, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 75, and 1,000 Fils (total: 1,230 Fils). Print run: unknown. Perforation: K 14.Designer: Bernd Görs.
Three official FDCs were issued, bearing a special postmark dated 10.04.1995. The FDCs contain stamps Zobbel nos. 21–23, Zobbel nos. 24–27, and Zobbel no. 28, respectively.

These are not overprints of the series Historic Sites & Monuments 1994 but reprints using changed designs. See explanations above and in 1994.

There are three designs:
  •   Zobbel nos. 21, 22, and 23: a (window) ornament excavated at Hisham's Palace, Khirbat al-Mafjar (خربة المفجر‎ or Qaṣr Hishām, قصر هشام‎) near Jericho, 8th Century)
  •   Zobbel nos. 24, 25, 26, and 27: a view of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (East Jerusalem)
  •   Zobbel no. 28: a view of the Dome of the Rock (مسجد قبة الصخرة‎) with the Dome of the Prophet (فبة النبي‎) in the foreground (East Jerusalem)

External links:
  •   Jericho Mafjar Project
  •   Hisham's Palace (Jericho City)
  •   Hisham's Palace (Atlas Travel & Tourist Agency)
  •   Hisham’s Palace (by Dr. Hamdan Taha)
  •   Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Official?) website
  •   Haram ash-Sharif (Wikipedia)
  •   Virtual walking tour of Haram ash-Sharif (Saudi Aramco World)

Zobbel	Value	Size	Perfor.	Printed	Notes
21	5m	43.75x26.25mm	K 14	n/a	sheets of 10 (2x5)
22	10m
23	20m
24	30m
25	40m
26	50m
27	75m
28	1,000m	55x32.8mm

On the occasion of the Nobel Peace Prize 1994 having been awarded to President Jasir (Yasser) Arafat, Yitzhak Rabin and Shimon Peres, the design of the 1994 block "Gaza-Jericho Peace Agreement" was amended to include text on the prize as well as changing the currency denomination to "Fils" and "فلس". The block contains one stamp at 750 Fils + 250 Fils surcharge and was printed by Bundesdruckerei GmbH Berlin sized ca. 105x70.4m. Total sale price: 1,000 Fils. Print run: unknown. Perforation: K 13.75.
The design is a drawing of a scene at the signing ceremony of the agreement on 13.09.1993 with (left to right): Yitzhak Rabin, President Bill Clinton, and President Jasir Arafat. Designers: Reinhold Gerstetter and Egon Falz.
An official FDC was issued, bearing a special postmark dated 10.04.1995.

External links:
  •   The Nobel Peace Prize 1994 (official website)
  •   The Nobel Prize (official website)
  •   Nobel Peace Prize (Wikipedia)
  •   Nobel Prize (Wikipedia)

Zobbel	Value	Size	Perfor.	Printed	Notes
29	750f + 250f	35.1x35.1mm	K 13.75	n/a	Block: Zobbel Bl. 3 (105x70.4mm)

On 17.05.1995 Palestine issued as series of stamps depicting stamps from the Mandate era, namely stamps MiNr. 52, 56, and 61 (SG/Bale nos. 90, 93, and 106) from the "Pictorials" series produced between 1927 and 1945. The stamps were printed by Bundesdruckerei GmbH Berlin in sheets of 10 (5x2) and have denominations of 150, 350, and 500 Fils (total: 1,000 Fils). Print run: unknown. Perforation: K 13.75:14. Designer: Wolfgang Horst.
The motifs depicted are:
  •   Zobbel no. 30: Rachel's Tomb (مسجد بلال بن رباح‎) (near Bethlehem)
  •   Zobbel no. 31: Citadel with Tower of David, (‎برج داود‎) (East Jerusalem)
  •   Zobbel no. 32: Dome of the Rock (مسجد قبة الصخرة‎) (East Jerusalem)
There was an official FDC issued, bearing the special first-day postmark dated 17.05.1995.

Zobbel	Value	Size	Perfor.	Printed	Notes
30	150f	27.53x32.77mm	K 13.75:14	n/a	sheets of 10 (5x2)
31	350f
32	500f

On 31.05.1995 Palestine issued as series of stamps depicting traditional Palestinian women's costumes. The stamps were printed by Bundesdruckerei GmbH Berlin in sheets of 10 (5x2) and have denominations of 250, 300, 550, and 900 Fils (total: 2,000 Fils). Print run: unknown. Perforation: K 14:13.75. Designers: Wolfgang Horst and Reinhold Gerstetter.
Two official FDC was issued, bearing the special postmark dated 31.05.1995: one by the German agency, the other (with additional imprint) locally by the Philtelic Office in Gaza.

The traditional women's costumes depicted are:
  •   250f: unknown
  •   300f: Jerusalem (?)
  •   550f: striped "izar"
  •   900f: Bethlehem

External links:
  •   Head covers (Kawar Arab Heritage Collection)
  •   Gallery of Costumes and head-dresses (Palestinian Heritage Foundation)
  •   Palestinian Costumes (Wikipedia)
  •   Palestine Costume Archive (pre-1948)
  •   Palestine Costume Archive (post-1948)
  •   Palestinian Traditional Clothing (Raqs NZ)
  •   Woven Legacy, Woven Language by Jane Waldron Grutz (Saudi Aramco World)
  •   These Stitches Speak by Jane M. Friedman (Saudi Aramco World)   •   Reinhold Gerstetter (German Wikipedia)
  •   Designs of Reinhold Gerstetter (Wikimedia Commons)

Zobbel	Value	Size	Perfor.	Printed	Notes
33	250f	25.55x43.38mm	K 14:13.75	n/a	sheets of 10 (5x2)
34	300f
35	550f
36	900f

On 18.12.1195 Palestine issued a series of stamps commemoration the liberation of Bethlehem from Israeli occupation and the first Christmas celebrated in freedom. The stamps were printed by Bundesdruckerei GmbH Berlin in sheets of 10 (2x5, Zobbel no. 39: 5x2) and have denominations of 10, 20, 50, 100, and 1,000 Fils (total: 1,180 Fils). Print run: unknown. Perforation: K 14, Zobbel no. 39 seems to be just a bit off towards K 14:13.75 (but within margin of error). Designers: Jacek Kanior and Wolfgang Mauer (both engravers?).
There was an official FDC issued as well as a presentation folder (detailed below), both bearing the special postmark dated 18.12.1995.

Depicted are:
  •   Zobbel no. 37 (10f): unidentified engraving (in the style of Roberts/Haghe?): view of Bethlehem
  •   Zobbel no. 38 (20f): modern photograph: view of Bethlehem centre
  •   Zobbel no. 39 (50f): unidentified engraving of the entrance to the Church of the Nativity
  •   Zobbel no. 40 (100f): photograph: President Arafat meets Pope John Paul II
  •   Zobbel no. 41 (1,000f): unidentified engraving (?) of details from the Grotto of the Nativity

The special christmas folder issued is entitled "First Visit of President Yassir Arafat to Bethlehem" and features on the cover the motif used in Zobbel no. 37 and inside the stamps cancelled by the the first-day special postmark (as used on the FDCs). The folder is sized 211x135mm and was produced by Bundesdruckerei GmbH Berlin.

External links:
  •   Birthplace of Jesus: Church of the Nativity and the Pilgrimage Route, Bethlehem (UNESCO World Heritage Convention)
  •   Palestine's nomination document for UNESCO World Heritage Status (Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, Department of Antiquities and Cultural Heritage)
  •   Jacek Kanior (personal website)
  •   Jacek Kanior (Wikipedia, Polish)

Zobbel	Value	Size	Perfor.	Printed	Notes
37	10f	25.5x43mm	K 14	n/a	sheets of 10 (2x5)
38	20f
39	50f	43x25.5mm			sheets of 10 (5x2).
40	100f	25.5x43mm			sheets of 10 (2x5)
41	1,000f

"First Issues of Palestinian Postage Stamps" is a folder containing all mint stamps and blocks from 1994 and 1995: Zobbel nos. 1–37 and Zobbel nos. O1–5. The double-gatefold folder, sized 189x267mm, has specially produced hingeless mounts on pages b–d, pages e & f are empty. It was designed and produced in 1995 by Bundesdruckerei GmbH Berlin.