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In
1871, Qatar joined the Turkish suzerainty at AL Ahsa
area and the Turkish castle was
built in Doha. |
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In 1916, during the rule of sheikh Abdullah Bin
Jassem Al Thani, a protection treaty with
England was signed by Qatar along with Bahrain and Oman Trucial emirates. |
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During the start of the Qatar oil company (at the
end of the Second World War), mail was sent via
Bahrain due to its close location and existing post
office. These letters were cancelled with a Bahrain
stamp and only identified as coming from Qatar from
the sender’s return address. |
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Prior to 1st April 1948, stamps from India with
Bahrain overprint were used. After this date,
British stamps with Bahrain overprint were used. |
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With the rapid growth of the oil industry, it was
necessary to establish the British post
ٌRepresentative’s office in Doha. Mail origination in
Qatar was hand carried in a diplomatic bag to
Bahrain. |
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As part of the British protection agreement in may
1950, the first Postal
Office in Qatar was
established to handle the increasing number of
letters being sent by oil workers out of Qatar. |
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The political officer cancellation stamp was used
since no Doha postmark was available at the time. |
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Following the consignments of 3 – 4 shipments of
letters to Bahrain, the superintendent of Bahrain
post office objected to the use of the political
officer cancellation and required all letters to be
sent to Bahrain with the stamps uncancelled
whereupon in Bahrain the cancellation was affixed. |
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In July 1950, the Doha cancellation postmark was
applied for the first time on the stamps of “British
post offices of eastern Arabia” and Bahrain issues. |
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An oval stamp had been used on registered mail in
1950. |
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 The
first post office in Qatar |
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In the beginning, Indian and British stamps
with Bahrain overprint were used. During the reign
of Sheikh Ali Bin Abdullah Al Thani, these stamps
were replaced with local currency over print “value
only” which was used in all Emirates under
British protection. |
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Issue
of stamps with the portrait of King George VI had
been printed with “value only” in the early 1950's.
After Queen Elizabeth II came to rule Great Britain,
British stamps were used with the queen’s portrait
and the local “value only” up to 1957. |
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Umm
said post office |
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This office was
been opened on 1st February 1956 under the
supervision of the British political office using British
stamps with the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II. |
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Dukhan
Post Office |
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This was
the third
post office in Qatar after Doha and umm Said. opened
in January 1960. In the beginning, it was a branch
of Umm Said post office but became independent 4th
Aprial 1965. |
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First
Qatari Stamps |
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On 1st April
1957, British stamps with the portrait of queen
Elizabeth II overprinted with the word “Qatar”, were issued, the set comprised of 15 stamps. The
stamps with overprint of “value only” were in use,
at the same time as the new stamps overprinted
with “Qatar”. |
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The
First Definitive Qatari Issue: |
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The
first ordinary Qatar set were designed to carry
the ruler’s portrait, Dhows, Oil Derrick, Mosques.
The portrait of the ruler, Sheikh Ali Bin Abdullah
Al Thani had been chosen. The issue was
postponed until the ruler’s assignment of his son
Sheikh Ahmed Bin Ali Al Thani whose portrait was
used for the modren collection which was issued on
2nd September 1961. |
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The
British stamps have remained in use until the end of
February 1962. |
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Notes: stamps with the portrait of Sheikh Ali AL
Thani were printed in Britain by Della'rue Security
Printers. The sheikh Ahmed Bin Abdullah
stamps were printed with the same design as the Sheikh
Ali’s stamps. |
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Post independence: |
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The
definitive set of Sheikh Ahmed Bin Ali Al Thani is
considered the last English stamps adopted by the
government of Qatar since 23rd may 1963,
the set of Sheikh Ahmed was valid for use until
the end of 1966. In October of the same year, Qatari
stamps of the new currency was issued in Dirham
and riyal denominations.
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There
follows the modern Qatari stamp issues which reflect the
development of the country under the leadership of HH Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani, emir of Qatar.
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Exhibition
