A Short Introduction To The Philately Of Palestine

During 2001 Palestine issued five stamp series and three blocks:
  •   Easter 2001 (stamps + block) (15.04.2001)
  •   International Organisations (3.05.2001)
  •   Ibrahim Hazimeh: Art for Peace (block) (4.08.2001)
  •   Fairy Tales (18.08.2001)
  •   Zeppelin Orient Flight (17.11.2001)
  •   WWF: Houbara Bustard (sheetlet) (24.11.2001)
  •   Christmas 2001: Peace for Bethlehem (block) (8.12.2001)

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Palestine issued a stamp series on 15.04.2001 celebrating Easter: the six stamps (denominations: 150, 200, 300, and 350 Fils) and a block (2,000 Fils) depict three renaissance artworks. The stamps were printed by Cartor Securty Printing, La Loupe (France) in sheets of 10 (2x5), the block contains one single stamp. Total value: 3,000 Fils. Print run: unknown. Perforation: K 13.25.
Two official FDCs (sized 272x155mm, with parts of the stamps' motifs imprinted to the left) were issued: one contains Zobbel nos. 173–176, the other block Zobbel Bl. 18, both with the same special first day postmark dated 15.04.2000.

The stamps use three different Italian renaissance motifs (details from paintings and a crucifx) by Giotto di Bondone (ca. 1266–1337) and Fra Angelico (ca. 1395–1455):
  •   150f, 200f: detail from Fra Angelico's Ascent of Christ to the Calvary (Salita di Cristo al monte Calvario, 1442/45?), panel in "Storie della Passione di Cristo", in the convent of Museo di San Marco, Florence.
  •   300f, 350f: detail from Fra Angelico's Lamentation over the Dead Christ (Compianto sul Cristo Morto, 1436/41), painting in the Museo di San Marco, Florence.
  •   2,000f: detail from Giotto's Padua Crucifix (Crocifisso di Padova, ca. 1304), a painted wooden crucifix originally in Scrovegni chapel in Padua, now in the Musei civici degli Eremitani, Padua.

To make the differentiation of the Bethlehem 2000 stamps more easy, I have created a
           Guide to the Cartor Christmas and Easter Stamps (1999, 2000, 2001)
where all the stamps are shown and classified.

External links:
  •   Fra Angelico: "Lamentation over the Dead Christ" (Italian Wikipedia)
  •   Fra Angelico: "Ascent of Christ to the Calvary" (Italian)
  •   Giotto: The Padia Cruxifix (Italian Wikipedia)
  •   Florence museums: Uffizi and San Marco

Zobbel	Value	Size	Perfor.	Printed	Notes
173	150f	51x36mm	K 13.25	n/a	sheets of 10 (2x5)
174	200f
175	300f
176	350f
177	2,000f				block: Zobbel Bl. 18 (155.2x99.1mm)

(block: size reduced to 3/4)

A series of stamps was issued on 3.05.2001 honourinmg four international organisations (African Union, Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, European Union, and Arab League) depicting the flags of the respective organisation and Palestine intertwining. The four stamps have a total value of 850 Fils (denomnated at 50, 100, 200, and 500 Fils) and were printed by Bundesdruckerei GmbH Berlin in sheets of 10 (5x2). Print run: unknown. Perforation: K 13.75.
An official FDC was issued with the stamps cancelled by a special first day postmark dated 3.05.2001.

Depicted are:
  •   50f: African Union (AU)
  •   100f: Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC, منظمة التعاون الإسلامي) (member, 1969)
  •   200f: European Union (EU)
  •   500f: Arab League (AL, League of Arab States, جامعة الدول العربية‎) (member, 1976)

External links:
  •   African Union
  •   Organisation of Islamic Cooperation
  •   European Union
  •   EU Assistance to the Palestinians (PEGASE)
  •   EuropAid / Poltical relations EU-PA
  •   Arab League (League of Arab States)

Zobbel	Value	Size	Perfor.	Printed	Notes
178	50f	35x35mm	K 13.75	n/a	sheets of 10 (5x2)
179	100f
180	200f
181	500f

A block was issued on 4.08.2001 depicting four paintings by Palestinian artist Ibrahim Hazimeh (*1933) und the title "Art For Peace". The block contains four stamps denominated at 350, 550, 850, and 900 Fils (total value: 2,650 Fils) and was printed by Bundesdruckerei GmbH Berlin. Print run: unknown. Perforation: K 14:13.75.
An official FDC sized 251.5x176mm was issued, bearing three strikes of the special first-day postmark dated 4.08.2001.

The five paintings used are:
  •   350f: Jerusalem after Rain ("Jerusalem nach dem Regen", oil, 1985)
  •   550f: Mystcism ("Mystik – Fülle des Lebens", gouache, 2000)
  •   850f: Ramallah (untitled)
  •   900f: Remembrance ("Erinnerung an Akka", watercolour, 2000)
  •   background: unknown.

Hazimeh designed or had his paintings used for several further postage stamps and blocks of Palestine: 50 Years Arab League 1995, The Blue Madonna 2000, Peace for Bethlehem 2001, Maria with her Child 2002, Worship of the Virgin Mary 2005, and 60 Years Arab League 2005.

External links:
  •   Ibrahim Hazimeh's homepage
  •   Exhibition in Berlin, 2003
  •   Exhibition in Berlin, 2007/8

Zobbel	Value	Size	Perfor.	Printed	Notes
182	350f	33.05x54.9mm	K 14:13.75	n/a	Block: Zobbel Bl. 19 (128.2x137.5mm)
183	550f
184	850f
185	900f

A series of four stamps was issued on 18.08.2001 depicting scenes from four famous Arab fairy tales from or associated with "One Thousand and One Nights" (كتاب ألف ليلة وليلة‎). The stamps are denominated at 300, 450, 650, and 800 Fils with a total value of 2,200 Fils. They were printed by Bundesdruckerei GmbH Berlin in sheets of 10 (2x5). Print run: unknown. Perforation: K 14.
An official FDC was issued with the stamps cancelled by a special first day postmark dated 18.08.2001.

There are two anomalies with this issue:
  •   The 800-Fils stamp has the values ateted in Arabic as ٧٠٠ (ie. 700) rather the correct ٨٠٠.
  •   On the sheets one notes that the Arab headings are switched between the 300 and 450 Fils stamps.

The fairy tales depicted are:
  •   300f: Aladdin and the Magic Lamp (علاء الدين / علاء الدين والمصباح السحري‎) [sheet says سندباد البحار]
  •   450f: Sindbad the Sailor (السندباد البحري / سندباد البحار) [sheet says علاء الدين والمصباح السحري]
  •   650f: The Magic Horse (The Flying Horse or Ebony Horse, أسطورة الحصان السحري)
  •   800f: Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves (علي بابا والأربعون لصا / علي بابا وال ٤٠ حرامي )

External links:
  •   "The Arabian Nights Entertainments" by Andrew Lang (Project Gutenberg)
  •   "The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night" by Richard Francis Burton (Project Gutenberg)

Zobbel	Value	Size	Perfor.	Printed	Notes
186	300f	46x27.3m	K 14	n/a	sheets of 10 (2x5)
187	450f
188	650f
189	800f

A series of stamps was issued on 17.11.2001 commemorating "The First Airship over the Holy Land": the "Orient Flight" (Orientfahrt) of German airship Zeppelin LZ-127 took place between 25. and 28.03.1929 and Palestine (Haifa, Jerusalem, Jordan Valley, Lake Kinnereth) was overflown in nighttime on 26.03.1929. LZ-127 visited Palestine for a second time on its "Egpyt Flight" (Ägyptenfahrt, 9–13.04.1931) during which Gaza and Jerusalem were overflown in daytime on 11.04.1931. The two stamps with a total value of 800 Fils (200, and 600 Fils) were printed by Bundesdruckerei GmbH Berlin in sheets of 10 (5x2). Print run: unknown. Perforation: K 13.75.
An official FDC was issued with the stamps cancelled by a special first day postmark dated 17.11.2001.

The two scenes depicted are:
  •   200f: Map of the "Orient Flight" route (25–28.03.1929) with picture of LZ-127
  •   600f: Picture of LZ-127 flying over Palestine

External links:
  •   Die Orientfahrt. Die Ägyptenfahrt des LZ 127 – Graf Zeppelin (book by Fred F. Blau and Cyril Deighton)
  •   Wenn es doch Tag gewesen wäre! : die Orientfahrt des Luftschiff "Graf Zeppelin" (book on the 1929 flight by Dieter Leder, German)
  •   Review of Leder book (in English)
  •   Picture of LZ-127 over Jerusalem (11.04.1931, Palestine Remembered)
  •   LZ-127 (Airship Heritage Trust)

Zobbel	Value	Size	Perfor.	Printed	Notes
190	200f	35x35mm	K 13.75	n/a	sheets of 10 (5x2)
191	600f

A sheetlet of stamps (Zobbel ZdKb 9) was issued on 24.11.2001 depicting the Houbara Bustard (Chlamydotis undulata, German: Kragentrappe). The stamps are part of the "WWF Conservation Stamp Collection": the design uses drawings from photographs provided by World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and shows the WWF logo.

Depicted are:
  •   350f: male in courtship display (drawing based on a photograph by Michael McKinnon/Oxford Scientific Films)
  •   350f: juvenile (drawing based on a photograph by H. & J. Eriksen/VIREO)
  •   750f: female (drawing based on a photograph by Xavier Eichaker/BIOS)
  •   750f: male (drawing based on a photograph by Xavier Eichaker/BIOS)

The sheetlet, Zobbel ZdKb 9, contains eight stamps: two blocks-of-four printed se-tenant in the follwing order: Zobbel nos. 192 / 194 // 193 / 195 // 192 / 194 // 193 / 195. Total value of the four stamps is 2,200 Fils; sheet value: 4,400 Fils. The stamps were printed by Bundesdruckerei GmbH Berlin. Print run: unknown. Perforation: K 13.75x14.
There was an official FDC issued containing a block-of-four and bearing two strikes of the special first day canceller dated 24.11.2001.

Swiss publishers Groth AG issued for WWF a number of special products:
  •   four illustrated FDCs with each stamp accompanied by the respective motif, cancelled with the official Palestinian first-day postmark.
  •   four maximum cards showing the photographs used for the design, cancelled with the official Palestinian first-day postmark
  •   a six page documentation (in punched pockets) containing an illustrated description of the Houbara Bustard and the stanps as block-of four in a protective mount. This exists in German and other languages.

External links:
  •   Houbara Bustard (Bird Life International)
  •   Houbara Bustard (IUCN Red List of Endangered Species)
  •   World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)
  •   WWF Conservation Stamp Collection (Groth AG)

Zobbel	Value	Size	Perfor.	Printed	Notes
192	350f	55x33mm	K 13.75:14	n/a	printed se-tenant in sheet of 8 (2x4): Zobbel ZdKb 9 (order of stamps: Zobbel nos. 192 / 194 // 193 / 195 // 192 / 194 // 193 / 195)
193	350f
194	750f
195	750f

A block was issued on 8.12.2001 the occasion of Christams depicting a painting (unknown title) by Palestinian artist Ibrahim Hazimeh (*1933). The block contains one stamp denominated at 950 Fils and was printed by Bundesdruckerei GmbH Berlin. Print run: unknown. Perforation: K 14:13.75.
A FDC was issued, bearing a special first-day postmark dated 8.12.2001 (using the German abbreviation of December: DEZ).

Hazimeh designed or had his paintings used for several further postage stamps and blocks of Palestine: 50 Years Arab League 1995, The Blue Madonna 2000, Art of Peace 2001, Maria with her Child 2002, Worship of the Virgin Mary 2005, and 60 Years Arab League 2005.

External links:
  •   Ibrahim Hazimeh's homepage
  •   Exhibition in Berlin, 2003
  •   Exhibition in Berlin, 2007/8

Zobbel	Value	Size	Perfor.	Printed	Notes
196	950f	32.8x27.7mm	K 14:13.75	n/a	Block: Zobbel Bl. 20 (90x90.5mm)