ALEXANDRETTE ( Syria)

Alexandrette is one of numerous cities established by Alexander the Great and which always bear his name. In Antiquity, she was called "Alexandria ad Issum". Capital of the Sandjak d' Alexandrette, it belonged, before the Great War, to the province of Syria of the Ottoman Empire.
This important bearing, situated on a wide gulf bearing the same name, was of use as outlet to the North of Syria and, in particular, in the big city of Aleppo which was in hundred kilometers.
Sandjak d' Alexandrette had been connected, after 1918, in Syria under French mandate. it was retroceded in Turkey in 1938, but, underits Turkish name Of Iskenderun, the bearing always calls back the memoryof the big Iskander, titles under which Alexander the Great was deified by the Persians

The mail traffic of Alexandrette showed itself fast rather important, especially because of the closeness of Aleppo, importing shopping and craft mall, this bearing of which represented the main outlet.
It was June 15th, 1852 when the French mail administration announced the next functioning of a line of liners intended to harm " The Scales of Syria " from Constantinople (or of Smyrna) to Alexandria. A few days later, a circular announced the next creation of Post offices in the new stopovers among which it was planned that that of Alexandrette would receive, as inventory number, the " Diamond of points Small Codes 3766 ".
In practice, considering lead times, the French Post office of Alexandrette was created in October

Cancelled PC 3766 Type 22 of Alexandrette (VO 105 SOLUPHIL)

ALEPPO (Syria)

Aleppo was not the siege of an official French mail agency. However, between 1856 (or 1857?) and 1870, the correspondences native of Aleppo and sent by French way carry the claw (generally of blue color and most probably private origin)

Letters so stamped were then forwarded by a regular department (at the middle deprived, at the middle-official, it seems) until Alexandrette where they were freed and cancelled then regularly. More rarely, certain correspondences were so cancelled from Beirut, from Smyrna, even, exceptionally from Alexandria. (spring : Robert Dessert)

24/1/1861 - Cancelled PC 3766 Type 22 of Alexandrette, blue claw " POSTED FRENCH OF ALEPPO "

 

Cancelled PC 3766 Type 22 of Alexandrette, blue claw "POSTS FRENCH OF ALEPPO" (VO 118 CERES)

 

 

 

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